October is here and we are fully in the fall season! No matter what part of the country you’re in, fall excitement is everywhere! From pumpkin and apple picking to hayrides and corn mazes, there’s fun to be had all around this month. Weekends are filled with time outside and many school districts are in the midst of celebrating homecoming with their high school students. Regardless of the occasion, there’s a lot you can do to engage with your district families this fall and we’re here to help with some ideas.
Walk to School Day
October 5th is Walk to School Day! Starting in 1997, the day brings attention to the need for walkable communities across the country. This is a great chance to get your community together with many benefits! Do you live in a walkable community? Consider planning an event to gather, discuss the benefits of walking like increased learning potential with physical activity in the morning, discuss walking safety, and walk to school together. Doing this gives you the chance to share on social media before and after the event and incorporate your community partners if they’d like to join.
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day is October 10th. With the objective of making mental well-being a priority around the globe. Over the last few years, monitoring the mental health of students has become more important than ever before. In your community, you can make sure mental wellness is a priority encouraging students, families, and staff alike to talk about how they feel. After all, we are all better when we are working together.
Global Handwashing Day
The age-old reminder to wash your hands even has its own day on October 15th. The importance of handwashing cannot be understated. With the influx of colds and flus that circulate in the winter months, this is a great time to remind families and students about the importance of using soap and the proper length of time to scrub those hands! If you don’t have reminders in your school restrooms, or if you do and they could use a refresh, this is a great time—especially if you engage students to create signs to hang around the school buildings.
Halloween
We can’t talk about October and not mention Halloween on October 31st! If your community takes part in the day, providing information to parents, whether via social media, Peachjar, or other means, is helpful as parents view their schools as a trusted source for information. Are there local trick or treats, trunk or treats, or other community gatherings in your area? This is a great chance to compile that information for families! While your school district is a source of learning, it’s also a source of great fun and this is a way you can engage with them. Do your schools allow for students and staff to dress up? If so, this is great social media and video content!
Thank You
October offers so many days to celebrate and chances to incorporate new touchpoints into your communications plans. We know that October is the start of a busy time headed into the winter months and are here to support in whatever we can.
| Date | Key Event |
| October 4th | Walk to School Day #WalktoSchoolDay #SafeRoutesToSchool |
| October 6th | World Smile Day #WorldSmileDay |
| October 10th | World Mental Health Day #WorldMentalHealthDay |
| October 11th | International Day of the Girl #BrighterFutureForGirls |
| October 15th | Global Handwashing Day #HandwashingDay |
| October 16th | World Food Day #WorldFoodDay |
| October 30th | Checklist Day #ChecklistDay |
| October 31st | Halloween #Halloween |
We've created some engagement templates to get you started! Fill out the form below to download them.
New to Peachjar? Click here to request more information about simplifying the flyer process for your district and engaging your community.