HOW TO MANAGE EFFECTIVE SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

The D6 is a useful tool for schools, especially when it comes to communicating key information to parents, instantly.

The D6 also only works well if it is timeously and regularly updated, and there are some security concerns around its use as there free version most commonly used by schools doesn’t stop literally anyone from downloading the service and logging in to any school on the database.

Because it’s available for desktop computers, laptops, tablets and mobile phones, it can be well-utilised to keep parents informed throughout the school day, term and year but it sometimes doesn’t work as well as it should on different platforms or computers. Some people find their desktop computers on a network are prevented from accessing the resources tab. This means the digital version of the hard copy letters sent home to learners – some schools still send them out because they realise not all parents have access to the technology – cannot be downloaded or read.

Catherine Cassells, a mother, freelance writer, and avid expert in all things technology related said she felt now is a good time for parents to offer to help to make the service work optimally. ” As resources are slim and budgets are cut everywhere, now’s the time to be volunteering where we can, or using our own skills to help schools,” she said.

Whatsapp groups are increasingly being used by schools and parents to communicate everything from details of forthcoming sports fixtures and social events, to broadcasting questions about missing items of clothing or sports apparatus. Cassells has said in the past that she feels that while these groups can be an effective tool for school-parent and inter-parent communication, their purpose should be clearly defined. “Very often, a barrage of messages means that important information is lost, so they should be kept more as a broadcast channel, and not a teatime chat platform,” she suggested a few years ago. However, Whatsapp how we use it has improved a lot since the early days of digital communication. ” WhatsApp groups per class are also a helpful tool so offer to set one up,” she suggested.

Some schools have very active Facebook pages normally used to market the school and these can also form a helpful source of information for parents to interact with each other in Facebook Messenger groups. However, it is important to follow guidelines for due diligence when thinking about whether and how to use any photos of the school and especially, children who might be easily identified in pictures which will then also give their location and schedules.

Even when paper messages are sent home from school, many times they either get left in the desk by a less than diligent child or lost somewhere in the twilight zone between school and home, and if they get home, they get lost in the hustle of all the detritus of home life. One way to avoid this problem is to have a central “control panel” where all the notes and notifications are put up. A whiteboard calendar can also be very helpful if put up nearby so dates of sports fixtures, exams, parent-teacher appointments and school trips can be clearly indicated.

If you are a parent who struggles with communication. Use teamwork, and identify a buddy within the parents of your child’s class group, who you are able to check in with from time to time, or even just that you ask to please copy you anything to do with school work. Some people are just better at communication than others. The world is made up of lots of different people with different skills, so pooling skills mean you are sure to find a person who has a strength to match your weakness and vice versa.