Cranbury School provides news app to keep community informed

Cranbury School District administrators have launched a new school news application (app) for smartphones.

The School News app by Edlio allows people to view the Cranbury School’s news feeds, calendars and urgent updates.

“Society is changing and the way in which we receive and ingest news is as well. Communication has come a long way. I remember laying in bed listening to the radio waiting for school closures to be announced (on a snow day),” said Susan Genco, superintendent and principal at the Cranbury School.

“With a few clicks, the app allows the district to share important information that may require a parent to take action, such as when school is closed due to inclement weather,” Genco said.

She said the app also gives administrators a platform to share “feel good” news, such as how students performed at a competition or how they are assisting the community.

“The app isn’t just for parents and students. Anyone in the community who is interested in staying up to date on what is happening at the school can subscribe,” Genco said.

Edlio is a website company that specializes in creating tools for K-12 schools, according to its website.

“Last spring we reached the testing phase on this tool, but were unable to make the system operate the way it needed to in order to fit our needs. We were extremely excited when Edlio announced the launch of this product as it included several of the features we were looking for,” Genco said.

“We will continue to use our School Messenger service to reach families via telephone and/or email. The app supplements our communication efforts,” she said.

“By using the app, we are able to send reminders and other notifications to parents through an app notification instead of sending a traditional email. Families receive a lot of their news and information via social media platforms or news app alerts,” Genco said.

“Although we are all engaged in social distancing and remote learning and we cannot be together at school, the app will allow us to remain connected as a family,” she said.

For more information, visit www.cranburyschool.org