Sweet Success in School Communications

e-Comm AlertJanuary 6, 2006 – Vol. 1, #16

A Weekly Bulletin of News and Notes for Members of the Pennsylvania School Public Relations Association

“Sweet Success in School Communications”

PenSPRA Symposium March 7-8, 2006, Hershey Lodge & Convention Center

1. Start the New Year Off Right…Register for the PenSPRA Symposium March 7-8, 2006

Join us for the Annual PenSPRA Symposium, March 7-8, 2006 at the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center, co-sponsored by PenSPRA and PASBO. Go to and click on the link “PenSPRA Symposium Registration” to register and reserve your rooms for the Symposium or use the attached forms below. Information is also available on the PenSPRA website at Conference registration is required in order to make lodging reservations. If staying onsite at the Lodge, breakfast and lunch are required. Register early and reserve your room as rooms are filling up quickly! Plan to join us and experience “Sweet Success in School Communications.”

2. PenSPRA Excellence in Education Communication Contest Info Available Online

The deadline is only two weeks from today to enter the PenSPRA Excellence in Education Communication Contest (All entries must be postmarked by the deadline date of JANUARY 20th). The contest form is available on the PenSPRA website ( Enter your award winning entry now! All winners will be honored at the PenSPRA luncheon on March 7th at the PenSPRA Symposium in Hershey.

3. Mine Accident Spotlights Crisis Communication

There has been a tremendous amount of media scrutiny on how the crisis communication procedure broke down this week at the West Virginia coal mine accident. While the world watched, triumph and tragedy played out in the early hours of Wednesday morning (yes, I was watching with interest at 2:00 a.m….my dad’s still an underground PA coal miner!). The events unfolded like a “what not to do” chapter from a crisis communication textbook. From all that I’ve watched and read about the incident in the past few days, below is one of the better written articles from the Charlotte Observer examining the role of PR in the face of a crisis. The article offers some very good tips on how crisis communications should be handled, and more importantly, how it shouldn't be handled. The article is a great lesson for all of us to learn from regarding the role of the CEO (or in our cases the Superintendent) and what he or she should be doing with their time during a crisis. Continue to remember the families who lost loved ones and the miner recovering. – Todd

The full article will be available on the Web for a limited time:

(Thanks to Cara Zanella from Peters Township SD for providing this helpful resources)

4. Postal Rate Increase Starts Next Week

Since most PenSPRA members are responsible for mailing numerous pieces of print material during the school year, here is an update to the recent postal rate changes. The Governors of the U.S. Postal Service voted November 14, 2005 to accept the Postal Rate Commission’s recommendation to increase most rates and fees by approximately 5.4 percent. The Board of Governors set Sunday, January 8, 2006, as the effective date for the new rates and fees.

First class mail, first ounce will now be $0.39

Additional ounce………………………….$0.24

Postcard…………………………………..$0.24

(Thanks to Patricia Kennedy from Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 for providing this helpful resources)

If you have an item for e-Comm Alert, contact Todd O’Shell at (724) 352-1700, ext. 1604 or email .