Say What? Annual Workshop
The 2024 Say What Communications Festival has concluded, but it will return on June 5, 2025!
This annual event provides you with the tools you need to communicate and engage with your staff, students, families and community.
Sessions have included topics such as information crisis communication, communications planning, Class Intercom and social media, Let’s Talk, School Messenger, copyright and licensing, community and family engagement, politics and public schools, and utilizing Google effectively to communicate!
Join us for Say What!?! Communications Festival on Thursday, June 20, from 8am-noon.
LPS Communications is bringing back this annual event that will give you the tools you need to communicate and engage with your staff, students, families and community.
Sessions will include information crisis communication, communications planning, Class Intercom and social media, Let’s Talk, School Messenger, copyright and licensing, community and family engagement, politics and public schools, and utilizing Google effectively to communicate!
2024 Schedule
Registration and Refreshments (8:00 to 8:30 a.m.)
Videos!
Watch videos created by members of the LPS Communications Team
*Front Lobby all morning: Graphics Department Kiosk
Stop by anytime to see a sample of what the LPS Graphics Department can do for you! We’ll have examples, handouts and will be available to answer any questions you may have. Plus, we’ll be by the refreshments, so that’s another good reason to stop by!
Professional Portraits
Come have your portrait taken by a communications photographer in room 101
Welcome and Introductions (8:30 to 9:00 a.m.)
- Meet the LPS Communications Team
- Watch the Session Recording
Session 1
Presentations (9:10 to 9:45 a.m.)
Joe Wright and Mindy Burbach
LOCATION: Board Room
Another school year, another list of calamities and predicaments, another year of essential emergency communication. Let’s have some fun remembering back over a year of successful crisis communications (and perhaps a couple that didn’t quite work).
Brian Fitzgerald and Joshua Genrich
LOCATION: Conference Rooms A & B
We have so many ways to communicate now, whether that is email, text messages or facebook. What is the purpose of a website given all of the other options? Brian and Joshua will talk about things to focus on and how to best work with the communications department to ensure your website is up to date.
Marlenia Thornton
LOCATION: Conference Room C
The best messages start with a strategy (e.g., a plan). This process doesn’t have to be complicated. Come learn a simple framework to build your best communications with impact.
Session 2
Presentations (9:55 to 10:30 a.m.)
BriAna Wycoff
LOCATION: Boardroom
You are not alone. Using Class Intercom, you can crowdsource your school’s social media content to help you share the amazing stories taking place in your school. Learn how some LPS schools are using this platform to share their stories and get ideas for social media content for your school.
John Neal
LOCATION: Conference Rooms A & B
The Let’s Talk system is an online communication tool LPS uses as its digital front door to help our community connect more quickly and effectively to the answers they are searching for and stay connected with the district long term.
This overview is great for first time users or a refresher course for infrequent users.
Mindy Burbach and Marlenia Thornton
Location: Conference Room C
What can be shared with staff, students and families? What platforms can we use to communicate? Can we share information from outside organizations?
We will answer these questions and more as we review LPS policy and regulations on how we can communicate information.
Session 3
Presentations (10:40 to 11:15 a.m.)
John Neal
LOCATION: Board Room
Political activity is an important and essential responsibility of all citizens, but complications arise when those citizens are employees or students of a public school system. Having and communicating clear guidelines for political activity and speech can help employees and students be confident in their actions and avoid political complications. This session will talk about common issues that arise from the mix of politics, schools and workplace and will provide practical guidelines and sample language that can be shared with staff and the community.
Lisa Hopkins and Mindy Burbach
LOCATION: Conference Rooms A & B
As a district we use School Messenger to communicate with families in many ways. We’ll go through the platform and also talk about district guidelines for when and how to send messages to families. This session is a great refresher for those who don’t often use School Messenger, or for those who would like to learn shortcuts and best practices.
Jarred Rowe
LOCATION: Conference Room C
This beginner-friendly workshop is designed to guide you through the basics of Canva, an online graphic design tool. Canva offers a wide array of templates and design elements to help you achieve stunning results with ease.
Session 4
Presentations (11:25 a.m. to noon)
Chris Pultz
LOCATION: Board Room
Join us while we share tricks to help you bring out the magic in Gmail. Discover powerful tips to manage your inbox like a pro, from labels and filters to utilizing shortcuts to save you time. Plus, learn about the latest feature in Gmail: creating visually appealing email templates. This session is perfect for anyone aiming to boost productivity and make the most out of Gmail’s robust capabilities.
Nola Derby-Bennett, John Neal, and Mindy Burbach
LOCATION: Conference Rooms A & B
Providing meaningful outreach that welcomes families and our community is a part of the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. This session will share ideas and best practices when it comes to working with organizations that support our schools.
Chris Haeffner
LOCATION: Conference Room C
Quell your copyright conscience by learning a little bit more about copyright do’s and don’ts! This session will refresh your thinking on copyright and fair use, as well as discuss the complexities introduced by licensing.
