How to Write a Farewell Letter to High School Students
Keep it interesting
Since the letter is written when a batch of high school students is about to graduate, and sometimes when a teacher is leaving one school to join another, this sort of letter doesn’t come under the category of professional correspondence. Therefore, feel free to keep it semi-formal, and make sure it is witty, interesting, and memorable, as opposed to brief, dry, and formal.
Share personal anecdotes
The letter is all about paying tribute to the good times you all spent together, and to wishing for a successful future, so ensure that you make the letter a unique and personal one – talk about when you first joined the school, the good times you shared with the class, and how you are proud of how far they have come.
Maintain a positive, optimistic tone
Do not overwhelm the students with sad reflections on how your time together is coming to an end – make sure you maintain an upbeat, optimistic tone throughout. Refer cheerfully to the good times gone by, and make sure you speak of the future with great optimism. You can also mention that you will all be keeping in touch.
Use quotes to inspire students
Intersperse your farewell letter with inspirational quotes from famous figures. In addition to elevating the letter in terms of the quality of the writing, these will serve as interesting tidbits in the letter. However, use these sparingly – do not use more than 2-3 quotes per letter.
Encourage students to continue striving for excellence
Make sure you provide students plenty of encouragement, and wish them the best of luck for any future endeavours they might undertake. Reiterate that you have faith in them, and know that they are destined for great things. Advise them to work hard, and give their best to whatever they choose to do.
Provide contact information
Make sure you provide accurate contact information – this is important, as this will be a means to stay in touch. Mention your contact details at the start or end of the letter, and encourage students to keep in touch, and let them know that you would love to hear from them. An email address will work best, but you can also provide your home address and telephone number.
Tips and warnings:
– Since this is a letter that most students are likely to keep with them as part of high school memorabilia, make sure you proofread it, to ensure that it is perfect in every way.
– Consider printing this sort of letter out on special stationary.
