Run a Classroom Newsletter with a Publishing Flow

DraftUse a publishing flow to run a class newsletter: students write and take photos, student editors check the issue, and you make the final call before anything goes online. This guide walks through one full issue, start to finish, with screenshots of each step.

What you'll set up once: a publishing flow (who writes, who reviews, who publishes) and a shared class folder (so students can work on the same issue). After that, every issue follows Parts 3 to 5.

How it works

RoleWhoWhat they do in RoarPress Writers and photographersStudents in the flowWrite stories, add photos with descriptions, then submit the issue for review. They never see a Publish button. Student editorsStudents you pick for step 1Fix small mistakes directly in the issue, then approve it or send it back with a note. TeacherYou, on the final stepRead it, send it back if needed, choose who can open it, publish it, and email it to families.

Students sign in to RoarPress with their district Microsoft account. Have every student sign in once before you set up the class folder. A folder can only be shared with someone who has signed in.

Part 1: Build the publishing flow (teacher, once)

Step 1. Open Publishing flows

In the side menu, choose Publishing flows. Choose + New publishing flow.

Step 2. Name it

Type a Name your students will recognise, such as Room 12 Roar. Optionally, fill in What is it for?. Reviewers and admins see this. Leave On ticked.

Step 3. Choose who writes

Under Your classes, tick your class. RoarPress brings in every student on your eSchool roster and keeps the list up to date. Or, under Specific people, type a student's district email and press Enter. Use this for students who aren't on your roster. Choose Show who to check the list. Students who haven't signed in yet are marked Hasn't signed in yet; the flow applies to them from their first sign-in.

Step 4. Add a student editor step

Choose + Add a step before the final decision. Name the step Student editors. Set Who fills it to Specific people, and add your student editors' emails under People on this step. Leave Approvals needed at Any one of them. Tick Edit content while it's at this step, so editors can fix mistakes themselves instead of sending the issue back.

Step 5. Check the final step

The last step is already set up: it's named Teacher review, marked Final decision · Staff only · Publishes, and filled by The flow's owner (you).

Tick Send email to lists they can use, so you can email the published issue to families.

Step 6. Choose what authors can do, then create the flow

Leave the defaults under What authors can do: links go up to Unlisted, students can't email the newsletter themselves, and they don't see your class or family mailing lists. Optionally, add a co-teacher under Who else can manage this flow. Choose Create flow. If anything is missing, RoarPress lists it under Before you can save.

The flow is live straight away. Its card shows who it supervises and the steps in order.

Part 2: Make a shared class folder (teacher, once)

The flow decides who reviews. A shared folder lets writers and photographers work on the same issue.

Step 7. Create the folder

In the side menu, choose Folders. Under New folder, type a name such as Room 12 Roar, then choose Create folder.

Step 8. Add your students as editors

Click the folder to open it. Under Members of [folder], type a student's district email in Email. Set Permission to Editor — can edit and add their own. Choose Add member. Repeat for each student.

Part 3: Students write the issue

Step 9. Students sign in

When a student is added to a flow by name, their dashboard shows a notice that they're now an author in your flow.

Step 10. Start the issue and move it into the folder

Pick one student to start each issue (a rotating "issue lead" works well). They should not be a student editor, because nobody can approve their own newsletter.

Choose Start a newsletter and pick a template, such as Room Notes. Click the title and rename it, for example Room 12 Roar: November.

Notice the Publish panel on the right: students see Submit for review and "Reviewed through Room 12 Roar (2 steps)", never Publish.

In the right-hand panel, open Organize and set Folder to the class folder. RoarPress confirms "Moved into the folder." Everyone in the folder can now work on the issue.

Step 11. Photographers add photos

In Add a block, choose Photo gallery, then choose Place photo gallery here where it should go.

Choose Add photos…. Pick up to 6 photos, or choose Upload new. Then choose Add photos.

Fill in each Photo description (alt text): describe the photo like you would over the phone. Add a Gallery caption if you like.

Use photos with no identifiable students unless families have agreed. iPhone HEIC photos aren't accepted; save them as JPG first.

Step 12. Check before publishing

In the Publish panel, choose Check before publishing. Fix everything under Must fix before publishing. Each item has a Go to block button. Template sample text (words in square brackets, sample events) must be replaced or deleted.

When the panel says Nothing stops publishing, the issue is ready. Items under Worth a look never block submitting.

Step 13. Submit for review

Under Publishing flow, optionally write a Note for your reviewers. Choose Submit for review.

The issue is now locked for everyone in the folder. A progress strip shows where it is and who it's waiting on. To change something, the student chooses Withdraw to edit, and review starts again at step 1.

Part 4: Student editors check it

Step 14. Open the issue from Reviews

Student editors get a "Review needed" email. They can also choose Reviews in the side menu and then Open and review.

Step 15. Fix, then approve

Because their step can edit content, the issue opens in the full editor. Fixes become part of what gets approved and are recorded in the history.

Optionally, add a Note, then choose Approve. To send it back instead, choose Request changes.

The issue moves to step 2 and waits on you.

Part 5: You review, publish and email

Step 16. Open it from Reviews

You get a "Review needed" email. Or choose Reviews in the side menu, then Open and review.

Step 17. Read it and decide

The Publishing flow panel shows the steps, a Note box, Who can open the link?, and your buttons.

These screenshots were taken with an admin account, which opens the full editor. A teacher account opens a read-only preview of the issue with the same Publishing flow panel and buttons beside it.

Not ready? Choose Request changes, type what the students should change (be specific and kind), then Send back with note. Students see your note at the top of their editor, and the resubmitted issue goes through every step again.

Choose History to see who submitted, edited and approved the issue, with their notes.

Step 18. Approve and publish

Choose Who can open the link? Unlisted means anyone with the link can open it, but it isn't listed in the district archive. Choose Approve and publish. (Approve only approves without publishing.)

If you choose Public and the issue names or shows students, RoarPress asks you to confirm that no family on the directory-information or photo opt-out list is named or pictured. You answer this as the staff approver; students are never asked.

Step 19. Email it to families (optional)

Choose Send by email…. Use Send test to check it in your own inbox first, then Send now or Schedule to your class mailing list.

Good to know

Students can't publish or email on their own. Nothing reaches families until the final step publishes it. Nobody approves their own work. The student who starts an issue can't approve it at step 1. Locked while in review. Use Withdraw to edit to change a submitted issue; review then starts over. Turning a flow off. On Publishing flows, choose Turn off. Anything waiting for review goes back to its author, and students can't publish until they're in another flow that's on. Taking an issue down. By default students can take their own published issue offline, and you're emailed when they do. To require your approval instead, untick Authors can unpublish their own newsletter in the flow.

More help: in RoarPress, open Help and read Set up a publishing flow, Write in a publishing flow, Review newsletters and Folders.