SHS employs new contact system October 13, 2008 — by Karthik Annaamalai and Vijay Menon In an effort to make communication easier, the school has implemented a new contact system for this school year called “School Messenger,” which takes the place of the older list serve e-mail. The old system was capable only of sending out messages by e-mail, while the new system will be more convenient for the school. “It’s a lot more user-friendly,” said assistant principal Joe Bosco. “Not only can it be used to send out emails, but text and voice messages as well.” In an effort to make communication easier, the school has implemented a new contact system for this school year called “School Messenger,” which takes the place of the older list serve e-mail. The old system was capable only of sending out messages by e-mail, while the new system will be more convenient for the school. “It’s a lot more user-friendly,” said assistant principal Joe Bosco. “Not only can it be used to send out emails, but text and voice messages as well.” According to Bosco, the new system can be used by a variety of groups around campus to contact members and send out important messages. “PTSO and the Boosters use it to get the information out, as well as the guidance office and principal’s letters,” said Bosco. The system can be used to notify parents of absences and to remind students when they have Saturday Schools. It also registers whether the message was received or not. This feature will lower the chances of miscommunication between the school and parents, said to Bosco. “It is very efficient because it can send large messages out to people very quickly,” said Bosco. “It sends the information back about who the message reached and who it didn’t in less than 10 seconds.” The system also allows for e-mails to be sent to targeted groups of people, making it useful for after-school clubs as well as sports teams, said Bosco. “You can provide limited access and create groups of people that can be contacted based on the clubs that they’re in,” said Bosco. Bosco also said that the system can be used to reach students and parents promptly in the case of an emergency. “If there’s any sort of safety issue or if we need to alert people about not coming to school on a certain day, we’ll be able to get that information out quickly,” said Bosco. Bosco said that the school has just scratched the surface of the system’s potential. “There’s a ton of stuff we can do with it and we’re still trying to navigate through all of that,” said Bosco, “but it’s really convenient and easy to use.” 2 views this week