{"id":1172,"date":"2018-05-15T15:00:54","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T20:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/?p=1172"},"modified":"2018-05-01T14:32:19","modified_gmt":"2018-05-01T19:32:19","slug":"newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2018\/05\/15\/newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Newsletters That Really Deliver, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Written by Laurie Gauger-Hested <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>In \u201cNewsletters That Really Deliver, Part 1,\u201d we discussed the importance of producing high-quality newsletters. As your public face, your newsletter should send two fundamental messages to parents: that you\u2019re professionals who are giving their children an excellent education, and that you\u2019re strong Christians who love Jesus and their children. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Part 1 listed three important directives for achieving this goal: (1) write with a smile on your face; (2) write humbly, which translates to \u201cbe brief\u201d; and (3) write for the eye as well as the ear, which means using an easy-to-read format. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Part 2 has three equally important directives. Please read on. <\/em><!--more--><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li value=\"4\"><strong>Write by the rules. <\/strong>Put into practice what you learned in your composition courses.\n<ul>\n<li>Make sure your verbs and nouns agree in number.<\/li>\n<li>Make your verb structures parallel. \u201cWe drank coffee, discussed our book, and solved all the world\u2019s problems.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Use active, not passive, voice. \u201cSchools need principals\u201d (active) is stronger than \u201cPrincipals are needed in schools\u201d (passive).<\/li>\n<li>Use action verbs more than linking verbs. \u201cShe teaches art\u201d is stronger than \u201cShe is an art teacher.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Eliminate prepositional phrases when possible. \u201cThe students of MLC\u201d becomes \u201cMLC students.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Eliminate closet verbs, which are verbs within verbs. \u201cWe ended up deciding that our resolution would be to build\u201d becomes \u201cWe resolved to build.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Eliminate adjectives and adverbs when possible. \u201cHe spoke loudly and forcefully\u201d becomes \u201cHe shouted.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Eliminate redundancies like \u201cpast history,\u201d \u201cunexpected surprise,\u201d and \u201cfree gift.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t worry about archaic rules. Yes, you can write fragments. (Occasionally.) Yes, you can end a sentence with a preposition. (Or is this something up with which you simply cannot put?) Yes, you can split infinitives. (I give you permission to freely do it.) Yes, you can start sentences with conjunctions. (And don\u2019t feel guilty.) Yes, you can use \u201cthey\u201d and \u201ctheir\u201d as singular non-gendered pronouns. (Don\u2019t worry about your old English teacher. They won\u2019t mind.)<\/li>\n<li>Use correct punctuation:\n<ul>\n<li>Review your comma and apostrophe rules.<\/li>\n<li>Keep exclamation marks to a minimum.<\/li>\n<li>Put commas and periods inside quotation marks.<\/li>\n<li>And here\u2019s a biggie: Use one space, not two, after a period. The two-space rule presided over the age of the manual typewriter, which was half a century ago. I know it\u2019s a hard habit to break, but you <em>can<\/em> teach an old thumb a new trick.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>What if grammar\u2019s not your thing? If photosynthesis or quadratic equations are a snap, but dangling modifiers remain a mystery, then I have three solutions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Just ask yourself, \u201cCan this be shorter?\u201d Shorten, shorten, shorten.<\/li>\n<li>Read your work aloud to yourself or\u2014better\u2014ask someone else to read it to you. Anywhere they pause or wrinkle their brow is a place that needs rewriting.<\/li>\n<li>And . . . see #5.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><strong>Write twice, the second time after a proofreader pores over your work. <\/strong>I can\u2019t emphasize this enough. Even if you\u2019re a meticulous writer, you need a proofreader. We all do.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This is doubly important because you\u2019re educators. Part of your job is to teach children English, so you\u2019d better not have run-on sentences and misspelled words in your own writing.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. (Chances are, this article has an error or two. I\u2019ll be grateful when someone points them out.) But a <em>pattern<\/em> of poor grammar, spelling, or punctuation says one of two things: The writer is either ignorant or lazy. The writer either doesn\u2019t know the correct way to write or doesn\u2019t care.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t ever think, \u201cNo one will notice.\u201d Some of your parents are well educated. They will see the errors. I find this adage pretty insightful: \u201cGood grammar is like personal hygiene. You can ignore it if you want, but don\u2019t be surprised when people draw their conclusions.\u201d<\/p>\n<ol start=\"6\">\n<li><strong>Write copy that points to Jesus. <\/strong>This is the most important point of all. You\u2019re teaching at a Christian school, so your newsletter should convey that. Here are some ideas, and I\u2019d invite you to share more in the comments section.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>Create a Christ-Light corner that refers to your Word of God lessons.<\/li>\n<li>Ask one of your teachers or pastors to give a brief introduction to Sunday\u2019s lectionary readings.<\/li>\n<li>Share stories that demonstrate how the children are growing spiritually: \u201cYour eighth graders wrote and delivered amazing devotions this semester. I think I see some future pastors and teachers. . . . Mrs. Smith tells us that when the first graders studied \u2018The Good Samaritan\u2019 last week, one of the kids said they could be a Good Samaritan by making sure no one\u2019s playing alone at recess. Isn\u2019t that awesome? Your kids are great kids, and God is strengthening their faith and love every day.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Share as much good news as you can: student awards and team victories, volunteers\u2019 donations of time and energy, donors\u2019 gifts, teachers\u2019 professional growth and community awards, even alumni news if you\u2019re ambitious. See this not as boasting, but as gratitude and encouragement: thanking God for his blessings and inspiring God\u2019s people to continue using their gifts.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid sanctimony and awkwardness. You don\u2019t have to say \u201cGod willing\u201d for every planned event, or cover the newsletter with little crosses, or write things you wouldn\u2019t say in normal conversation. People smell artificiality a mile away, and too many trite pieties become white noise\u2014meaning little and eventually not even being heard. So keep your expressions of faith natural and meaningful.<\/li>\n<li>Admit mistakes, which is a mark of Christian maturity: \u201cWe apologize for scheduling the Science Fair right after Easter. We know some families had a hard time finishing up those projects. We\u2019ll be smarter next year.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Share prayer requests: \u201cThe Taylors request your prayers for Missie, who\u2019s back in the hospital again this week. Jesus, please be with Missie and her family!\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Conclusion:<\/strong> As your public face, your Lutheran school newsletter should showcase both your professionalism and your faith. So write well. Deliver carefully composed, faith-filled content. And deliver that content in professional packaging.<\/p>\n<p><em>Laurie Gauger-Hested (DMLC \u201987) is the MLC campus writer\/editor. She\u2019d like to thank three others for sharing their wisdom: MLC proofreader Heidi Schoof (DMLC \u201986), MLC web content manager Leah Matzke, and Mount Olive-St. Paul MN worship coordinator Anna Biedenbender. <\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-1172\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2018\/05\/15\/newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-1172\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2018\/05\/15\/newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2018\/05\/15\/newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span>Print<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by Laurie Gauger-Hested In \u201cNewsletters That Really Deliver, Part 1,\u201d we discussed the importance of producing high-quality newsletters. As your public face, your newsletter should send two fundamental messages to parents: that you\u2019re professionals who are giving their children &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2018\/05\/15\/newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-1172\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2018\/05\/15\/newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-1172\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2018\/05\/15\/newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2018\/05\/15\/newsletters-that-really-deliver-part-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span>Print<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":1037,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[23,17,14,19,15,1],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/files\/2017\/02\/blog-header-for-Facebook.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2MA5F-iU","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1172"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1172"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1172\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1214,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1172\/revisions\/1214"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}