Using a #180Days Campaign to Celebrate Your School All Year Long

Each day during the school year, I post the “best part of my day.” This daily post is intended to recognize and spread news of our successes and achievements beyond our school. The successes can come in various forms, from celebrating the success of our spring musical to highlighting a lesson I dropped in on while walking through the building. 

These posts serve multiple purposes: They spotlight daily achievements, help shape our school’s narrative, engage the broader community, and promote the many great things happening at Pompton Lakes High School. More important, they allow me to model something essential for students and staff: the ability to find and appreciate the positive in our daily experiences, no matter how big or small. In doing so, we foster a stronger, more connected school community.

It‘s an idea I got from a friend and fellow principal, Mike Randolph, who told me about his success using social media to build a positive school culture. This small act—a short post showcasing daily successes, achievements, and interactions between faculty and students—helps to shift the conversation at his school from challenges to celebrations. 

Setting up a #180Days social media Campaign

It’s essential that the school community recognize that these posts come from me as their principal. Our school has “Pompton Lakes High School” social media accounts; the language on these accounts is a more formal third person. Our staff and students do a fantastic job of maintaining those accounts. However, those messages come from an entity rather than a specific person.

These messages, on the other hand, come from me and my Instagram account. This allows me to use first-person language about the best parts of my day. So, if I want to highlight a sports team or an activity, I will be at the event or speaking with our students about their sport or accomplishments. Even if I am absent, I rely on fellow school leaders to share their positive experiences and use that as the post for the day. 

When posting on social media, you must be mindful of the privacy of students and staff while respecting the wishes of parents and guardians. I keep a list of students without a photo release available. When meeting with students, I always ask if they are comfortable with me highlighting them on social media. Building authentic relationships and showcasing a genuine interest in our students and staff requires trust. I do everything I can to foster trust. Respecting privacy is a fundamental part of this.

Showcasing daily highlights. As educators, we recognize that great things happen daily within our classrooms. It can be an engaging, interactive activity in one of our classrooms or spotlighting one of our athletes. My daily posts spotlight all aspects of our school, especially those that sometimes go unnoticed, such as two fencers who qualified for the state tournament or three math teachers who go the extra mile each day with their passion and support of our students.  

Shaping the narrative. My daily posts provide a window into the daily life of PLHS. They highlight the energy, programs, and initiatives that define our school community. As a school leader, you’ll need to help shape the narrative that can define students’ experience of your school. Too often, the only stories people hear about a school are negative. My daily posts shed light on the hard work of our staff and students and the great things, both large and small, that are happening in our school. These posts include sharing the excitement of our pep rallies or a story of a staff member describing how they witnessed one of our students display compassion and kindness in comforting and supporting another student who was upset in the hallway. 

Engaging the community. Social media creates a dynamic, two-way dialogue beyond traditional communication methods. It provides a real-time connection to the heart of our school, allowing us to engage students, families, and the larger community. Unlike traditional communication, which is often limited to email lists and internal updates, social media extends our reach to alumni, extended families, and community members who share a vested interest in the daily happenings at PLHS. Events like the Holiday Assembly and Fine Arts Night are part of our school’s rich history and culture. Sharing moments from these activities invites a broader audience to experience and celebrate the traditions that make PLHS unique. 

Marketing your school. With the rise of school choice, public schools must actively share their stories beyond traditional communication methods. Pompton Lakes is a tight-knit community where the school is rich in tradition and pride.

Our school prides itself on strong student-educator relationships that foster a positive culture. The school is dedicated to expanding programs that prepare students for postsecondary success. These posts help inform our current families, prospective students, and the broader community. By consistently sharing what makes PLHS unique, we aim to provide prospective families with the necessary information to make the best choice for their child. ​

Reception

The community’s support for this initiative has been overwhelmingly positive. Parents have shared that they appreciate the daily updates, which give them a unique glimpse into our school’s daily happenings. One parent even told me, “At least I know one thing that happened in school!” The students are equally excited. During one math class, while students were engaged in a critical thinking activity, they asked if they could take a picture to be featured as Day 92. The best moments are when these posts happen organically—whether through an interaction with a student, a classroom visit, or an unexpected event—like a deer jumping through a classroom window. At the end of the year, we compile these posts into a video recap, offering a journey through each day of the school year.

#180DaysOfPompton has been more than just a way to highlight the best part of each day—it’s been a meaningful journey of connection, storytelling, and celebration. Through these daily posts, I’ve had the privilege of showcasing the incredible talents, hard work, and spirit of our students and staff while shaping a positive narrative that reflects the vibrant culture of Pompton Lakes High School. This initiative has engaged our community and deepened my relationships with those who make PLHS a special place. Moving forward, I’m excited to continue using social media as a powerful platform to highlight our school’s excellence and strengthen the bonds that make our community so strong.