In a recent interview, Sentral’s Lee-Anne Garcia (Customer Success Team Lead) and Colin Klupiec (Content Specialist) sat down with Julie Torney, Principal at Oakhill Drive Public School to discuss her school’s experience with the Sentral Parent Portal and App. Julie provides valuable insights into the adoption of the portal and app and the benefits it has brought to the school's staff, parents, and students including a 100% attendance compliance rate.
Streamlining Administrative Tasks:
By using the portal for activities and permission notes, the administrative staff were able to take on tasks previously performed by teachers. This transition not only freed up teachers' time but also ensured a more efficient and streamlined process for managing notes and permissions. With the ability to handle these tasks directly through the Sentral Parent Portal, the administrative staff became more empowered, allowing teachers to focus on their core responsibilities.
Attendance Management Made Easy:
One notable feature Julie highlighted is the way the portal and app speak to the Sentral Attendance module. Parents can notify the school about their child's absence using the app, providing the admin team with the ability to follow-up. This shift relieved teachers of attendance-related tasks, ensuring compliance with the Department of Education's attendance policy within the required timeframe. Parents found the attendance feature quick and easy to use, resulting in a remarkable 100% compliance rate with zero red attendance marks.
Enhancing School Communication:
Managing effective communication with a student population of 800 is a challenge for Oakhill Drive Public School. Before adopting Sentral, the school used various apps and programs for different communication purposes, making it cumbersome for both the school and parents. However, with Sentral's Parent Portal, the school achieved a significant breakthrough in communication. Sentral consolidated multiple platforms into a single, comprehensive solution, allowing parents to access valuable information and communicate more efficiently with the school.
Parent Adoption and Feedback:
This consolidation was well-received by the school community, with 100 percent of parents now using the app. On parent feedback, Julie says "I can't emphasize enough the positive response we've received from parents regarding the Sentral Parent Portal. It has made it so much easier for them to respond to permission notes and eliminated the hassle of physical forms and pen-and-paper processes."
Advice for Other Schools Looking to Implement the Portal and App:
Based on their experience, Julie suggests starting with gradual implementation, focusing on specific modules such as Attendance, to allow teachers to become familiar with the system's capabilities. Going slow helps prevent cognitive overload and allows for a successful transition. Additionally, Julie highlights the benefits of using the Activities module within Sentral, which enables seamless management of roles and permissions for events, reducing the workload on teachers.
The success story of Oakhill Drive Public School exemplifies the transformative impact of Sentral's Parent Portal and the Sentral for Parents app on school administration and communication. By embracing Sentral, the school experienced time savings, enhanced parent engagement, and improved communication within the school community.
For further information about the Parent Portal and Sentral for Parents App, email:
