8 Innovative School Signage Ideas to Boost Student Morale
There are challenging times in every school year where student morale begins to waiver: the stress of tests and exam block, the last few weeks of the longest term, unexpected tragedies, and even persistent poor weather can all affect students’ enthusiasm. If you find your school community dragging its feet through a difficult time, use school signage to re-engage and revive the community through humour, open dialogue and games, using these 8 school signage ideas to boost community morale.
1. Countdown Timer:
Give students a visual reminder of how close they are to the school holidays, keeping them motivated to give as much as they can from the second they step on the grounds, to the moment the final bell rings.
2. Jokes & Riddles:
Adding jokes and riddles to school signage can encourage communication between peers and teachers. Display the first part of a riddle or joke on a sign and email Home Room teachers the answer in advance. Students can look forward to discovering the answer in class each morning and starting the day on a positive note with some lateral thinking as soon as they walk in the room. Here’s one to get you started:
Answer: A telephone.
3. School & General Knowledge Facts:
Use school signage to remind the community of interesting and important events in the school’s history. For example…
- This day in 1967 the first male pupils were enrolled in what was previously an all-girls school.
- In 1971 on this day, the school’s oval was officially opened by former student and professional athlete, John Smith, to commemorate his excellence in Australian athletics.
- Did you know? Prime Minister John Doh attended the school from 1945-1949.
- Friday Fact: 10 years ago today the school had a total of 156 students. Today, we have more than 378 students from 23 different countries in our wonderfully diverse school community.
4. Inspirational Quotes for School Signage:
Displaying inspiring quotes or phrases that relate to learning, achieving and succeeding can help keep students motivated and focused. Here are 26 short, thought-provoking quotes from some of history’s greats to add to your school signage to keep the community striving for excellence.
Source: Connections Academy
5. Ask for Student Feedback:
Make students feel like their opinion is valued when it comes to making important school decisions by using school signage to include them in the conversation. Whether it’s asking what colour the new spectator stand should be painted, or asking people to vote on which healthy food options they would like offered in the canteen, including students in the decision-making process can increase a sense of school community, ownership and pride.
6. Promote Charity Drives:
When people support charity, positive outcomes can include activated pleasure centres in the brain, increased connectedness with like-minded people and adoption of a more giving and generous mindset. If your school supports a charity (or even natural disaster recovery drives), promote your fundraising campaigns on school signage to encourage donations.
This can also remind students of just how lucky they are to live in such a privileged part of the world. And when the campaign is complete, use your signage to show everyone how much they raised and the impact they have collectively had to help those less fortunate.
7. Random Acts of Kindness:
A 2008 survey of schools in around 40 countries revealed that Australian primary schools were among those with the highest reported incidence of bullying in the world. By adding simple, easily actionable tasks outlining random acts of kindness to school signage, we hope this will have a positive impact on increasing acts of spontaneous kindness, such as writing positive sticky notes.
Here are 54 more ideas from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation that can be displayed on school signage to encourage more inclusive and positive behaviour inside and outside the school gate.
8. Display House Points Using Gamification:
As engagement science experts explain, Gamification is the process of using game mechanics and thinking (game design, loyalty program design and behavioural economics) in non-gaming situations to engage users to achieve successful outcomes and behavioural change. Most commonly referred to in marketing, Gamification principles can also be applied in a school setting to encourage and reward desired behaviours.
While it sounds technical in theory, it’s quite simple in practice and can be achieved by displaying house points on school signage. With a constant reminder of where their house is sitting on the scoreboard, students are likely to be more engaged and motivated to get their house to the top of the leaderboard. A constant visual reminder of house points could also be beneficial for boosting team spirit, a sense of belonging, and bonding between students from the same house who may otherwise have little in common.
Let Your Signage Shine
School signage is so much more than term dates, weather reports and P&T meetings; it’s about creating a sense of community, encouraging communication between students and teachers, and it should be used to entertain and motivate kids when times get tough.
Ask the Experts
If your school signage needs updating or you’d like to investigate the benefits of digital signage, contact Signpac and our experienced team of school signage experts will get in touch to discuss your needs.
