2018-19 PR Liaison Training Manual

The APS Public Relations Network Manual is designed for school-based PR Liaisons who are responsible for helping to promote APS.

Submit your news to apsnews@apsva.us

Online at www.apsva.us Follow us /ArlingtonPublicSchools @APSVirginia

@APSVirginia /APSVirginia @APSVAvideo

#APSisAwesome

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The Office of School & Community Relations

Linda Erdos, Assistant Superintendent

Catherine Ashby, Director of Communications

Frank Bellavia, Communications Coordinator, Media Relations and Online Strategies

Sara Daniel, e-Communications Coordinator: Webmaster and Design Services

Daryl Johnson, Communications Coordinator: Family Engagement and Public Information

Dawn Smith, Communications Coordinator: Volunteer, Partnerships and Special Events

Dulce Carrillo, Communications Coordinator: Community Engagement

Jeni Merino, Administrative Assistant

Jim Long, Print Shop Supervisor

Arlington Educational Television (AETV)

John Stuhldreher, TV Producer

Jeremy Koller, TV Producer

Bryan Eckerson, TV Producer

Rubiayat Rhidoy, TV Producer

2110 Washington Blvd. 4th Floor

Arlington, VA 22207

August, 2018

Key PR Liaison Liaison Training Dates

• Tuesday, October 16, 2018

• Tuesday, February 12, 2019

• Tuesday, April 2, 2019

• Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Location and time TBD

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Table of Contents

The APS Public Relations Liaison Network 4

How SCR Uses Your Content 5

NewsCheck Story Submission Information & Deadline 6

8 Simple Ways To Improve Your PR Writing 7

The Process of Submitting Your Story Ideas 8

Photo Opportunities and Tips 9

Video Opportunities 11

Social Media

Social Media 101 12

Helpful Social Media Tools & Links 14

Appendix

PR Liaison List 16

PR Liaison Evaluation Tool 17

Editorial Calendar 18

2018-19 Celebration Dates and Hashtags 19

APS News Sources & Print Media 21

APS Style Guide 22

APS Logo Style Guidelines 27

Sample Crisis Communications Talking Points 31

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The APS Public Relations NetworkIn order to reach the larger community:

• We are our own news outlet.• Each school and department should make public relations a priority.• We use mass communications to share our positive stories with our

community. • We build relationships with the news media to highlight successful school

programs. • We regularly inform the media about the positive learning activities that happen in

our schools every day.

Purpose of the School/Department Public Relations Liaison:The goal of our public relations effort is to ensure that staff and our community have an accurate understanding of the educational programs, accomplishments, and concerns associated with our schools. Public Relations Liaisons:

• Help APS promote our schools and engage with our community• Keep SCR informed about the positive things occurring daily in our schools.• Broaden our reach and strengthen communication networks within APS.• Promote morale of students, staff and parents.• Increase public confidence and support of our school system.• Generate news unique ideas for local media coverage.

School/Department Liaison Responsibilities:Without your assistance, our community would be missing the wonderful stories, activities, and accomplishments that occur throughout APS. Sharing your school’s good news touches the lives of our community and reinforces our commitment to education.

• Send advance information about ongoing activities or special events before they occur to Frank Bellavia. This information will be shared internally and externally on the appropriate communications platforms.

• Draft information to be used on APS social media, pitches, and in news releases sent to the media and via APS School Talk.

• Photograph and/or video events and send to apsnews@apsva.us. • Submit information and photographs to Frank Bellavia by email for

NewsCheck and NewsReview by 5 p.m. on the deadlines provided on page 6.

• Share APS key messages through your own school communications network by email, retweets, share, etc.

EvaluationAn evaluation tool is used to measure the quality and quantity of information received from school-based PR Liaisons each month.

Frank Bellavia Comms Coord: Media Relations/Online Strategies 703-228-6004 office 703-517-0705 cell frank.bellavia@apsva.us

Editorial Team Catherine Ashby Dir. of Communications 703-228-6003 office 571-581-7931 cell catherine.ashby@aspva.us

Daryl Johnson Comms Coord: Family Engagement/Public Information 703-228-7667 office 571-458-0127 cell daryl.johnson@apsva.us

Dawn Smith Comms Coord: Volunteers, Partnerships and Special Events 703-22-2581 dawn.smith@apsva.us

Dulce Carrillo Comms Coord: Community Engagement 703-228-7655 dulce.carrillo@apsva.us Sara Daniel Web Master e-Communications Coordinator 703-228-6185 sara.daniel@apsva.us

Executive Leadership Team

Linda Erdos Assistant Superintendent 703-228-6002 office 703-785-5923 cell linda.erdos@apsva.us

SCR Contacts

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The Arlington School Board believes that all students and each school are more likely to achieve success when parents and the wider community feel ownership in the APS. This sense of ‘ownership’ usually comes from a sense of pride and shared values, and is dependent upon active and ongoing two-way communication. Community engagement begins with and informed public, which is why it is vital that we work together to share your good news with other staff members throughout the system and the community at-large.

- School Board policy on community engagement

How SCR Uses Your Submissions:Your story submissions, photos and ideas are used in a variety of ways to show our stake-holders – both internal and external – the outstanding work happening in our schools and departments on a daily basis. Stories may be used to showcase teachers and students on social media, as the basis for media pitches or news releases, or they might be best suited for internal audiences and NewsCheck. Regardless, below are all the ways the PR net-work collectively communicates to show the stories unfolding in our schools:

News Releases/Media Pitches: News Releases are written and distributed when the information is timely, about an event that the local media might be interested in covering or that community members may be interested in attending.

APS School Talk:Timely and important communications sent daily to APS families and the community.

APS Homepage:Information may be placed on the main calendar, or shared on the homepage under “What’s Happening” or as a “Sticky Post.” Send information to apsnews@apsva.us.

Social Media: Social media provides an important platform to share content and stories with our families and the online community. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Periscope and YouTube. All schools and staff must register their social media presence annually by completing an online form provided by each school’s PR Liaison. We will be asking for retweets on key issues.

NewsCheck/NewsReview: NewsCheck is a biweekly, electronic newsletter distributed to all APS employees during the school year. Information published in NewsCheck has an internal focus, sharing good news relevant to employees. APS NewsReview is a biweekly listing of news and accomplishments about APS that is sent to families, civic leaders and the local media on Mondays.

What’s Up, APS? Podcast is an inside look at Arlington Public Schools. This is a great platform for in depth storytelling and sharing information with the community. AETV Video Programs:

Snapshots is a 3-5 minute cable program hosted by APS Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy that gives parents and community members a quick look inside the APS.

Green Scene highlights sustainability efforts by students and staff to protect the environment.

Partners in Action highlights the contributions of businesses and community organizations that partner with Arlington schools and programs.

Other Broadcast Programming

What If I Need Help?This handbook has been designed to provide you with all of the information you’ll need to get started or continue as your school’s PR Liaison; however, please don’t hesitate to contact the S&CR Department any-time you have questions, need individual coaching or need more information.

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NewsCheck SectionsPrioritize news items if sending more than one.

Feature Stories Features that connect to our theme and/or showcase interesting school programs/events and systemwide initiatives, impressive school or individual accomplishment, or highlight programs or policy developments of special interest to employees. Feature stories word length: 200-500.

#APSisAwesome Special honors and awards given to APS staff by professional or community organizations, and school group accomplishments. (Photos are also used here).

Photo/Video Features Highlights school activities in a photo gallery or video of the week. Instastories, top tweets, etc.

Upcoming Events Upcoming school or department events of interest to employees. These should be submitted at least two to three weeks before the event.

Engage APS Highlights what is happening in APS. Featured monthly.

Employee of the Week Highlihgts an APS employee who is supporting our Strategic Plan.

TechTips Provides updates and tips for staff about cybersecurity and steps APS is taking to secure student and staff data.

Podcasts The APS podcast is another platform to reach our parents. Previous episodes are online at www.apsva.us/podcast.

Human Resources HR updates on policies, benefits, etc.

NewsCheck/NewsReview Submission Information & DeadlinesWritten for and about APS employees, NewsCheck is distributed electronically to staff and posted on the APS website biweekly during the school year when school is in session.

Help us showcase the people and programs from around our system by submitting items by the deadlines listed below. Items will be selected for publication based on timeliness and relevance to our internal audience.

NewsCheck submissions should be sent via email to apsnews@apsva.us by 5 p.m. on the deadlines indicated below. If you send more than one item for consideration, please prioritize them in order of importance. This will help us ensure equity among schools that are highlighted in each issue. Please send photographs whenever possible, as they help illustrate the great things happening at your school!

Photos may be sent to apsnews@apsva.us or to Frank Bellavia by using Dropbox.

Deadline By 5 p.m.

Publication Date(NewsCheck/NewsReview)

Sept. 7 Sept. 14/Sept. 17Sept. 21 Sept. 28/Oct. 1Oct. 5 Oct. 12/Oct. 15Oct. 19 Oct. 26/Oct. 29Nov. 9 Nov. 16/Nov. 13Nov. 26 Nov. 30/Dec. 3Dec. 7 Dec. 14/Dec. 17Dec. 17 Dec. 21 Holiday IssueJan. 4 Jan. 11/Jan. 14Jan. 18 Jan. 25/Jan. 28Feb. 1 Feb. 8/Feb. 11Feb. 15 Feb. 22/Feb. 25March 8 March 15/March 18March 22 March 29/April 1April 5 April 12/April 15April 22 April 26/April 29May 10 May 17/May 201May 24 May 31/June 3June 7 June 14/June 17June 14 June 18 Final Issue

*Dates subject to change

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Sample News Submissions

W-L Lumberjack club sponsored by social studies teacher Kira Jordan, recently purchased an Blue Ice Cypress tree with club money, in the hope that they could make the Arlington a little more “tree friendly.” Student Success Coordinator Dr. Thomas Schelstrate was instrumental in helping the club acquire and plant the new tree. The club hopes to purchase and plant another tree in the spring.

On Tue, Feb. 10, several Nottingham first and fourth grade classes enjoyed a performance featuring two members of the National Symphony Orchestra. Parent Paul DeNola and Heather LeDoux Green entertained the students with their upright bass and violin. Done without any speaking, the musicians used miming, props, and gags while they played a music repertoire, ranging from Classical Mozart to Jazz.

The inaugural season of “Boys on the Run” at Randolph was a great success! Led by kindergarten teacher William Palacio and second grade teacher Shane Gray, approximately 20 boys met twice each week to exercise, run and build up their endurance. The culminating activity for the two-month program was a 3K run that was held on May 16 and took place at Barcroft Park.

8 Simple Ways To Improve Your PR WritingWriting like a journalist is different from writing an essay or book. It needs to be short, concise and include the 5 Ws: Who; What; When; Where; Why and How.

Adopted from PR Fish Bowl - http://crenshawcomm.com/8-simple-ways-improve-pr-writing/.

Read it out loud. If you find yourself struggling to find the right turn of phrase, read it aloud to see how it sounds. It’s guaranteed to clarify what’s working and what’s not.

Trim, cut, and trim again. A common mistake writers make is verbosity; young or inexperienced writers falsely equate more words with better writing. More often, the opposite is true. A more concise sentence holds the reader’s attention because there are fewer things to distract from the main idea.

Incorporate a good quote. For public relations and journalism: A good quote will grab a journalist’s ear as much as a juicy steak will distract a hungry carnivore. Learn to listen aggressively to the way people speak. Develop a knack for hearing the quote that “sings.”

Use varying rhythms. This is a simple trick to refining writing and making it more dynamic. If you find yourself crafting a string of long sentences full of parenthetical phrases, break one up to alter the rhythm. See what a change of pace does to the flow. Often, it’ll help you hit your key points harder.

Replace complicated words with simple ones. Relying on obtuse words is another rookie mistake. The best writing is writing that’s clear. Be confident enough with your content to say things simply and clearly, rather than resorting to flowery language.

Use concrete details. Clear writing is also concrete and specific, rather than vague. Was the audience “large” or was it “standing-room-only in a 150-seat theater?” Is the new product “wildly popular” or did it “sell out of its first run of 1 million in the first two weeks?” For PR purposes, concrete numbers are definitely more likely to earn coverage than vague descrip-tive terms.

Show, don’t tell. We hear journalists say, “Don’t tell me your new product is innovative, ground breaking technology. Show me exactly what the product does, why it’s different, and how it works.” Substance speaks louder than superlatives (no matter how many exclamation points you use)! Tell us what can be filmed, observed and/or photographed.

Reread, always. Until they invent an algorithm that can churn out beautiful, intelligent prose, writing is still done by humans, and humans are flawed. Always reread and edit before finalizing a piece, or have someone else do a final read.

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Submitting Your Story IdeasAPS has dozens of good news stories each week. Teachers, administrators, parents, and students who are involved with the system know these stories best, and PR Liaisons are pivotal in getting the news to us so we can inform the community. Communication is the key to a school system's success. This guide provides information and guidance to each school and department to improve communication for both internal and external publics.

To maintain strong community support, we must actively tell our good news stories to as many people as possible on as many platforms as possible. All of us are public relations ambassadors everyday, everywhere we go. So each day, on the interpersonal level, we need to share messages with our community about our schools. We cannot underestimate the importance of these everyday messages.

How SCR Pitches Stories to the Media:SCR staff meets weekly to review submissions and news and to determine which platform to use and assign an SCR staff member to cover and promote it.

As a group, SCR holds editorial meetings to plan our communications stratagies for the upcoming week. During that meeting, we decide what could be pitched to the media, featured in NewsCheck or posted to social media.

Call SCR three weeks before the activity: Email your news ideas with details to Frank Bellavia. It will be edited and distributed appropriately.

Three days before the activity: Frank Bellavia will call the newspapers and/or television stations to make sure the news release was received and/or “pitch” the story to them.

On the day of your activity: Liaisons should be on the lookout for reporters or television crews. Greet them, answer any questions they may have, and arrange any interviews they may want. Be sure to have an extra copy of the news release on hand since the reporter who attends the event is not always the same person who received your news

release.

After the event: If the media doesn’t show up, don’t fret! We can still try go get your event covered in the local newspapers.

The day of your activity: Take pictures, lots of them. Email the pictures (at least three) immediately after the event. Write a draft news release to go with the photographs and send it directly to Frank Bellavia as soon as possible. It will be edited and distributed to the local newspapers. Most local newspapers will print exactly what we send them!

Your news item will also be used on Facebook and Twitter where appropriate. It could be used before, after or during the event. Think about posting to your school’s Facebook page or tweet the event on your Twitter or school’s Twitter account. SCR will retweet your event when appropriate and post to the main APS Facebook page as well.

The longer we wait to send photographs and a news release to the local newspaper following the event, the less likely it is that your information will be published.

Inside Tip

The Williamsburg PR Liaison contacted SCR about a special campaign involving a student with Tourette Syndrome. The original story ran in NewsCheck/NewsReview. It was then picked up by CBS News, Arlington Magazine, The Washington Post, and NBC News.

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Photo OpportunitiesWhen a photo opportunity occurs at one of our schools, and you do not have time to notify the media, or they do not send a photographer/videographer, we can still try to get it published. Send in three or more photos along with captions immediately after the event. Photos can be emailed to apsnews@apsva.us. Pictures must be completely in focus and and sent in the original size.

Do you have permission - Is the student cleared to have his or her picture taken? If the child’s parents have opted their child out of media, their picture cannot be used in any publication, on the web, social media or by any media outlet. Please Note: For the 2015-16 school year, social media has been included in the Media Opt-Out form. Please make sure students have not been “opted out” when sharing photos on social media.

Tips For Taking Better PhotographsTypically, the best photographs include people. Nothing is more fascinating to us than other people. A good photograph shows character, emotion and a connection for the viewer. Here are some tips to help you take great school shots and share them with the community.

• Shoot at eye level - Eye-to-eye contact is as engaging in a picture as in real life. Try sitting on the ground and snapping some photos from the child's perspective. Expressions will look more natural, your flash photos will be more evenly lit from nose to toe, and the background will probably look a lot better, too.

• Take candid pictures - Ignore the impulse to force your subjects to always pose staring at the camera. Variety is important. Take candid pictures to show them working, playing, chatting or relaxing.

• Get close - Fill the viewfinder with your subject and create pictures with greater impact. Step in close or use your camera's zoom to emphasize what is important and exclude the rest. Your photos will be sharper and better exposed if you can fill the frame.

• Review - Take time to review the shot or shots you have taken at an event or location before assuming the shots were perfect. Once you leave an event or location, you rarely have the time to return and capture those moments.

• Place your subject off-center - Placing your subject to one side of the frame can make the composition more interesting and dynamic.

• Subject Placement - The biggest mistake many photographers make is to try to shoot a person’s whole body, head to toe. Instead, focus on the face.

• Keep it simple - Minimize pattern, shapes and colors. Keep the background simple.

• Flash is Good…Flash is our Friend – Use your camera’s flash, even on the sunniest of days. By positioning subjects with their backs to the sun you can avoid the squinting effect. Then set your camera to force the flash to fire, providing a “fill” light and eliminating shadows.

• Reflections are Bad - When using flash with a reflective surface as a subject or in the background, position the camera at an angle to the surface. The reflection of the flash will not come straight back to the camera.

• Show What Happened - Take action shots of students competing in hope of capturing the winner. Don’t wait for the “grip and grin” event that looks like all the other photos editors receive.

• This Isn’t Notre Dame - Avoid group shots that require half of your subjects to hunch over to fit the frame. If you have to shoot groups, find a set of stairs that can help position everyone naturally.

• Take More - Always take more photos than you think you will need. Since we are using digital cameras, you can easily delete multiple photos. Taking more photos gives you more options later.

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Taking Photos with a Mobile Device:Taking photos with a mobile device is commonplace today. Most phones have high resolution cameras that take decent photos that can be used in print and online. Plus, it gives you the flexibility to take a photo if you forget or don’t have a camera readily available. When taking photos with a mobile device, use the same rules that apply for regular cameras. You may need to get closer to your subject because your phone may not have a zoom. Newer smartphones give you the ability to zoom in but the picture quality isn’t as good. Do not take photos with 1st or 2nd generation iPads. The cameras are not very good and the photos come out grainy. Using your iPad Mini as the camera is much better.

Sending photos is easy. Either plug your mobile device into your computer or email the photo from your device. An iPhone will give you the option to send as a small, medium, large or actual size. Send it as an actual size. Do not change the size. The photos will be too small to use.

Pictures and Videos PR Liaisons are Required to Submit• Teacher of the Year Photos (Deadline: April 5)• Support Employee of the Year Photos (Deadline: April 5)• Retiree Video Clips (Deadline: May 10)

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Video OpportunitiesThere are numerous opportunities to get video of our students. Video can be used on the APS homepage, in NewsCheck and NewsTips as well as on your schools’ individual webpages, the APS YouTube channel and social media sites. We are also livestreaming using Periscope and Facebook Live.

Do you have permission? As with photos, make sure that the student is cleared to appear in any video. If the child’s parents have signed a media opt-out form, their likeness cannot be used in any video.

Tips For Taking Better Video

1) In most cases — unless you’re recording a meeting or event — limit length to 1:30 or briefer. That makes it easier downloading and tighter bites. As you’re shooting, look for a moment that seems like a natural stopping point. Cutting the clip off at the right time helps in the editing process.

2) Avoid unnecessary and fast pan shots. Instead, stay with an image and let the action move through the scene you are taping. When panning a scene, hold the camera steady and move it very slowly. Keep the subject in focus. In all cases, keep the camera steady as much as possible and avoid jerky movements. Bracing your elbow with your non-shooting hand, or keeping your “shooting elbow” close to your body, can help steady the camera.

3) Avoid using the zoom feature unless necessary. The digital zoom will result in loss of image resolution. Instead of zooming, stay at the wide part of the lens and move your whole body closer to the subject. This will also make the image more stable.

4) In an interview setting, be as close to the person as possible for the camera microphone to sound good.

5) Adjust for ambient noise. Make sure the sound around you is not distracting.

6) Avoid high-contrast scenes as much as possible. Try to put your interview subject in even light so their face is in an even light level throughout. Also avoid backgrounds behind the subject that are too bright or too dark, since this will increase the image contrast and make the image hard to see on the Web. If you are inside a building, try to avoid bright walls behind a dark-skinned person when doing interviews or b-roll. Also avoid the fluorescent flicker of lights on the wall behind someone.

7) Remember the Rule of Thirds: The Rule of Thirds is based on the fact that the human eye is naturally drawn to a point about two-thirds up a page. Crop your photo so that the main subjects are located around one of the intersection points rather than in the center of the image.

8) TechTips - Take a look at our TechTips episode on shooting video at www.apsva.us/techtipsvideo.

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Social Media 101Social media is a great new addition to our communications toolkit. Use this as part of your plan for making connections, to listen, to make adjustments and let people know how they can get help. APS currently uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube social media platforms to share information with our online community. We selected these platforms because of their large number of users and widespread popularity, which empowers us to reach thousands of followers quickly and efficiently to communicate information about the school division. All APS staff must follow Policy G-1.4, Acceptable Use of Social Media, and register their accounts when using online platforms to communicate information.

Benefits of Social MediaSocial media communication platforms emerge and evolve quickly, and APS wants to make sure that we keep pace with these tools and leverage their power to communicate and share our good news with the diverse audiences online. APS benefits from engaging with audiences online in the following ways:

1. Our message can be delivered directly to our community, without subjective filters.2. APS can reach audiences on their platform, rather than asking them to come to us online.3. Social media provides a platform to initiate community conversations and solicit feedback.4. It brings the APS school division “to life” by bringing personality to our communications.

APS Social Media Platforms(1) Twitter: There are currently over 500 twitter handles associated with APS. APS uses it to solicit feedback from followers; share news; communicate in a crisis and more.

How it should be used: Share what’s happening right now. (Timely)

Tips: Suggestions and thoughts from Kerm Towler, Asst. Manager of Plant Operations:

• Involve other Twitter handles even though they may still be followers.

• “If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.” Gladis Bourdouane. “Addendum: and it may not be the way you wanted.” - Kerm Towler

• Using photos in conjunction with APS hashtag campaigns will increase the reach.

• Shamelessly mention Twitter handles of relevant people you are trying to get the attention of and be persistent about it. After several months of doing so, the Superintendent is following me.

• Everyone loves a pat on the back. We can help build bridges and change perceptions. We see the bigger picture, most people only see their individual room or school)

• Every event which involves people working together to achieve goals gets responses from the School Board.

(2) Facebook: Several APS schools, PTAs, and community groups have a Facebook page. APS uses Facebook to feature an inside look at instructional programs, promote special events, and share the good news about schools.

How it should be used: Show me what’s happening today. (Timeless)

TIP: If possible, always use a photo with your Facebook post. It’s a visual platform and your news will be viewed, liked, and shared more widely when followers see what you’re doing instead of reading about it only.

(3) YouTube: APS promotes a single YouTube channel to share all of the videos produced by AETV. Subscribers can follow playlists that include Snapshots, Green Scene, concerts and musical performances, and features on instructional programs and initiatives. Contact Sara Daniel for username and password.

How it should be used: Watch what makes APS unique or phenomenal.

TIP: Videos are more engaging when viewers get a firsthand look at the unique story, impressive accomplishment,

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exceptional talent, or insider perspective about APS. Let AETV know about opportunities well in advance, so they can capture and share a story from your school that would fit this description. Production scheduling should occur at least six weeks in advance, in order to get your request considered for video.

(4) Instagram: Several schools and staff are currenlty using Instagram, an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking service. Instagram enables its users to take pictures and videos, and share them on a variety of social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Flickr.

How it should be used: Share images and videos of what is happening now.

(5) Periscope: APS has been using Periscope to livestream events since it debuted in the Spring of 2015. Periscope allows users to stream an event or activity over Twitter using an app. Followers can like and comment dur-ing the broadcast and videos are saved on the app and can be re-purposed on other platforms.

How it should be used: Use Periscope to stream concerts, events, classroom activities, meetings or assemblies.

Tip: There is no set time limit for a broadcast. However, make sure it is engaging for the viewer. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Make sure to have a strong signal when going live.

(6) Facebook Live: Like Periscope, Facebook Live provides its users livestreaming capabilities. Followers of your page can like and comment on your video as well as share it. Videos remain on your timeline for ever.

How it should be used: Use Facebook Live to broadcast activities.

Tip: Be quick! Make an impact! Be gone! Make Live videos quick. Except in rare cases, don’t broadcast more than two minutes or you risk losing your viewers. Make sure to have a strong signal when going live.

Using Social Media EffectivelySocial media is different than other platforms because users are expected to actively engage and dialogue frequently and respond quickly. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are using social media:

• When you are sharing important information that everyone in your school community needs to know, make sure you use School Talk and the website as your primary tool, with social media as an additional platform.

• Make sure that the information you share is honest, transparent, and professional. However, you should not be afraid to inject personality and appropriate use of humor. Social media is different than traditional communication platforms, and it’s often more engaging content if you can find ways to make your information stand out!

• Don’t be afraid of questions and comments. Respond to questions quickly and stick to the facts. It’s not necessary to reply to every opinion, but it is essential to clarify misinformation if inaccuracies are included in comments.

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Helpful Social Media Tools and LinksSocial Media AppsThere are a number of Apps on the market that can help make your social media posts more engaging and interesting for the end-user. Here are a few that SCR uses on a daily basis. We encourage you to experiment with these and others. If you come across one that we aren’t using, please share it with the group.

• Vido Video – Storybook App for Instagram (Formerly Flipagram)

• Wakelet – Hashtag Compiler (Storify replacement)

• Hyperlapse – Time-lapse Video App

• PicsArt – Collage App for Instagram and Twitter

• Periscope – Live Streaming App for Twitter

• Facebook Live – Live Streaming for Facebook

• Canva - Free Graphic Design Tool

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Appendix

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2018-19 APS Public Relations Liaisons• Abingdon - Mary Lou Rube

• Arlington Science Focus - Jennifer Hall

• Arlington Traditional - Tiffani Ker

• Ashlawn - Yeni Segura

• Barcroft - Jackie Pippens

• Barrett - Laurie Sullivan

• Campbell - Beth Decker

• Carlin Springs - Carol Sabatino

• Claremont - Claudia Cante

• Discovery - Keith Reeves

• Drew Model - Cheryl Butler

• Glebe - Robin Gardner

• Henry - Donleigh Honeywell

• Hoffman-Boston - Molly Haines

• Jamestown - Anna Maria Lechleitner

• Key - Michaela Pond

• Long Branch - Karen Woolley

• McKinley - Tammy Cantow

• Nottingham - Nora Ellison

• Oakridge: Dawn Amin– Arsala

• Randolph - Wyatt Weber

• Taylor - Sharon Gaston

• Tuckahoe - Corinne Reilly

• Gunston - Richard Reeves

• Jefferson - Colleen Noetzli

• Kenmore - Shauna Dyer

• Swanson - Pamela Kopiak

• Williamsburg - Kiare Mays

• Arlington Community - Lara Macdonald

• Career Center - Col. Mark Dierlam

• H-B Woodlawn - Vanessa Piccorossi

• Stratford - Shawn Waddell

• Wakefield - Heather Comeau

• Washington-Lee - Atiya Rehman

• Yorktown - Stephanie Meadows

• Langston - Elizabeth Palomo

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EDITORIAL CALENDARThe SCR Team meets every Monday at 11 a.m. to plan that week’s content. The editorial calendar is then emailed to all PR Liaisons and Executive Leadership Team. A sample of the editorial calendar below.

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APS News Sources & Print MediaWhen submitting information to SCR, Liaisons should consider that we have local, statewide and system-wide publications to consider.

Media in the Northern VA/DC Metro Area

Print MediaSun Gazette (Inside NOVA) – Weekly

Arlington Connection – Weekly Arlington Magazine – Quarterly The Washington Post – Daily

The Washington Times – Daily

Web-based Only PublicationsArlNow (www.arlnow.com)

News Radio

WTOP WAMU WMAL

CBS Radio (WNEW)

Spanish Language PapersEl Tiempo Latino Los Tiempos USA

El Comercio Newspaper El Pregonero

Washington Hispanic

TV StationsNBC4 FOX5

ABC7/NewsChannel8 WUSA9 WDVM DC50

Spanish TV Stations

Telemundo Univision

As a professional courtesy and to help us monitor coverage of APS, any APS employee who participates in an interview with any media representative should notify their building principal, supervisor and SCR.

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APS WRITING STYLE GUIDELINESMost of the following style guidelines are designed to save space and ensure that we are being consistent across all APS publications.

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONSGeneral: On first usage, spell out the full name of the term, followed by the acronym/abbreviation in parentheses. All subsequent text references should just refer to the acronym/abbreviation.

Example: APS (APS) has 38 schools and programs. APS has 23 elementary schools, five middle schools and three comprehensive high schools. ◦ Academic degrees:

Examples: B.A., M.A., Ph.D. ◦ Days of the week:

Examples: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. Note: There is no period after each abbreviation. ◦ Months:

Examples: Abbreviate only these months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. ◦ Temperatures: When referring to Fahrenheit, use a space after the number, followed by an uppercase F with no

period. Example: 85 F

◦ Times: Use a.m. and p.m. Examples: 8 a.m., 5 p.m. Exception: With social media and in space-bound charts, OK to use 8am, 5pm, etc.

◦ Weights & measurements: For ounces and pounds, use oz. and lb. with a space between the numeral and abbreviation. For feet and inches, use ft. and in. (not ‘ or “) with a space between the numeral and abbreviation. When using both feet and inches in a measurement, use a space in between with no comma. Examples: 16 oz., 150 lb., 5 ft. 10 in.

◦ Preschool: PreK

AGESAlways use figures.

Example: The child is 5 years old.For ages expressed as adjectives before a noun, use hyphens.

Example: The 18-year-old students voted for the first time this year.

DATES/YEARSDates should be abbreviated. You do not need to use the year unless you are referring to a previous or future year.

Example: “On Feb. 2, fifth graders at Claremont visited the Smithsonian,” not “On February 2, 2013, fifth graders at Claremont visited the Smithsonian.”

When referring to dates, it is not necessary to include ordinals (st, rd, nd, th). Example: “On Sept. 11, students observed a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m.” not “On Sept. 11th, students observed a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m.”

Years: 2016-17 School Year, not 2016-2017 School Year.

EMAIL,ENEWSLETTER, ENEWSUse without a hyphen (Not: e-mail.)

GRADESGrades one through nine should be written out and grades 10-12 written as numbers.

Example: “Third graders in Sarah Smith’s class…” not, “3rd graders in Sarah Smith’s class…” and “Washington-Lee 10th grade students toured the Capitol today.”

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HOMEPAGE, ONLINE, WEBPAGE, WEBMASTEROne word, lowercase within a sentence, uppercase only when beginning a sentence.

INTERNETThe word “internet” does not need to be capitalized any longer.

URLS and EMAIL ADDRESSES URLs and email addresses should be italicized in print publications. There is no need to italicize urls or emails on web-pages because they are clickable links.

SOCIAL MEDIACapitalize Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, YouTube, Google and even Googling.

ITS VS. IT’SIts is the possessive form of the neutral pronoun it, e.g., “The snake shed its skin.” It’s is a contraction meaning “it is,” e.g., “It’s difficult to navigate the road with its twists and turns.”

LESS VS. FEWERUse less when talking about a volume or an amount of something. Use fewer when talking about discretely countable objects.

Example: “I have less money now because I have fewer dollar bills in my pocket.”

MIDDLE INITIALSUse middle initials only if the person uses it on a regular basis.

MONEY ◦ You do not need the cents in a round number, i.e. $10 ◦ Use exact figures up to $1 million (e.g., $999,999). On figures $1 million or more, use: $1 million, $2.7 million, $6.28

billion ◦ With ranges of amounts, don’t drop designators such as million. $8 million to $10 million; not: $8 to $10 million

NUMBERSNumbers one through nine should be spelled out, while numbers 10 and above should be written as numbers. Also, if the first word in a sentence is a number, it should be written out.

Example: “At the Feb. 14 School Board meeting, 101 employees were recognized for their service to APS,” or “Twenty APS teachers earned National Board Certification this year.”

PERCENTAGESAlways use figures and spell out “percent” instead of using the % symbol in sentences.

Example: 5 percent, 25 percentException: With social media and in charts/graphics, the % symbol is OK: 5%, 25%.

If used at the beginning of a sentence, spell out the number.Example: Eighty-seven percent of Arlington residents do not have school-aged children.

PHONE NUMBERSBecause dialing area codes is no longer reserved for out of area calls, parentheses are no longer appropriate. Use hyphens, not periods.

Example: “For more information, call the School and Community Relations Office at 703-228-6005.”

When referring to internal phone numbers, use x for extension, then the number. “Call Human Resources at x8139.”

PLURALS DO NOT use ’s to indicate a plural. Apostrophes signify a contraction or a possessive, not a plural. The only exception is

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when referring to letters of the alphabet, e.g., “The students learned their ABC’s,” or “Mother taught us to mind our p’s and q’s.”

◦ Most words: add s: flowers, slide rules ◦ Words ending in ch, s, sh, ss, x and z: add es: glasses (monarchs is the exception) ◦ Words ending in is: change to es, as in thesis to theses and basis to bases ◦ Words ending in y: if y is preceded by a consonant or qu, change y to i and add es: army to armies, soliloquy to

soliloquies; otherwise, use s: donkey to donkeys ◦ Words ending in o: If o is preceded by a consonant, most plurals require es: hero to heroes (except pianos). ◦ Words ending in f: In general, change f to v and add es: leaf to leaves (except roofs) ◦ Compound words: Words combined with no spaces in between just take an s: cupful to cupfuls. In cases where there

is either a space or a hyphen between a compound word: attorney general to attorneys general, mother-in-law to mothers-in-law, deputy chief of staff to deputy chiefs of staff

◦ Data is plural. Replace “data” with “the facts” ◦ Proper names: Ending in es or z add es: Jones to Joneses. Ending in y add s, even if preceded by a consonant:

Kennedy to Kennedys. Otherwise, just add s.

POSSESSIVES ◦ Singular nouns not ending in s: add ‘s: the student’s grades ◦ Singular nouns ending in s: add ‘s unless the next word begins with an s: the witness’s testimony, the Loris’ smile, the

campus’s budget ◦ Singular proper names ending in s: use only an apostrophe: Achilles’ heel ◦ Plural nouns not ending in s: add ‘s: women’s rights ◦ Plural nouns ending in s: add only an apostrophe: states’ rights, campuses’ budgets ◦ Nouns plural in form, singular in meaning: add only an apostrophe: measles’ effects, General Motors’ profits ◦ Pronouns: “whose” is the possessive form of who, e.g., “She wondered whose coffee cup this was;” “who’s” is a

contraction meaning “who is,”, e.g., “Who’s going to wash this coffee cup?” ◦ Acronyms ending in “s” should have ‘s. Example: APS’s not APS’

PUNCTUATION ◦ Colon: The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a complete sentence to introduce a list. Jeff has three favorite

meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. ◦ Comma: Use commas to separate clauses. When listing a series of items, separate all but the last two with a comma.

“The flag is red, white and blue.” The only exception is when the last element of the series is a compound requiring its own conjunction: “I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast.”

◦ Dash: Use a dash to set off a separate but related clause within a sentence: “The students took the test – albeit reluctantly – on Saturday morning.” Use an en-dash to indicate continuing or inclusive numbers, such as dates, times or reference numbers: 2000–06, May–June 2005, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., pages 38–45.

◦ Ellipsis (...): Use three dots (no spaces between them but a space on each side) to signify that something has been left out of a direct quote or that the writer is jumping from one topic to another. If used after a whole sentence, put the period first, followed by a space, then the three dots, space and then the next sentence.

◦ Hyphen: Use a hyphen to link words with prefixes (pre-Renaissance literature), to link the elements of compound modifiers (entry-level job), or to link words or word fragments at line breaks. Use a hyphen to avoid ambiguity: He recovered from his illness. She re-covered the upholstered chair. If using a hyphen in a title, capitalize all words: e.g., “Multi-Lingual Testing Took Place Saturday.”

◦ Parentheses: Avoid parentheticals where possible by rewriting the sentence, or using commas or dashes to isolate incidental material. If parenthetical information must be included, place a period outside a closing parenthesis if the material inside is not a complete sentence (such as this fragment). (An independent parenthetical sentence such as this one takes a period before the closing parenthesis.) When a phrase placed in parentheses (this one is an example) might normally qualify as a complete sentence but is dependent on the surrounding material, do not capital-ize the first word or end with a period.

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◦ Period: Always belongs inside quotation marks. ◦ Question mark: Goes inside the quotes when it is part of a question that is being quoted: He remarked, “Whose life is

it anyway?” Goes outside the quotes if not part of the quoted material: Why did he say, “Your budget is sufficient”? ◦ Semicolon: Use a semicolon to separate two complete but related sentences. With quoted material, the semicolon

always goes outside closed quote marks: Mr. T’s favorite song is “My Way”; I prefer his version to Frank Sinatra’s. ◦ Quotes: Use quotes at the beginning of each paragraph of a continuous quote of several paragraphs, but at the end of

the last paragraph. Start a new paragraph for each full quotation in a story with quoted and un-quoted sentences.

SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SCHOOL NAMES Spell out the full name on first reference. For example, Arlington Public Schools (APS) received an award from AFAC. Use APS on second reference. When referring to the different schools across the district, there is a tendency to just use the first name of the school. To keep everything uniform, use the entire name. “Students from Barcroft Elementary School visited the Superintendent’s office at the Education Center.” Not “Students from Barcroft visited the Superintendent’s office at the Ed. Ctr.”

STATES AND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIADo not use the Postal abbreviation when abbreviating states. Always spell out state names when they stand alone. Eight states are never abbreviated; Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. Memory Aid: Spell out the names of the two states that are not part of the contiguous United States and of the continental states that are five letters or fewer.

The correct abbreviations are: Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kan., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Neb., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.M., N.Y., N.C., N.D., Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.D., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W. Va., Wis., Wyo.

Abbreviate as D.C. when the context requires that it be used in conjunction with Washington. Spell out when used alone. “The district,” rather than D.C., should be used in subsequent references. A comma should always separate “Washington” and “D.C.” as in “Washington, D.C.” with a comma after “D.C.” if the sentence continues.

Example: “In Washington, D.C., students visited the Smithsonian museum.”

When referring to a major city, there is no need for the state abbreviation. Example: The awards will be given at the annual NSPRA conference in San Diego.

THERE VS. THEIR VS. THEY’RE“There” is indicative of a location, e.g., “The girls are standing over there.” “Their” is the plural possessive pronoun, e.g., “The girls standing over there waved their hands.” “They’re” is a contraction meaning “they are,” e.g., “The girls standing over there waved their hands because they’re happy to see you.”

TIMEUse one of these two options for time formats (depending on the situation):

◦ 2 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4-5 p.m. for more formal communications (this is AP Style). Don not use 00; do not use a.m. or p.m. twice, no spaces around the hyphen.

◦ 2am-3pm and 4-5pm also is acceptable for more informal communications and for space reasons (in brochures, emails, social media, etc.)

Noon is 12 p.m. and midnight is 12 a.m. Use either the numeral form (preferred style) or word form — it is redundant to use both.

TITLES AND NAMESUse titles when referring to people or staff.

Example: “During his visit to Wakefield, Superintendent Dr. Pat Murphy talked with students about the importance of studying,” or “Williamsburg’s principal Bryan Boykin talked with students.”

Only capitalize a person’s title if you are using it as part of their name. “Principal Gordon Laurie has been the head of Williamsburg for several years,” or, “Gordon Laurie is the principal of Williamsburg.”

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The first time you refer to someone you should use their full name, and title if appropriate. From then on when you refer to that person, use their last name only.

Always provide a staff member’s full name, on first mention, not Mr. or Mrs. Last Name.Example: Librarian Jennifer Stacey organized the school’s library night. Not: Ms. Stacey organized the school’s library night.

YOUR VS. YOU’RE“Your” is the possessive of you, e.g., “Please brush your teeth.” You’re is a contraction meaning “You are,” e.g., “If you don’t brush your teeth, you’re going to have smelly breath.”

MISCELLANEOUS STYLES • APS is a collective noun which is singular. “Arlington Public Schools is closed

today.”• Underway: Always use as one word (per the 2013 update to the AP Style Manual). • Spaces: Always use a single space between sentences, i.e., after a period—in letters, on webpages, in social

media or anywhere. • A handout is not a “flyer” it is a “flier.” (Associated Press)• Pre-Kindergarten should be abbreviated PreK• The following are the correct ways to refer to the internet.

◦ website ◦ webpage ◦ webmaster ◦ homepage

• Go easy on capital letters. Only use caps in proper names, i.e. Jennifer Harris, director of School and Community Relations. Only Superintendent and Asst. Superintendent, and Principal titles should be capitalized.

• Aid/Aide: Aid is assistance. An aide is an assistant.• On first reference, write out Arlington School Board. On following references refer to it as School Board or Board.• Local University Abbreviations

◦ American University – AU ◦ George Washington University – GWU ◦ George Mason University – GMU ◦ James Madison University – JMU ◦ University of the District of Columbia – UDC ◦ University of Virginia – UVA. ◦ University of Maryland – UMD

• APS Logo- When using the APS logo, make sure that you do not change the shape or alter the logo in any way. See the APS Logo Style Guide for more details.

SPELLCHECK AND AUTO CORRECTSpellcheck and auto correct are great tools but they are not always accurate. Double check by having someone proof your work.

OTHER QUESTIONS:

SCR subscribes to the Associated Press Stylebook. If you have questions, let us know an we will be happy to check for you and we’ll add it for future issues.

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APS LOGO STYLE GUIDELINES

The APS logo should be used on all school district communications, publications, and websites (the logo is part of the website template).

The APS logo comprises the graphic A (with starburst and bounding box) and the logotype “Arlington Public Schools.” You may use either the full logo or just the boxed A, depending on your needs.

MINIMUM SIZE REQUIREMENTSTo ensure the logo’s integrity, clarity and impact, it should never be reproduced so that it is smaller than 1.5” wide (logotype version) or 0.75” wide (just the A). Always maintain the aspect ratio of the graphic and logotype; do not distort it taller or wider.

CLEAR SPACEClear space is used to help define and maintain the integrity of the APS logo. Do not allow any distracting graphic elements, such as copy, photography, or background patterns to occupy the clear space.

COLORSThe APS logo should normally be used in its full color version. If it is being produced on a background other than white, a white square should be placed behind the A logo so that it always appears as blue/yellow on white (see example). The logotype (“Arlington Public Schools”) may be in either blue or white, depending on the back-ground, but no other color when used with the color A.

The blue and yellow colors are PMS 286 and PMS 129, respectively.

The logo may be used in black and white as well. There are grayscale and 1-color versions to use on a white or light background, and a “reversed” version for use on a dark background.

ArlingtonPublicSchools

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COLORS

The official colors for the logo are shown below. These spot colors may be converted to process for printing, but do not use any variations on the blue and yellow hues.

Blue: Pantone Matching System (PMS) 286C: 100 R: 0 M: 75 G: 51 Hex: #0033a0Y: 0 B: 160K: 0

Yellow: Pantone Matching System (PMS) 129C: 0 R: 243 M: 14 G: 208 Hex: # f3d03eY: 74 B: 62K: 5

FONTS

For standard communications, choose a common serif font (like Times New Roman or Minion) or sans-serif font (like Myriad or Calibri) so that your messages will be viewable across all platforms.

LOGOTYPEThe font used in the logotype is a serif font called Fritz Quadrata. It is a copyrighted font and should only be used for the logotype.

Fritz Quadrata RegularAbcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz | ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ123456789$%&(.,:;‘’“”!?)

WEBSITEThe font used on the current website is a sans-serif font called Open Sans. It is a free font and should be installed on most computers.

Open SansAbcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz | ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ123456789$%&(.,:;‘’“”!?)

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LOGO VIOLATIONS

Do not change the colors of the elements, or add additional colors within the logo itself.

Do not take apart the logo or recombine it in any way to create new artwork. Do not change the aspect ratio of the logo to distort its proportions.

Do not use any other font for the logotype.

Do not add a background into the logo, or place it on a colored background without a white square behind the logo image.

ArlingtonPublicSchools

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IMAGE QUALITY

If the image file you are using becomes pixellated or looks fuzzy, please contact School & Community Relations for a high-res version. They can create a copy specifically suited to your particular sizing needs.

FILE TYPESFor professional printing jobs, especially logos on promotional items (e.g., pens, tchotchkes, embroidery for t-shirts, etc.), please contact School & Community Relations to obtain a vector file to give to the manufacturer.

QUESTIONS?

If you have questions about written communications, logo usage, or general design guidelines, please contact School & Community Relations at x6005.

Webmaster & Design Services: Sara Daniel, x6185Asst. Superintendent: Linda Erdos, x6002Director of Communications: Catherine Ashby, x6003Media Relations: Frank Bellavia, x6004

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Emergency incidents can happen at any time and in or near any school. If an incident does occur that affects your school, it is vitally important to communicate as quickly as possible with your families and staff. This should be done no more than 15 MINUTES after the incident occurred.

Staff from the Department of School and Community Relations will take the lead in getting messages out to your families when an emergency occurs. SCR should be contacted immediately for assistance. In addition to the steps outlined in the Emergency Management Plans and Reference Book, below are some sample message points to help you get started in drafting messages in the event of an incident. The message will be sent via School Talk and social media.

SCR Contact Information:

Linda Erdos Assistant Superintendent of School and Community Relations x6002 Mobile: 703-785-5923

Catherine Ashby Director of Communications x6003 Mobile: 571-581-7931

Frank Bellavia Communications Coordinator for Media Relations and Online Strategies x6004 Mobile: 703-517-0705

SCHOOL LOCKDOWN

• An incident (name incident) has taken place near (school name). • (School name) has been placed on lockdown.• We are cooperating and working closely with law enforcement to provide our complete support in every way pos-

sible.• Our first priority is for the safety and well-being of our students, their families and our staff. • We have met with local law enforcement and their initial assessment is that this incident, at this point, is of low risk

to the school.• Resources will be available to respond to students and parents as needed.• Every school has established a safety plan and lockdown procedures that contribute to maintaining a safe learn-

ing environment for our students. In the wake of this incident, school personnel will be reviewing those plans and continuing our ongoing relationship with law enforcement to ensure we do everything we can to maintain the safety and security of our schools.

Sample Tweet: School_Name is in lockdown due to PD activity in the area. More information to follow via School Talk.

SCHOOL CLOSURE

• An incident (name incident) has taken place near (school name). • As a precaution, school officials decided to close the school for the day.• We are cooperating and working closely with law enforcement to provide our complete support in

every way possible.• Our first priority is for the safety and well-being of our students, their families and our staff. • We have met with local law enforcement and their initial assessment is that this incident, at this point, is of low risk

to the school.

Crisis Communications Sample Talking Points

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• Resources will be available to respond to students and parents as needed.• Every school has established a safety plan and lockdown procedures that contribute to maintaining a safe learn-

ing environment for our students. In the wake of this incident, school personnel will be reviewing those plans and continuing our ongoing relationship with law enforcement to ensure we do everything we can to maintain the safety and security of our schools.

Sample Tweet: School_Name will be closed today due to incident_name. We are cooperating and working closely with law enforcement. More info to follow via School Talk.

SHOOTING/STABBING

• An incident took place at XX School. School officials have evacuated the area.• We are cooperating and working closely with law enforcement to provide our complete support in

every way possible.• Our first concern is for the safety and well-being of our students, their families and those who were impacted by

this terrible event. • School counselors and administrators are available to respond to students and parents as needed.• Every school has established a safety plan and lockdown procedures that contribute to maintaining a safe learn-

ing environment for our students. In the wake of this incident, school personnel will be reviewing those plans and continuing our ongoing relationship with law enforcement to ensure we do everything we can to maintain the safety and security of our schools.

• APS counselors stand ready to provide resources to help students and staff that need additional resources to process this tragedy.

Sample Tweet: There has been an incident at School_Name and officials have evacuated the area. Student and staff safety is our priority. More info to follow via School Talk.

BOMB THREAT

• An unidentified object that may be an explosive device has been found at XX School. All students and staff have been evacuated and school officials are working closely with law enforcement to provide our complete support to help in any way possible.

• Students and staff will remain evacuated from school grounds until further notice from law enforcement.

• The safety and well-being of our students and their families is our highest priority. We are taking necessary steps to promote the well-being of those on the XX campus.

• Every school has established a safety plan and lockdown procedures that contribute to maintaining a safe learn-ing environment for our students. In the wake of this incident, school personnel will be reviewing those plans and continuing our ongoing relationship with law enforcement to ensure we do everything we can to maintain the safety and security of our schools.

Sample Tweet: Public safety officials are investigating a threat at School_Name and officials have evacuated the area. Student/staff safety is top priority. School Talk email provides details.

SUICIDE

• We are deeply saddened by what has occurred today. Our hearts go out to the family.• Counseling services are available for students and staff who have been affected. • What happened today did/did not occur on school property. • RESOURCES:

◦ Emergency Mental Health Services: 703-228-5160. 24-Hour Hotline: 703-228-4256 Professional counselors will answer your call and help you through a crisis. Counselors offer a broad range of services, including crisis and suicide intervention, and referrals to appropriate mental health professionals or programs for face to face services. Assistance is available in Spanish and other languages, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

◦ National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)

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EXPLOSION

• We are shocked and saddened by what has occurred. • We are working with law enforcement to determine what happened and to assess the overall impact of the inci-

dent. • Our greatest concern at this time is for the safety of our students, their families and those who were

affected by this disaster. • All students, faculty and staff have been evacuated from the property until further notice from law

enforcement officials. • Every school has established a safety plan and lockdown procedures that help to maintain a safe learning envi-

ronment for our students. In the wake of this incident, school personnel will be reviewing those plans and continu-ing our collaboration with public safety agencies to ensure we do everything we can to maintain the safety and security of our schools.

Sample Tweet: There has been an explosion at School_Name and officials have evacuated the area. Working w/PD&FD to determine injuries. No further info/more info to follow (depending on circumstances).

EARTHQUAKE

• We are aware that there has been an earthquake in our area. • Our number one priority is for the safety of our students and staff members. We are working with

emergency rescue teams to support them in every way we can. • Each school has a comprehensive emergency procedure system in place and a full evacuation plan. Each year a

comprehensive school safety plan is evaluated and amended, as needed, by a school safety planning committee. • Even though earthquakes are rare in this area, we do have them. To ensure a comprehensive safety plan is prop-

erly implemented, schools are required to perform regular safety drills, including earthquake drills, monthly. • All students, faculty and staff have been evacuated from the property until further notice from

emergency rescue teams.

Sample Tweet: We are aware that there has been an earthquake in our area. Our top priority is to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

TERRORIST THREAT

• In response to today’s incident, APS has evacuated XX School and are cooperating with law enforcement personnel investigating the incident.

• School officials are continuing to monitor the situation and are staying in close communication with local law en-forcement.

• Our first concern is for the safety and security of our students. All schools have established evacuation plans in place.

• School personnel will be reviewing those plans to ensure students and staff are safe at all times.

FIRE

• A fire has taken place on the grounds of XX School. We have evacuated the impacted area. The Arlington County Fire Department will provide more details.

• At this time, fire officials and law enforcement are investing the cause of the fire.• We cannot speculate on the cause of the fire.• Our first concern is for the well-being of our students and staff who were impacted by this terrible event. • All schools have established a fire evacuation plan as part of our efforts to maintain a safe learning

environment for students. In the wake of this incident, school personnel will be reviewing those plans and continu-ing our ongoing relationship with public safety to ensure we do everything we can to maintain the safety and security of our schools.

• Each year a comprehensive school safety plan is evaluated and amended, as needed, by a safety and security

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committee. • To ensure a comprehensive safety plan is properly implemented, schools are required to perform

regular safety drills monthly.

Sample Tweet: There has been a fire at School_Name. Students have been evacuated and are safe. Working w/FD. Student/staff safety is priority. More info to follow.

BUS CRASH

• We are deeply saddened by what has occurred today. Our hearts go out to the families involved.• Our first concern is for the safety and security of our students.• We are working with emergency services personnel and local law enforcement to attend to the victims and figure

out the cause.• Families who have students on the bus have been contacted directly and provided information on where to pick up

their child.• Grief counselors are available to students and staff who have been affected by this accident.

Sample Tweet: School_Name Bus_Route has been in an accident. Families of students on the bus will be notified directly. More info to follow via School Talk.

CAR CRASH

• We are deeply saddened by what has occurred today. Our hearts go out to the families involved.• Our first concern is for the safety and security of our students. • Grief counselors are available to students and staff who have been affected by this loss.

SEX CRIME

• Our first concern first and foremost is with the safety of our students.• When the allegations were brought to our attention, we immediately reported them to law enforcement. • School officials are cooperating with law enforcement during the ongoing investigation.• At this time, the teacher has been placed on (paid/unpaid administrative leave) until further notice.• All faculty and staff in go through a thorough background check.

KIDNAPPING/ABDUCTION

• There is a law enforcement situation at XX School. We are working to support the efforts of law enforcement.

• We take security measures seriously at all APS.• Our first concern is for the safety and security of our students. All schools have security plans in place. • School personnel will be reviewing those plans to ensure students and staff are safe at all times.

FATALITIES

• We are saddened by what took place today. This highly unusual event.• Our first concern is for the safety and security of our students and staff. • Grief counselors are available to students and staff who have been affected by this loss.• We have closed the area to do a thorough investigation to determine what happened. We are working closely with

law enforcement officials to provide all information they require. (Confirm if incident was discovered by staff or students)

• We applaud our school officials who responded swiftly to the incident by immediately contacting emergency services and safely evacuating the area. (Only if incident is on-going).

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AIRCRAFT CRASH

• A plane crash has occurred near XX School. We have evacuated the area and are taking steps to ensure the safety or our students and staff members.

• Our first concern is for the well-being of those who were impacted by this terrible event. We are working with the rescue team and are providing our complete support to help in any way possible.

• At this time, we do not know all of the details of what occurred, or how many lives have been impacted by this ac-cident. We will provide regular updates as soon as we know more.

POWER OUTAGE or WATER MAIN BREAK

• Ongoing power outages (or water main break) have forced the closure of XX School.• School officials have sent students home.• Our first concern is for the safety and security of our students and staff.• School officials are working closely with Dominion Virginia to determine when power will resume. • In the event that power remains out. (At this time, all classes at XX will be canceled due to the loss of power.)

Sample Tweet: The power is out at School_Name and school is closed. Officials are working with Dominion to determine when power will be restored. More info to follow via School Talk.

MEDICAL OUTBREAKS

• To continue the focus on our number one priority, the safety and security of our students, XX school will be closed until further notice from health officials.

• At this time, school officials are working closely with health officials to provide proper information to find the source of the outbreak.

• At this time, we are aware of XX total confirmed cases.• APS staff stands ready, as do community partners such as Arlington County Department of Health and Human

Services, to provide resources to help students, staff and their families with additional support.