Sacred Heart Primary School Email Policy
Sacred Heart Primary School is committed to open, honest and timely communication. We are also committed to communication being respectful, measured, sensitive and constructive. In adhering to these principles we aim to strengthen the goodwill and the positive partnership between parents and the school, to enhance the well-being and learning opportunities for our students.
Email is an important and convenient means of communication that can assist our school to provide more effective services to our school community. It is not designed to replace the functionality of a phone call or face to face meeting with parents, which in most cases are our preferred options. Its usage must meet professional standards.
The aim of these guidelines is to:
· clearly articulate the School’s commitment to positive use of the email system for communication
· acknowledge the potential benefits of staff and parents communicating via email, but also understand its shortcomings
· establish clear expectations for both staff and parents in the use of email as a communication tool.
Expectations of Both Staff and Parents
When communicating via email, staff and parents are expected to adhere to email etiquette, including:
· Emails should be brief and informative. Issues that require a level of detailed discussion should be dealt with in person or over the phone.
· Emails should always be respectful and constructive. If the email relates to a concern or problem, it ought to be focused on understanding the problem and finding a solution.
· Emails work best when they are positive. Avoid sending negative or confrontational emails. Email is not to be used to vent.
· Never write about or seek personal information regarding third parties (staff, students or parents). Likewise, emails containing personal or sensitive information should not be passed on to a third party without permission of the sender.
· Be conscious that the tone or intent of emails can easily be misunderstood, especially where humour or sarcasm is involved. Be conscious of this and pick up the phone rather than send an email in this instance.
· Staff and parents are not expected to respond to emails that are contentious or require ongoing dialogue. A face-to-face meeting should be arranged in this circumstance.
· Make sure the purpose of your email is clear. Make it clear if you require specific action or is the email for information only?
· When emailing a group, staff and parents must ensure they not disclose the email addresses of others without permission to do so. (Blind CC should be utilised)
Expectations of Staff
· Email should not be used to discuss a sensitive issue which was not initiated by the parent or had not been previously discussed with the parent.
· When an email is received from a parent that requires some time to gather information and reply properly, the staff member should respond acknowledging that the email has been received and indicate when an informed response will be sent.
· Staff will aim to reply to parent emails within two working days.
· Staff may choose to send or respond to work related emails at a time of their own choosing, but there is no expectation to respond to these emails outside of school hours. (8:30-4:30).
· Staff are not to respond to offensive or abusive emails and should forward them to the school principal.
Expectations of Parents
· Please only send non-vital messages by this medium as given work demands teachers may not get to read emails until late in the day.
· Please don’t seek to discuss in detail your child’s academic progress, learning expectations, or behavioural issues via email. These are best addressed over the phone or in person.
· Emails that are intended for the office staff should be sent directly to the school’s email address, that being: [email protected]
· Remember to respect staff personal time, including weekends and holidays. Parents shouldn’t send emails outside of work hours and expect an immediate response.
· It is the responsibility of every parent to keep the school administration and class teacher up-to-date with current email addresses.
RESPONSIBILITIES
All staff and parents are responsible for using email in accordance with this policy. It is the responsibility of school leadership to ensure the policy is brought to the attention of:
· Parents on enrolment of their child.
· The whole school community annually.
Policy Developed 2018
Policy Review – This policy is to be reviewed annually.
Sacred Heart Primary School is committed to open, honest and timely communication. We are also committed to communication being respectful, measured, sensitive and constructive. In adhering to these principles we aim to strengthen the goodwill and the positive partnership between parents and the school, to enhance the well-being and learning opportunities for our students.
Email is an important and convenient means of communication that can assist our school to provide more effective services to our school community. It is not designed to replace the functionality of a phone call or face to face meeting with parents, which in most cases are our preferred options. Its usage must meet professional standards.
The aim of these guidelines is to:
· clearly articulate the School’s commitment to positive use of the email system for communication
· acknowledge the potential benefits of staff and parents communicating via email, but also understand its shortcomings
· establish clear expectations for both staff and parents in the use of email as a communication tool.
Expectations of Both Staff and Parents
When communicating via email, staff and parents are expected to adhere to email etiquette, including:
· Emails should be brief and informative. Issues that require a level of detailed discussion should be dealt with in person or over the phone.
· Emails should always be respectful and constructive. If the email relates to a concern or problem, it ought to be focused on understanding the problem and finding a solution.
· Emails work best when they are positive. Avoid sending negative or confrontational emails. Email is not to be used to vent.
· Never write about or seek personal information regarding third parties (staff, students or parents). Likewise, emails containing personal or sensitive information should not be passed on to a third party without permission of the sender.
· Be conscious that the tone or intent of emails can easily be misunderstood, especially where humour or sarcasm is involved. Be conscious of this and pick up the phone rather than send an email in this instance.
· Staff and parents are not expected to respond to emails that are contentious or require ongoing dialogue. A face-to-face meeting should be arranged in this circumstance.
· Make sure the purpose of your email is clear. Make it clear if you require specific action or is the email for information only?
· When emailing a group, staff and parents must ensure they not disclose the email addresses of others without permission to do so. (Blind CC should be utilised)
Expectations of Staff
· Email should not be used to discuss a sensitive issue which was not initiated by the parent or had not been previously discussed with the parent.
· When an email is received from a parent that requires some time to gather information and reply properly, the staff member should respond acknowledging that the email has been received and indicate when an informed response will be sent.
· Staff will aim to reply to parent emails within two working days.
· Staff may choose to send or respond to work related emails at a time of their own choosing, but there is no expectation to respond to these emails outside of school hours. (8:30-4:30).
· Staff are not to respond to offensive or abusive emails and should forward them to the school principal.
Expectations of Parents
· Please only send non-vital messages by this medium as given work demands teachers may not get to read emails until late in the day.
· Please don’t seek to discuss in detail your child’s academic progress, learning expectations, or behavioural issues via email. These are best addressed over the phone or in person.
· Emails that are intended for the office staff should be sent directly to the school’s email address, that being: [email protected]
· Remember to respect staff personal time, including weekends and holidays. Parents shouldn’t send emails outside of work hours and expect an immediate response.
· It is the responsibility of every parent to keep the school administration and class teacher up-to-date with current email addresses.
RESPONSIBILITIES
All staff and parents are responsible for using email in accordance with this policy. It is the responsibility of school leadership to ensure the policy is brought to the attention of:
· Parents on enrolment of their child.
· The whole school community annually.
Policy Developed 2018
Policy Review – This policy is to be reviewed annually.
