How should schools go about producing newsletters?
• Newsletters are used to announce student success, events and activities within the school and its community and are generally made available to parents, bus drivers, board members, trustees and other schools in the community. As such they are public documents. • Schools need to determine whether all personal information being placed in the newsletter is a use consistent with the purpose for which the information was collected or compiled, and has a reasonable and direct connection to that purpose within the meaning of section 39(1)(a) and 41. If the use of personal information is consistent with the purpose for which it was collected or compiled, then schools would only need to give notice to parents on how the information will be used. Notification of what is normally published in the newsletter could be part of the notification process done during registration. If the use of personal information is not a consistent use, then consent is required.
