Issue #44 | July 14, 2025 |
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Welcome back to Beyond the Tour where twice a month you'll receive practical tips and resources to help you get better at what you do. Let's get started. |
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If You Do One Thing This Week: |
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1. 💡 Keep it simple. Sending out summer communications to parents? KEEP IT SIMPLE. Use bullet points instead of paragraphs. This may be a good opportunity for AI to help reformat your information. Remember, every communication is an opportunity to make parents fall in love with the school. Make it easy for parents to read summer communicationss, and say “I love our school!” Bonus points: For every communication you write, remember to ask yourself, “What problem does this solve for the customer?” Make sure you are writing with them in mind. |
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2. 🎯 Ask the right questions. Here's a great summer project: Review your application and make sure that you are asking the right questions. - Is every question helpful in finding out what you need to know and want to know about applicants?
- Have teachers given their input into what would be helpful for them to know? If not, ask them when they get back to school.
- Do you really need a student essay? (Be in touch with me for why I think you DO NOT need to include a student essay on the application.)
- Are any portions of the applicants there because “it's always been there”?
Your application is a customer service tool. Make sure it's another positive touchpoint for families and that it is the most helpful tool internally at the school. |
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3. 🔎 Don't be an island. Get on the agenda. The stronger the Admission-Faculty partnership is, the smoother things will run during the year. Start reinforcing those relationships right when faculty get back to campus. - Be present, not hidden in your office;
- Walk around and check in with faculty;
- Sponsor a breakfast or coffee break during faculty week or the first week of school;
- Most importantly, get on the agenda during faculty week for a quick slot on the announcements. Here's your chance to be the cheerleader you know you are. Get faculty excited about all of the new students coming in. Give them stats! X many zip codes! Y siblings! ABC alumni children!
Remember, in Admission, we hold a lot of information that others just don't know. It helps everyone at school to get excited about incoming and returning students. If you're not on the schedule yet for faculty week, find out who creates the schedule, and ask for 5 minutes. Bonus points: If you can get more time, even better. I'm working with one school on a full workshop on Faculty Roles in Student Retention. It will be fun, interactive, and you can bet that faculty will see themselves as part of the retention engine when we're done. |
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📣 Attention vendors! Reach 400+ schools and institutions through Beyond the Tour—a newsletter professionals "obsess over and comb through weekly." Don't miss your opportunity to connect with schools passionate about excellence. |
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FRESH TAKE What the experts say: |
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Simple, consistent, story-telling wins. Feeling overwhelmed by social media? This episode of one of my favorite podcast series highlights how simplicity and consistency can drive big results. Here's what you'll learn: - Meet Laurette Woodward, Communications Coordinator for a school division near Calgary, serving over 11,000 students across 30 schools.
- Discover how social media is managed at each location with training that sets schools up for success.
- Learn how using a social media rubric can set clear expectations and deliver impressive results.
- Explore the simple milestones created to make Facebook management effective and impactful.
- Get inspired by a standout idea: showcasing student work opportunities, which became the district’s highest-reaching posts of the year!
Listen, and let me know what you think. |
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BOOKMARK THESE HACKS: Get my best tips for happy, healthy teams by following me on Instagram. |
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If this newsletter resonates with you, here are three more ways I can help: - Follow me on LinkedIn or Instagram for bite-sized tips throughout the week (free).
- Work with me for 1:1 executive coaching or enrollment strategy consulting. Hit reply and I’ll send you a few questions to see if we’re a fit.
- Book me as a retreat facilitator or speaker. Fall PD is right around the corner. Please reply to this email or email me directly. I would love to plan something with you.
I’m a teacher at heart, and love helping people get better at what they do. Let's get started, |
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Do you have questions or want to see me address a specific topic or issue? My inbox is always open to requests and feedback. Check out previous issues of Beyond the Tour here.If you received this email from a friend and want to subscribe, click here. You are receiving this email because you have signed up for my newsletter or we have worked together. If you would like to opt-out, no problem. |
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