4 Strategies for Implementing a New Family Onboarding Program
As one school year ends, another quietly begins—with the arrival of new families preparing to join the community. The transition over the summer months is more than a logistical process; it’s a formative experience that shapes how families come to understand, trust, and engage with the school. Research and experience both affirm this truth: the onboarding journey during a student’s first year is often the deciding factor in whether a family re-enrolls. Which leads to an important question for school leaders—what does a truly successful onboarding program for new families look like?
Four SAIS member schools offer their insights as to the common challenges new students and families face when joining a school community, along with strategies for easing the transition. They also share innovative onboarding approaches that leave a lasting impact as part of prioritizing the new student experience.
1. Focus on Key Touch Points
For schools that desire to create a new onboarding program—or revamp an existing program—knowing what to prioritize can be overwhelming. Keep in mind, there are a few touch points to consider: the inquiry and application period, student acceptance and contract finalization, the beginning of the school year, and the rest of the first year leading up to re-enrollment. Each step of a robust onboarding process is designed to foster a sense of belonging, demystify logistics, and invite families into the life of the school in meaningful ways.
Sarah McCants, admissions coordinator at the Montessori School of Columbia shares, “Our onboarding process begins as early as the information session or campus tour, where we aim to introduce families to as many members of our administrative team as possible: students, teachers, board members, parents, and alums.” The school, which is located in Columbia, SC, and serves 130 students in PreK3-grade 6, then compiles information following tours to harness key details for future connection points when families later enroll.
Once a family finalizes their contract, they receive a welcome packet that includes the MSC calendar, links to social media pages, and an administrative staff directory featuring names, photos, and job titles to help them get familiar with the team. Families are invited to attend key spring events for connections opportunities, as well as participate in the spring merchandise order, which allows families to purchase gear in advance—a small detail that often helps students feel a sense of belonging before their first day.
Then, in early summer, the school sends a personalized welcome email outlining next steps, including a checklist and an introduction to an optional partner family program that offers support to new families. By mid-summer, classroom teachers send personalized welcome letters and photos to their incoming students, which helps build excitement and familiarity before the school year begins. As a next step, families are given access to the parent portal, which is integrated into the website and serves as a central hub of resources that include a new families welcome page that clearly outlines important dates, explains key platforms, and provides direct links to help ease the transition.
In August, MSC hosts a daytime on-campus meet-and-greet for new students to meet their teachers in person and play on the playground, as well as an evening Back-to-School Bash designed to help families and students connect with staff and each other in a relaxed, welcoming setting. Two orientations are also offered: a virtual administrative orientation for new families and a classroom orientation for all.
Recognizing that young students require a more gradual and supportive transition into the school environment, two dedicated student orientation days are held before the school year officially begins. During these sessions, new students attend for two hours each day, allowing them to ease into the rhythm of the classroom, meet their teachers in a small-group setting, and begin learning foundational routines and expectations in a gentle, developmentally appropriate way.
At the start of the school year, the MSC full administrative team takes turns joining teachers and parent volunteers in the carline to help welcome families and set a warm, organized tone for daily transitions. Their presence not only models expectations for arrival routines, but also creates an approachable atmosphere where both new and returning parents feel supported, seen, and connected from day one. This hands-on involvement reflects the school’s commitment to accessibility and strong relationships across the entire community.
Finally, the Montessori School of Columbia development director reaches out early in the year to introduce volunteer opportunities and explain key events in the school calendar. By attending all major school functions, advancement can build relationships and gather insight into the strengths, interests, and professional backgrounds of parents, allowing for the creation of more personalized, relevant community experiences such as a parent-led school book club, book fairs, wreath-making events, and health seminars for adolescent students.
St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School, located in Coral Gables, FL, supports its 425 students in PreK3-grade 5 with an onboarding process that officially begins with a new parent orientation and reception in April. This evening event allows families to meet other incoming families, begin developing relationships, and hear directly from key administrators about what they can begin working on to be prepared for the first day of school. New families are also invited to attend existing events so they can begin to gain firsthand experience of the culture of philanthropy and community that defines St. Thomas.
Once the school year begins, the St. Thomas parents association hosts grade-level welcome coffees within the first couple of weeks to introduce families to volunteer opportunities and ways to become involved. All families are welcome throughout the year to “Wonderful Wednesday,” a weekly social gathering before school-wide morning exercises. Parent University sessions throughout the year round out the experience, offering educational talks and workshops. These sessions cover various topics and allow families to build their on-campus support network and connect with other families going through shared parenting experiences and challenges.
According to Avery Kiefer, director of marketing & communications, and Maria Amor, director of admission & enrollment management, by intentionally creating a welcoming experience both during the official onboarding process and throughout the school year, St. Thomas ensures families feel welcomed and supported every step of the way.
Director of Marketing & Communications Marguerite Estes of the Dunham School shares that onboarding for new families begins as early as February. The school, which serves approximately 830 PreK2-grade 12 students in Baton Rouge, LA, follows a well-designed timeline.
In February and March, the new family web page is updated in anticipation of enrollment contracts distribution. New families receive a welcome email as soon as enrollment contracts are submitted, and new students receive a “swag” box in the mail welcoming them to “Tiger Nation,” with gifts varying by year and age but typically including a t-shirt and other branded spirit items.
In April, the school hosts a reception for new parents with administrators, teachers, and members of the Dunham parents association in attendance. This is designed as a purely social event with no set agenda or presentation; rather, this is an opportunity for new families to get to know each other and the school, ask questions, and learn about volunteer opportunities, special events, and other ways they can get involved in the school community. Parents receive a printed New Family Guide and a welcome gift.
By summer, newly enrolled families begin to receive the school e-newsletter. Parents association volunteers contact new families via email and phone call to welcome them to the community, answer any questions they might have, and touch base on back-to-school procedures. New parents are invited to join grade-level parent group texts. Division offices distribute back-to-school information, and PreK-grade 9 students receive invitations to back-to-school parties typically held in late summer.
The head of school sends a welcome video to all families in August. Students in grades 2-12 attend new student orientation and receive another welcome gift. Students in PK-through grade 1 have opportunities to meet their teachers prior to the start of school. The admissions office hosts “Tiny Tigers Drop Off” for PK-1 on the first day of school, parents are invited to walk their children in and grab a cup of coffee, and new students are greeted by cheerleaders and receive a welcome gift. During the first weeks of school, divisions host back-to-school nights for parents.
As fall rolls around, new family liaisons continue reaching out to new families, often inviting them to join them at home football games or other school events. The admissions office sends out a new family survey in October to gauge the new family transition and level of engagement. Responses, which can be sent anonymously if preferred, are shared with division heads, the head of school, and the director of marketing. If necessary, follow up with families is provided.
By the end of the school year, new families receive end-of-year-surveys, with the responses once again shared with division heads, the head of school, and the director of marketing. The onboarding process is then reviewed and modified if necessary for the next school year.
In Nashville, TN, Father Ryan High School welcomes new students in grades 9-12 to a community of 830+ strong. Erin Riggs, director of enrollment, shares that the onboarding process begins as soon as prospective students start their applications. From the very first touchpoint, the school begins collecting valuable information—through the application itself and ongoing interactions—to help prepare a warm welcome for the next class of students.
Once prospective students officially enroll, they are greeted by the “Becoming the Tradition” email campaign—a comprehensive guide that keeps students and families informed about everything they need to know, from enrollment details to the first day on campus. These emails highlight topics such as communication, safety and security, extracurricular opportunities, school lingo, and more.
Four key events help onboard families with intention, each serving their own purpose and goal.
2. Ease Transitions and Address Common Challenges
As students transition to a new school, enrollment professionals often notice common challenges. Good planning can anticipate these challenges to assist in making for a smooth entry into the school.
In the case of Montessori School of Columbia, one of the biggest challenges for new families is understanding the Montessori philosophy, especially if they are new to the model. Since the school’s goal is to support consistency between school and home, MSC emphasizes education and communication. They offer parent education events, which vary in mode and time of day to support accessibility, as well as informal morning coffee gatherings and open office hours for families to ask questions and discuss Montessori practices with staff. These touch points help demystify the philosophy and empower parents to become more confident partners in their child’s education.
At St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School, new families can sometimes feel overwhelmed with choices from the extensive slate of offerings and have difficulty finding the best ways to make an impact at the school. The parent mentor program has proven to be a key alleviator of this challenge. Each new family is matched with a mentor family through a thoughtful, individualized process led by the director of admission and supported by the parents association. Mentor families, who are among current families at the school, share similar interests and family dynamics with their matched families, allowing all parties to connect and relate to one another in an authentic way.
Mentor families act as both guides and historians; they help new parents navigate St. Thomas’ wide array of events and volunteer opportunities, and provide the context about the school’s rich traditions that can’t necessarily be found in the parent handbook. By connecting with their mentor family shortly after the new parent orientation and maintaining connection throughout the school year, new families feel direct, individualized support that helps them become immersed within the community with intention and confidence.
Similarly, the Dunham School utilizes a family liaison program to ease the transition to the school. When new families join the community, they face the dual challenge of digesting a wealth of school-related information while forging new connections within the community. The school found that sharing information across multiple channels and having division administrators and new family liaisons reach out prior to the start of school has been helpful.
Social events like a new parent reception, grade-level back-to-school parties, and new student orientation days have allowed new families to make connections and learn more about volunteer opportunities and other school-wide events.
As the only private school in the Nashville area who offers exclusively a 9-12 private high school experience, Father Ryan High School students matriculate from 125 unique schools and 59 zip codes. This means that many incoming students may not yet know their future classmates. The school recognizes that, as a new student, it can feel like you’re the “only one” trying to make new friends. With that in mind, for students and families who may be the only one, or one of a few, from their school who are attending Father Ryan High School, administrators work in collaboration with the advancement team and parent school network to host a small event that connects these students with both a student ambassador and at least one other incoming student who has similar interests. This allows them an opportunity to meet at least two other people prior to attending events. Simultaneously, the advancement team and parent school network greet the parents at this event, who are also seeking to build connections with other new parents in the Father Ryan community.
Further, because students come from so many different schools, transitioning to high school academic course load, content, and rigor can be difficult for some students. Each academic department at Father Ryan has four levels of learning that serve a wide range of academic abilities. This approach ensures that all students experience success, and support through a personalized academic program focused on helping students reach their academic potential.
3. Make a Lasting Impact Through Innovation
As schools develop onboarding programs, sometimes an innovative or unexpected approach can leave a lasting impact on family engagement and student success.
“One small but meaningful gesture we’ve implemented is sending birthday cards to incoming students, complete with stickers featuring our beloved chicken mascot,” shares Montessori School of Columbia Admissions Coordinator Sarah McCants. “It’s a fun and personal way to show that we’re already thinking about them and excited to welcome them into the community.”
Another unexpected onboarding approach MSC employs are Campus Work Days to update and beautify campus at the start and end of each year. The school has received feedback that these volunteer days give families an opportunity to contribute through sweat equity and are not only practical, but also community-building. These early, hands-on experiences help parents form deeper connections with each other and with teachers, often leading to long-lasting relationships and stronger engagement throughout the school year.
St. Thomas shares that one of the most impactful and personal touches of the onboarding process is a series of introductory meetings between each new family and the rector, school counselor, and director of parent relations. These conversations take place during the summer and allow key administrators to understand each family’s interests, hopes, and concerns on a deeper level before school starts in the fall. This personal connection sets the tone for a supportive partnership and ensures that new families feel uniquely understood from the very beginning.
The Dunham School has found that hosting the new parent welcome event earlier in the year (in the spring instead of in the summer) has been beneficial and allowed families to forge connections and feel like they are part of the community prior to the start of school. This also helps to fill the gap between the time the enrollment contract is returned (typically February/March) and when families start receiving “back-to-school” information.
A new initiative at Dunham School this year is the New Family Guide, a booklet that includes information on carpool, uniforms, school hours, important dates, fun traditions, and QR codes directing readers to web pages where families can find additional information.
At the heart of Father Ryan’s student life is the House System. Upon entering Father Ryan, students are placed in one of six houses, each represented by a House name (inspired by Father Ryan history), crest, color, Saint, and a Catholic Social Teaching. The House System touches nearly every aspect of the student experience at Father Ryan.
Siblings are placed in the same House, and the school quickly realized that when the first child starts at Father Ryan and receives their House placement, the entire family—parents and younger siblings included—begins identifying with that House from day one. As such, the school created a new family welcome to allow incoming students and their families to celebrate and learn about their House at the same event. It has built both student and family pride and engagement for their House through friendly competitions throughout the year.
Within the Houses, each student is placed into a smaller mentor group composed of students from all grades who help new students acclimate into high school life. New students form deep friendships with older students who can offer advice, wisdom, and connections across the curriculum and co-curricular activities. Then, in the spring, freshmen have the opportunity to move into leadership roles in each House. These roles allow for leadership development with the guidance and mentorship of their House’s smaller mentor groups, as well as upperclassmen and faculty and staff who are also part of the group.
Junior Irish (youth younger than high school age) in the surrounding communities have their own dedicated webpage, featuring all the events and opportunities offered specifically for them. From annual Junior Irish nights to various camps, clinics, and special events, Junior Irish are viewed as a true extension of the Father Ryan community. Those with older siblings at Father Ryan already feel House pride—well before their high school experience.
4. Measure What Matters
Once your school has put new family onboarding programs into place, how do you know what worked? Surveying new families is key to measuring program success.
For Montessori School of Columbia, feedback is gathered through a personalized check-in at the end of week four, followed by a more formal survey midway through the school year. These points of contact allow the school to listen, learn, and adjust as needed. Though the onboarding program at MSC is still evolving, the school has already seen positive outcomes, including increased family satisfaction and stronger retention of new families year over year.
After the admission season, St. Thomas also surveys newly accepted families to gather feedback on what resonated and where the process can improve. This feedback allows the school to continually refine its approach by making data-driven decisions that enhance the admission process. By prioritizing personalized experiences and early community immersion for new families, onboarding efforts have translated into strong family satisfaction and long-term retention.
Similarly, the Dunham School surveyed new families in October and again at the end of the school year. Responses are reviewed by admissions, marketing, the head of school, division heads, and development to gauge the new family experience and affirm what the school is doing well, highlight areas for improvement, and identify new opportunities to include in the onboarding strategy. While the school continues to look for ways to refine the process, the current strategy works well, with the school enjoying a 97% retention rate for new families.
Father Ryan High School has implemented more strategic onboarding practices to reflect the school’s mission. The school has seen significant increases in re-enrollment rates and the pace at which they re-enroll, with significant improvement over the last three years. An astounding 99% of students are re-enrolled for next year, a testament to the power of a well-planned onboarding and year-long new family experience, coupled with a strong community and intentional retention efforts.
Where to Begin
For schools looking to enhance their new family onboarding experience, consider the top three things to prioritize for a welcoming and effective transition.
Related Programming
Save the date for the new SAIS Independent School Brand Summit: Where Communications, Marketing, Enrollment, and Advancement Converge. Mark your calendars and plan to join your peers February 11-12, 2026, in Chattanooga, TN.
The Independent School Brand Summit is a premier gathering designed for brand strategists, marketing and communication professionals, fundraisers, and enrollment management leaders in independent schools. This event brings together experts and practitioners to explore the evolving landscape of school branding, storytelling, and strategic positioning in an increasingly competitive market.
