Email Basics

Uppers School students are constantly emailing and communicating with teachers. Here’s a set of rules to follow. The interactivity above has examples to practice with.

Subject Lines

A subject line is one of the most important parts of an email because this is what the teacher first sees. Your subject line needs to convey the message that the email needs to be opened.

Subject lines should give the reader an idea of what the message is about and whether it requires an action
Subject lines should not be BLANK. The teacher has no idea what to expect in the message and comes off as unprofessional.

Ex: Absent from class (9/21). Requesting Study Hall Pass
Ex: Missing class today and need homework pdf

Salutations

A salutation is a greeting at the beginning of an email. You want to make sure it is appropriate for the situation.

It is safer to be overly formal than too casual.

Ex: Dear Mr./Mrs./Dr. _______

Message Text

be clear and concise
- short and sweet is best!

Ex: I will be absent today. May I please get a study hall pass to go to the library tomorrow, 9/22 Wed, during pd. 6?

Do not send an email

if the message is too long and complicated and in person meeting would be more effective.
if the content is not appropriate.
with emojis/emoticons

Closing

When you close your message, end with a “Thank you” to acknowledge you appreciate the reader’s time and help.

  Ex: 
     "Thank you for your time,
         STUDENT NAME"

Example Message

Subject: Absent from class (9/21)   
    Dear Dr. Hall,
        I will be absent today. May I please get a study hall pass to go to the library tomorrow, 9/22 Wed, during pd. 6?
    Thank you,
        STUDENT NAME