Welcoming Families Communication Toolkit
Recommended Practices, Templates and Resources for Schools and Districts
Effective communication strengthens partnerships.
The Massachusetts family engagement framework, Strengthening Partnerships, provides a roadmap for partnering with families to support better outcomes for students.
As documented in research and outlined in the Framework, the foundation of this partnership is building positive relationships. Every time you communicate a message of welcome, inclusion, and listening, you are investing in stronger relationships with families.
This toolkit is designed to help you reflect on your current communication practices. Our goal is to provide inspiration and concrete tools that will enhance the important work you are already doing. We recommend that you explore these sections sequentially the first time through this toolkit. At the top of each page you will find icons guiding you through the topics in this toolkit, beginning with "Listen" and ending with "Plan."
Within each topic and section, you will find:
✏️ An activity to help you develop your own communication plan
💡An idea bank you can draw from, to identify strategies you can apply in your work
🛠️ Tools including translated templates, printable tip sheets, and further reading
Activities and tools may link to Google Docs, Google Sheets, PDFs, and Canva Files. Click here for technical instructions on how to download files for your own use.
Please note that the toolkit itself is in English because the intended audience is educators and school personnel. District-level family engagement and communications leaders may also find these resources helpful as you plan professional development opportunities in your district. Templates and resources intended for families are currently available in six languages.
At the end of each section, you will find an arrow pointing you to the next section in the sequence of topics. Click on the arrow or topic title to proceed. At the bottom of the page, you'll find a link to skip ahead to the full index of resources.
Let's get started!
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