Pub. 9 2019-2020 Issue 2

17 Presence Dual Immersion Academy (DIA) real- izes that various social media platforms hit different audiences. Many of their families are immigrants from Mexico and Latin American and use Facebook to connect with their extended families. By also using Facebook to connect with their school community, DIA can get out information and “definitely build school culture.” DIA has also been able to use Instagram to “make a community con- nection, particularly with nonprofits,” while Twitter serves to “find volunteers and donors.” City Academy uses social media to “spotlight our learning and events to give them the recognition they deserve.” By using multiple platforms, Crystal Boteju, office manager, City Academy, shares, “We prefer to be all-inclusive in all that we do!” Kara Finley, Academic West, works with multiple schools and notes that “social media can be a great way to showcase to interested families what makes the school unique. Parents can read reviews, answer questions, and get a feel for what is offered. New schools are in a unique position where they can use social media to educate parents about the vision of the school, facilities and hiring progress, and enrollment opportunities. It can provide a great platform to connect a blossoming school community.” Whether sharing information, spot- lighting students, connecting with the community at large, sharing the mission and vision of your school, or recruiting new students, social media can be effec- tive. However, posting about so many events can be daunting. 2. Set a schedule. To prevent becoming overwhelmed with the amount of content to share, it helps to set up a posting schedule. Kara suggests posting, “at least once, maybe twice a day, with a minimum of two or three posts per week, even throughout the summer.” Angela Fanjul, executive director at DIA, regularly schedules posts, but also adds special interest posts as they occur. This works well to combine the sharing of strictly informational items and sharing musical programs, sporting events, etc. DIA uses Hootsuite, a social media management platform. Mountainville Academy has both administration and parent volunteers post information, but doesn’t have a set schedule. City Academy has a “social media committee” that meets weekly and is comprised of teachers and students. They “create a plan for the week and usually have photos prepped and ready to go.” But, as social media goes, they also have “at the moment candid shots and videos that happen as well.” SarahMaya, NoahWebster Academy, is using social media more often during school dismissal due to the coronavirus. She shared, “Currently, because our scholars are studying from home, I have asked parents to send in pictures and am posting 2-3 times a day to show the great things happening at home.” This allows the school community to stay con- nected and encourages students to keep up their schoolwork in the absence of traditional classes. By keeping the posts varied, schools can grab the interest of the intended audiences. CONTINUED ON PAGE 18