Classroom Ideas
Did you know you can make FREE Google Slides newsletters? Teachers have been communicating with families more than ever this school year. Whether teaching virtually or in-person, families want to be in the loop about safety protocols and academics during a pandemic. By sending out a newsletter each week, parents feel connected to their child’s class, while teachers have a place to put all the important information needed for the week. You can customize the newsletter and even make it interactive, linking outside resources.
Here are 10 easy steps to creating your own Google Slides newsletters.
1. Open a blank Google Slides and title it.
You’re on your way to an awesome Google Slides newsletter for your class!
2. Change the size of the page.
You want it to correspond with printer paper. Click File > Page Setup > Select the dropdown menu and choose Custom > enter 8.5 x 11 inches > Apply.
3. Write a newsletter title and subtitle.
Drag the existing text boxes to the top of the slide and enter a title and subtitle for your newsletter. Tip: Play around with the font and color to pull readers in!
4. Choose a background.
Right-click on the white slide and choose > Change Background > Choose image OR select a color background > If you chose to select an image, click Google Image Search to search a potential newsletter background > select the image you want > click Insert > Done.
5. Use images to add flair.
To insert other images to decorate the background of your newsletter, click Insert > Image > Search the Web > select an image > Insert. Tip: type the word “transparent” after your search so that there isn’t a colored background on your image after being inserted.
6. Enter your class news.
To enter further information onto your Google slides newsletter, click Insert > Text Box. Repeat as many times as needed until all of the information you’d like is in your newsletter.
7. Make it eye-catching with text shapes.
If you’d like your text to appear within a shape, click Insert > Shape > Shapes > Select a Shape > Draw it on your slide > Right-click > Edit Text. Now you can add text to your selected shape size.
8. Add clickable links.
While creating your desired text, consider adding in an interactive element! If you include the words “click here” inside any textbox, you can then link outside resources to your Newsletter. Highlight the words “click here” > click Insert Link at the top of your page > paste the link to another resource OR choose another slide within the Google Slides to link to.
Option: For your Student of the Week, create another slide within the same presentation to present your student, then link the “click here” from your newsletters to that slide.
9. Create a “home” button.
If you chose to link to other slides within your presentation, you may want to include a way for readers to get back to the main newsletter. Insert a new image (use Step 5) > click the same insert link button from Step 8 > click Slides in this Presentation > Choose the main newsletter slide.
10. Share with families!
After you’ve played around with the information needed for your newsletter, linked outside resources, and made it look beautiful, it’s time to share it with families! In order to make sure that families are not editing the slides, you’ll want to highlight and delete a portion of the address in the taskbar. Delete everything from “edit” on and replace it with the word “preview.”
Copy the entire new address link with the word “preview” and share this with families. This is what their view will look like:
Once you have your original template made, it’s easy to switch out information and links for future newsletters! With many schools scaling back on paper distribution, Google Slides newsletters are a creative way to share information digitally with families.
Short on time or inspiration? Click here to copy a free editable template.
