Belmont secondary is making use of 21st-century technology to improve communication between staff, students and parents, something that was deemed necessary despite the schoolB次元官网网址檚 already successful communication channels.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been pretty proud of our communication through e-mailing with This Week in the Doghouse (the schoolB次元官网网址檚 newsletter), however, it wasnB次元官网网址檛 reaching the kids,B次元官网网址� said principal Ray Miller.

Belmont staff felt the various social media networks B次元官网网址� Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter B次元官网网址� werenB次元官网网址檛 professional enough for what they were looking for, and it was decided that the school would launch its very own app.

The brand new digital tool has received some positive early returns, as the app had been downloaded 796 times by the end of the first week of school, receiving good reviews from students for its functionality.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 pretty cool. ItB次元官网网址檚 a great organizer for the students,B次元官网网址� said student Lance Hall.

B次元官网网址淚t helps me with my organization,B次元官网网址� added schoolmate Drew Rush.

In addition to being able to check basic scheduling and receive school-wide notifications, including daily messages directly from Miller, students are able to subscribe to a variety of channels to receive the latest information on tests, homework and extra-curricular events from their teachers.

Parents who download the app can receive all of this information as well, giving them a better idea of what their children are studying, but also informing them of approaching due dates and tests. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檒l start opening up even more dialogue (at home),B次元官网网址� Miller said, adding that the schoolB次元官网网址檚 newsletter has already helped in that regard.

B次元官网网址淭his will help involve parents (even) more in their kidsB次元官网网址� education.B次元官网网址�

Miller has frequently championed the new app to students around the school and is encouraging the entire student body to download it. In fact, the second week of September was unofficially labelled B次元官网网址淒ownload the AppB次元官网网址� week. Over the next few weeks, staff and students will be given quick tutorials on how to get the most out of this new technology.

B次元官网网址淚t might take a month or even two months to get our community using it as a tool to where they [donB次元官网网址檛] even know how they survived without it,B次元官网网址� Miller said.

joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com