Notifications

Push Notifications are one of the most important tools in your Mobile App. With an app, you will have access and the ability to send out unlimited Push Notifications to all of your users, keeping them informed about everything at your school.

Through the app you will have the ability to send out information in time-sensitive blasts or in the form of a gentle reminder of an upcoming event. Whatever the reason, parents love staying connected and informed about the school their kids go to, as it gives them the opportunity to participate.

Schedule your notifications

To save time and energy you can schedule notifications to go out all by themselves when the right time comes. The great thing is you don’t have to make any compromises as you can both set scheduled notifications and still have the ability to send out random ones…unlimited. This is your most powerful tool for getting the message out and schools everywhere have realized it and are using it for everything! Check out our past apps, and how they are using this feature to help their school.

Notifications sent straight to Facebook

Your push notifications can even post to your social media accounts simultaneously, keeping you synced up and organized!

Examples of how push notifications are used:

We still need a few volunteers to help w/ the Fall Carnival. Sign-up for a small shift to make a big difference! {link to Sign-up Genius}

Don’t forget NO SCHOOL on Monday AND Tuesday!  Have a great weekend & see you for full day on Wednesday!

Our Jog-a-Thon is in full swing w/ a goal of $24,000 to help science. See our online resources to help meet our goal! {link to website}

Information – Calendars, Sponsors, Sharing … and more!

The point of your app is the same as your website, just made easier and more useful. It is to give parents the ability to get educated on their child’s education. Anything they need, from school announcements all the way up to district events, all information has to be easy to access and available all the time.

Bell Schedule – If you aren’t sure what time “pick me up after my third period class” means no problem. Check the bell schedule and know exactly where to find your child at any time of the day.

District Website/Calendars – Have easiest access to all of the important dates throughout the year. Holidays, breaks, minimum days, track changes and MORE! Plus, any questions about upcoming meetings, events, or even questions about questions that were brought up, can all be answered with a link to the district content.

Lunch Menus – Kids are always asking what the lunch is. No matter how many times you hand out lunch menus for the month, they only last a day. If they download the app, they never have to ask you again. It’s right there in their phone, no searching or having to get access to the website. Just tap open and tap Lunch Menu. Silence.

Newsletter Sign Ups – Parents, students, and sponsors can all be up to date with periodic newsletters, outlining everything that is going on and how they can get involved. It’s a great way to build school spirit and community!

Sponsors can be listed and their contributions recognized in an effort to inspire more sponsors and bring attention to problem areas where the school needs help. It’s a great way to show the kids how giving back helped them during their time in school, and instill in them the same values.

Sharing information between parents should be absolutely simple and only take a moment. If they happen to run into one another and need to share something about school, or remind each other of an upcoming event, it’s as simple as sharing the App. Share the app though Facebook and get them to show their friend in town. You know what they say, “It takes a village!”

Events – Plan Ahead and Maximize turnout

School events are also often shrugged off by parents who know little about what the event is for and how much work it took to put it together. Handing out notices for students to take home just clutters your kitchen and gets lost in the shuffle. With an app parents will have instant and direct access to all events, which can be put up weeks and even months in advance. You can even map out all the year’s events and fundraisers at the start of the year, setting up automatic reminders to go out promoting the event as it come up! Through an app you can bring the parents and sponsors much attention to why the event was set up and where the school needs funding or support.

Event Tickets – Increasing turnout & Reduce Check Processing.

Selling event tickets to students is manageable, but even then it’s something usually reserved for lunch time, the only time of the day that you have everyone in one general area, and it doesn’t interfere with class time and learning. Selling tickets to parents and sponsors is another challenge altogether. Even with emails, notes home, or asking students to buy it on their behalf, it usually comes down to selling tickets at the door.

The problem is getting the parent or sponsor committed to coming to the door, something a ticket does easily. With a ticket there is a commitment, just the simple idea that not going would be a waste of something you physically have. Through the app parents and sponsors can now pay for and reserve tickets, as well as check in to the event when they get there, automatically sharing it with all their friends.

Spirit Wear – Selling school apparel and fundraising!
Turn every event into a theme and get everyone excited! School booster clubs and the school apparel stores are loving this feature as they can now have a mobile store that teaches students how to run an effective business. Any type of payment processor can be integrated, or a new one set up. We will show you how other schools have done it and what worked best so that you are prepared and able to use this feature to its ultimate potential.

Food Service Payments – No more forgetting lunch money.This is a powerful tool and most mothers would say it’s the best one. Lunch money can get lost, be taken, be short, and leave you shaken. No one wants to go hungry at school. It’ll ruin a day and productivity will be down, not to mention friends will start to avoid you once the begging starts.We can integrate with your school’s payment system so that students can purchase their lunch through the app. If you are already using a system we can continue using it, we’ll just incorporate it into it’s own tab. This will not only ensure kids get fed and parents don’t have to worry, but it’ll move the lunch lines faster, giving everyone more time to eat.

Parent/Teacher Group Meetings – Getting parents to show up!

Make Parent Group meetings more accessible by scheduling them out through the year and sending out reminders as the meeting approaches. Get more parents involved and include agenda information, meeting minutes, feedback forms, and more!

Sponsor and Donate – This is for the sponsors and awesome alumni! The sponsorship and donations feature is extremely versatile. You can use it for just about anything and YES we can integrate any payment processor you are currently using, or even set you up with a new one! Schools have used it for raising awareness of needs and collected funds for just about everything at this point. Jog-a-Thons, auctions, pledge drives, book fairs, and even raising money to turn on the football field lights on a Friday night. That’s right, even booster clubs have their own tab where parents and sports alumni can pay for an evening of fun and competition. This feature is great for sponsors of every kind, whether it’s for books, calculators, or a new soccer net! They can donate anytime, anywhere, and any way they want to.

Surveys – Find out what your school is thinks.
Surveys are a great way to hear your school’s or community’s voice on a matter. It gives the students, parents, sponsors, and even teachers an outlet to voice concerns and give their honest opinion as to what should be done. On a lighter note it can also be used to gather information from the student body, conduct polls, pick a class field trip..the possibilities are endless. If it’s a question, or a choice, you can make a survey and get the kids involved. The great thing is that parents can also take surveys, as an app would not be limited to just the school. You can ask them for their thoughts on new courses of action or simply get their opinion on what the school budget should cover. After all we do live in a Democratic country and what better way to exercise the right to be heard!

Report Absences – Simplify the morning routine
Parents and office staff save time by reporting absences right through the App. The morning is already hectic enough without adding another phone call, sitting on hold, and using everyone’s precious time for such a simple matter. Now you, the parents can simply fill out a form in the app and all of your child’s information will be sent to the attendance office! Hassle free, on your own time, and it doesn’t back up the office in the morning.

PTA/PTC – Help the helpers.
This group is the heart and driving force of the school. It is a dedicated group of parents, teachers, and volunteers that make sure the school and our children have everything they need to learn, no compromise. They work tirelessly to organize events, sell merchandise, and fundraise in general on behalf of the school. Chances are you know them very well, as you’re probably one of them! This app was made to make your life easier. A LOT easier. Events can be created, tracked, updated, all from the app. It’s a manager’s dream come true!

Volunteers – Get your community involved.
Our apps integrate with the most popular volunteering sites you’re already using. SignUp Genius, iVolunteer, and more…provide manageable slots to encourage all parents to participate however best fits their needs and schedule.  Getting parents to volunteer for positions such as chaperon duty on field trips, field day coordinators, or any event for that matter, is difficult to say the least. Often times it is a teacher who has to step up and take on the responsibility. Schools that have had this feature incorporated have discovered something shocking however, parents actually want to help! Parents that were surveyed said they wished they had known they could get involved sooner. “It’s actually a lot of fun,” is the popular response! This is definitely encouraging as it means you have volunteers on standby that just need to be informed, something the app can certainly do.

Contact – Always stay one tap away.
Contact with the school office as well as district offices, like that of the school superintendent is important for all parents to have. In the app, contact is simply one tap away, no matter how you make that contact, and who you make it with. Whether it’s scheduling a meeting with a teacher or emailing the school for “catch up” work, parents can make sure their kids are on top of things and not falling behind.This feature can be used in many ways and is a big part of all the other features as well. Aside from the main contact information we can display, every tab whether it’s an event or a push notification, even a survey, has one touch contact. Emails, phone numbers, fax numbers, addresses, and every other form of contact you have or can think of can and will be used in the app. Even Facebook messaging has become a great tool for parents and teachers to use through this app!