— Welcome to the November 2025 Edition —

Beyond the Bell: Family and Caregiver Resource

A Family Guide to Healthy Screen Time Habits For K-8 Kids


In today’s digital world, screens are everywhere—from tablets and smart phones to laptops and gaming consoles. But not all screen time is created equal. This Beyond the Bell: Family and Caregiver Resource offers strategies your school families can use to encourage responsible use of electronic devices for their child.

 

Beyond the Bell Full Guide

English Edition (Download)



Spanish Edition (Download)

Beyond the Bell Social Graphic

English Edition (Download)



Spanish Edition (Download)

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— Tips for Sharing —

The Beyond the Bell: Family and Caregiver Resource is ready-made to share with your school community. Here's how:


  • Include the full resource in your newsletter, on your website, or on your blog.
  • Share the downloadable graphic on your school's social media accounts.
  • Forward it to your teachers, and encourage them to email the resource to families and caregivers.
  • Print the resource to hand out to families or have teachers send home with students.
 
 

— Family and Student Engagement Resources —

A Student Screen Time Playbook For School Leaders


From classroom integration to community communication, this guide offers strategies for managing screen time in tech-driven schools. READ MORE


What Works: Tech Supports


We asked school leaders what technologies they use daily and how they contribute to an equitable education and enhance the skills students need. Here’s what they said. READ MORE


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Book Talk: The Age of Anxiety


NAESP members share their insights on The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. READ MORE


Tracy Lafreniere

Assistant Principal, North Smithfield Elementary School, North Smithfield, Rhode Island

Family Engagement Tool


"At North Smithfield Elementary School, our goal is to have clear, predictable, user-friendly communication with families and to provide information and showcase the heart of our school—the students. As a team, we found that the format of our former newsletter was limiting. Families had to click multiple links to see the information, mobile access was limited, it was difficult to share on our social media pages, and we were limited in the quantity and quality of photographs we could use. 


We switched to S'more for our newsletter, and the feedback we received has been so positive. S'more provides us with everything we prioritize—better access, ease of use, and dynamic photo integration. Plus, it offers powerful analytics, helping us track our reach by showing us how many views each newsletter receives and where those views originate (desktop, mobile, direct links). This valuable data allows us to continually refine our communication strategy. The shift has been a huge win for our school community!"

 

Share Your Story

What's a Resource or Tool You Use to Communicate With School Families?


We're building our bank of community engagement resources. Do you have a sample of a newsletter or resource you've found success with in engaging families and caregivers? Is there a go-to tool you use to communicate with your school community? You could be featured in a future Beyond the Bell. TELL US ABOUT IT

 
 

— More Resources to Share With Families —

Raising Money-Smart Kids: A Family Guide to Financial Literacy


Learning Life Skills at Home


10 Best Practices to Protect Kids Online

 
 
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National Association of Elementary School Principals

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