About the constant mistakes on the newsletter?

[LittleMissGeneric]

I'm not perfect at spelling and grammar, and try not to be too pedantic!

I know people can make spelling mistakes, and try to be tolerant

Anyway with the disclaimers out the way, the school newsletter has mistakes on it regularly, and ok most of the time people know what they mean, it's not the end of the world.

But they have to keep sending texts to correct things. There is a training day on a random mid term day, which is ok, but they put the return date as the one after half term, making it look like they had 2 weeks off (ok a mistake, but not a really obvious one, people could have believed it).

Then one, which was one letter wrong in a word, ok easily done, but it meant the word had an opposite meaning, instead of saying not it said now (not allowed instead said now allowed) but I know what it meant as its been on the letter before, but new parents wouldn't necessarily, and it's not a policy that would change.

I know it's easily done, and school staff are busy, I'm not saying otherwise, but wouldn't it be easier to check it rather than have to send a text after?

I am fully expecting to be flamed, but interested to know if it's just me.

I would mention it, in a nice way, but don't want to come across as pedantic

I was expecting to say YABU because I was expecting you to be objecting to SPaG errors in the letter.

Although the errors arise from typos, they're factual errors, and I still don't think I'd actually complain, but I'd be less inclined to think that someone who did complain was BU.

I try not to be critical when I see typos in newsletters, and also poor spacing and leading but its very difficult as I am a printer by profession, I am also a trained typographer and proof read on a daily basis, I am tempted to scribble printers marks on things and send them back, but not many people now actually know what the marks mean so it would be pointless.

My God - have you got nothing better to do than count up all the mistakes made by some (probably) overworked and underpaid school secretary/admin assistant?

If it's anything like our school she is probably rushed off her feet constantly having to resend info to parents who have: lost the term dates sheet (for the umpteenth time); forgotten how to use Parentpay (again); mislaid the latest trip letter; forgotten that all the info they need is available on the school website etc etc etc.

Many parents massively add to the workload of school admin staff by being disorganised and generally dippy!! Stop complaining and get a bloody grip!

My DH was in charge of our wedding invitations and he sent them all out with the wrong bloody year on it

I only found out when one of my friends contacted me to say she thought I was getting married in 2013, not 2014 like the invite said

My husband had to send out a lot of texts!!

The reason I notice the mistakes is because I read the newsletter to make sure I return forms/money etc on time, and plus you notice when you are getting texts.

I used to be a proof reader, and I'm far from perfect, but when information is factually incorrect rather than spelling mistakes, it is confusing.

I am completely with you on this one. This is official school communication and with an army of teachers on hand who could proof read comms, there is no excuse for getting it wrong. It's annoying and looks sloppy. It would also make me wonder just how disorganised the school was. Are they checking homework properly? Is the marking correct?

If this is the work of just one person, they need to be taken off the job and someone more competent should take over. I would be writing to complain.

I judge mistakes in school letters. The head teacher of my dc's school has a degree in English - I expect letters going out in her name not to have spelling mistakes.

Tbh, I think schools have no excuse to send out letters with incorrect spelling. They are full of people with degrees - one of them should be capable of proof reading.

When are the teachers that are busy teaching your children going to find the time to proofread letters from the office - do you want them to do that as well as teaching your children, organising their lessons, setting their targets, sorting out their disputes, marking their homework, mopping up their tears, dealing with their tantrums or instead of?

Naiceham I think I love you.
Yes I am that person who writes the newsletter and makes the mistakes. Probably because I have about ten minutes to write it whilst doing about five other jobs as well.
As for proofreading when do you think that happens? Newsletter written at 2.30 then rushed down to photocopier ready for the end of the day. Teachers are all teaching.
I really don't think parents have any idea of the amount of work that is done in a school.

Do you really think teachers have nothing better to do that proof read the school newsletters NN? They are flat out educating your children, running after school clubs, dealing with safeguarding issues, talking with parents, attending meetings, going on training courses........

We have this a lot, but it's with the wrong dates/ times.

So we'd get Christmas fair is going to be on Thursday 11th, then an email saying sorry it's Friday 12th.

Or last term's corker; a parent mail, a newsletter and the website all giving a different time for the end of term service. One 1,30, one 2.30 and one 2pm. Then we got a frantic confirmation text saying it was actually 1.45 for a 2pm start.

They need one diary with all the info in, and one person (not the head, who's responsible for it ATM ) to be responsible for transferring the diary info to the written communication. It must take them so much more time, as everyone rings up or emails to query, and then they have to send corrections and clarifications.

Thank you Fairyliz!! I have worked in a school office too - badly paid and stressful; thank goodness for the lovely kids and (most) parents who make the job worthwhile.

So Narnia - the fault lies with the head not the school secretary.

We get this a lot from DD's primary school too and it does get quite confusing sometimes.

I've had 3 emails from school today, one the weekly newsletters, then 2 further ones to correct mistakes in the original newsletter - now/not permitted like yours, followed by one to correct play rehearsals dates originally given as Friday 14th and 21st January

It must take time to deal with parents ringing to confirm the correct information then sending out corrections.

We had a parent text once that should have clearly only been sent out to certain parents as it included some very confidential information, but it had been sent to all parents

Naice, I am a former teacher. I would never have sent out letters to parents without checking the spelling.

Our secretary used to finalise the newsletter before break on Friday. I proofread it (rarely a mistake; she was very efficient). It was then copied and sorted into classes ready to go home.
Now, it's emailed out (mostly).

We were a large, busy primary.

It is possible to get it right. It took 5 minutes to read (usually while I was drinking my coffee).

And if the teaching staff aren't getting their 15 minutes break then there's something wrong with the management.

(Feel free to point out any mistakes in this post.)