Draft parent communications

Introduction

As an administrator, you are often the person responsible for sharing important information with your school community. In this session, we’re going to explore how Gemini can support your communication efforts.

Before we dive in, let’s have a conversation about a current challenge you’re experiencing regarding communication with your school community.

• Maybe it’s a hard discussion you need to have with a parent group, or perhaps that your newsletters only get a 10% open rate.

• What are you hoping to learn in this session to make communication easier or more impactful?

Not only can Gemini help us be more productive by quickly creating first drafts, it can also help us create clearer and more engaging communication which increases awareness and understanding.

In this session, we’re going to use Gemini to help us communicate a state-level policy change with parents and guardians. Gemini will help us summarize, format, and differentiate the communication.

Demo

Let’s say that you have a state-mandated policy update to send to parents and guardians. It’s dry and the language is a bit intimidating, which may result in it not being read or understood. You can use Gemini to make the policy more accessible.

Step 1: I’m going to start by opening Gemini: gemini.google.com

• Point out the interface and the prompt bar at the bottom

Step 2: Then, I’ll paste the policy into the prompt bar and add my instructions for what I want Gemini to do with the policy:

Summarize this policy for our school’s parents and guardians. Focus on how this keeps kids safe. Give me two versions, one in English and one in Spanish.

Subject: Mandatory Implementation of [State] Public Act 2 (The Phone-Free Schools Act)

Effective Date: July 1, 2026

Policy Number: 1303-A (Amended)

1. General Prohibition: Pursuant to the Revised School Code Section 1303a, all local educational agencies (LEAs) shall implement a formal policy prohibiting student use of personal wireless communication devices on school grounds during designated instructional time. "Wireless communication device" is defined as any electronic device capable of text messaging, voice communication, or internet browsing via third-party applications.

2. Scope of Enforcement: This prohibition extends to all "school grounds," defined as buildings, playing fields, and any property utilized for instruction or school-sponsored functions. Devices must be powered off and stored in a non-accessible manner (e.g., lockable pouches or designated classroom storage) from the first bell until the final dismissal bell.

3. Statutory Exemptions: LEAs must provide documented exceptions for the following:

(a) Devices utilized for documented medical necessity (e.g., blood glucose monitoring).

(b) Devices mandated by a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 accommodation plan.

(c) Emergency situations as defined within the district’s Emergency Operations Plan.

(d) Direct instructional use as explicitly authorized by a certified classroom teacher for a specific academic duration.

4. Parental Notification: LEAs are required to provide a digital and hard-copy version of the enforcement mechanisms and disciplinary consequences to all parents/guardians no later than 15 days prior to the start of the 2026-2027 academic year.

Step 3: Let’s take a minute to review the output.

• If you want to make it shorter, the language friendlier, or translate it into another language, instead of starting over, in the prompt bar, just type additional guidelines or changes you’d like Gemini to make.

Now, I have a draft that’s accessible for my school community.

Practice

It’s your turn to practice.

Your task:

Think about a current communication challenge you’re experiencing.

Or

Think about an upcoming email or communication you need to send out to teachers or families.

With this in mind, enter your prompt into Gemini. Consider adding reading level, tone, length, and if you’d like it translated into another language.

Step 1: Open Gemini: gemini.google.com

Step 2:  Enter your prompt

• If you feel stuck, here’s a sample prompt for inspiration:

Act as my communications support and perform the following tasks:

Draft a 3-paragraph email to families about [topic]. Use a warm, collaborative tone that focuses on student wellbeing rather than just 'rules.'

Provide a 3-bullet point summary at the top for busy parents reading on their mobile phones.

Create a 160-character version for a text message alert.

Translate the 3-bullet point summary into [Spanish/other local language].

Avoid educational jargon

Step 3:  If you don’t get the exact result you want, instead of starting over, in the prompt bar, you can tell Gemini: "That’s a good start, but make it shorter and more direct”, and it will update the output.

How did Gemini do in editing its initial response using your feedback? How might you use this feature to be more efficient in your communication? For example, you can create different versions of something without starting over.

Reflection

Let’s take a moment to reflect on what you created.

• What surprised you the most about using Gemini to support communications?

• What did you find to be the most challenging about your interaction with Gemini?

What is one thing you’ve learned today that you’ll put into practice by the end of the week?