Schools take note to end paper trail

Finding a crumpled school note at the bottom of the kids’ backpacks is a familiar scenario for most parents.

But for many Mid West families, receiving information weeks late could soon be a thing of the past.

A handful of schools throughout Geraldton have opted to using apps and emails to send messages home to parents.

From John Willcock College to Holland Street School, dozens of facilities no longer hand out paper-based newsletters and information to students in class.

Geraldton Senior College has even introduced an app as a way to connect with parents, which communications and marketing officer Sylvia Vella said was part of a necessary change in the way schools deliver information.

“We want our school community to be informed. Introducing an app for reminders and event information keeps families and students up-to-date in real-time,” she said.

“We are also able to let people know what is available at the canteen, or parents to fill in a form to notify us that the child will be away.

“We have even used it to let students know what job openings are available. These are all opportunities to be more environmentally-friendly but also improve communication.”

Schools further into the region have also been jumping on board the change-over, with locations in Carnamah, Dongara and Mingenew now going paperless.

Geraldton Senior College principal Greg Kelly said the move was an important change for families and encouraged parents to check with their child’s school to see what options are available.

“Utilising these technologies helps foster a strong relationship between the school, the family and the student,” he said.

“Open communication is vital to ensure the wider school community is aware of what is happening at the school.”

Mr Kelly also suggested providing schools with an email address that gets checked regularly.