Sentral News

Getting more from Sentral in 2026: Top tips

Sentral — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 22:15:00 GMT

In this news article:

Tips for Teachers:

Customising your dashboard
How to save files on Sentral
Marking attendance on the Sentral for Teachers App
How to download class data

Tips for School Leaders and Administrative Staff:

Taking the complexity out of school activities
How to notify staff about Wellbeing incidents
Start the school year strong with the Parent Portal and Sentral for Parents App

As a new school year begins, educators are preparing their classrooms, refreshing their resources and setting up the systems that will support learning throughout 2026. Sentral is at the heart of daily school operations, and with a few smart adjustments, it can become an even more powerful companion in managing classes, understanding students and staying organised.

From classroom to living room: Extending student wellbeing beyond school walls

Sentral — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 05:18:00 GMT

As parents and educators we understand the importance of fostering student wellbeing that extends beyond the classroom. It's about creating a supportive environment that continues at home, ensuring students thrive emotionally, socially, and academically. By strengthening the connection between school and home, we can create a supportive environment that promotes holistic student growth.

Bridging the gap: Enhancing parent-child conversations about school

As educators, we often observe that after school, many parents ask their children, "How was school today?" and receive the standard response, "Good." This brief exchange can make it challenging for parents to engage in meaningful conversations about their child's day.

To facilitate deeper discussions, it's beneficial for educators to provide parents with specific information about their child's activities and achievements at school. For instance, instead of the generic "How was school?", parents can ask, "I noticed you received a certificate for your excellent effort in science today; what was the experiment about?" or "I saw you helped a classmate with their project; how did that go?" These targeted questions encourage children to share more about their experiences, fostering a deeper connection between parents and children.

By equipping parents with specific insights into their child's school day, educators can help bridge the gap between school and home, promoting continuous support for the child's emotional and social development.

7 Practical tips for teachers and parents

Share specific achievements: Inform parents about their child's specific accomplishments, such as participating in a class discussion or completing a challenging task. This allows parents to acknowledge and celebrate their child's efforts at home.
Encourage reflective conversations: Guide parents to ask open-ended questions like, "What was the most interesting part of your day?" or "Can you tell me about a time you helped someone today?" This promotes deeper conversations and reflection.
Provide resources for emotional support: Share resources with parents that offer strategies for supporting their child's emotional development, such as mindfulness exercises or coping techniques.
Establish regular check-ins: Encourage parents to set aside time each day or week to discuss their child's experiences and feelings, fostering a routine of open communication.
Model positive communication: Demonstrate effective communication strategies by actively listening and responding empathetically to students and parents, setting an example for healthy interactions.
Create a collaborative environment: Foster a partnership between school and home by involving parents in school activities and decision-making processes, ensuring they feel valued and included.
Utilise technology for updates: Implement platforms that allow parents to receive real-time updates on their child's progress and school activities, keeping them informed and engaged.

Leveraging technology for enhanced communication

Utilising technology can further enhance communication between school and home. Platforms that provide real-time updates on a child's progress, share classroom activities, and offer a space for parents to ask questions can be particularly useful. These tools ensure that parents are informed and involved, even if they cannot attend in-person meetings.

Supporting parents in their role

Educators can also support parents by providing resources and strategies to help them engage with their child's learning and wellbeing at home. This might include sharing tips on creating a positive home learning environment, suggesting activities that reinforce classroom learning, or offering guidance on addressing behavioural or emotional concerns. By empowering parents with the tools they need, educators can help them play an active role in their child's development.

Conclusion

Extending student wellbeing beyond the classroom involves creating a strong partnership between educators and parents. By facilitating open communication and providing support, we can ensure that students receive consistent encouragement and guidance both at school and at home. This collaborative approach fosters an environment where students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

For more insights on how technology can support student wellbeing, read our previous blog post: Transform your school's wellbeing strategy: Discover how Sentral's new feature saves teachers hours each week.

Less Admin, Faster Support, Happier Parents

Sentral — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 05:05:00 GMT

How Sentral is helping schools spend more time on what matters most

For more than 25 years, Sentral has been a trusted technology partner to Australian schools, helping educators do what they do best: teach, lead, and support student growth. Today, Sentral is evolving faster than ever, building a smarter, more connected, and more intuitive platform that’s designed to reduce administrative burden, deliver faster support, and create stronger partnerships with families.

Transform your school's wellbeing strategy: Discover how Sentral's new feature saves teachers hours each week

Sentral — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 05:04:00 GMT

In today's educational landscape, the holistic development of students extends beyond academic achievements. Schools are increasingly recognising the importance of fostering emotional, social, and behavioural wellbeing to ensure students thrive both inside and outside the classroom. A comprehensive approach to student wellbeing involves tracking behaviours, managing incidents, supporting individual learning plans, and maintaining open communication with families. This is where Sentral's Wellbeing module comes into play.

Powerful new dashboard features in Sentral’s Fees, Billing & Payments

Sentral — Fri, 02 May 2025 06:05:00 GMT

Managing school finances is a critical part of ensuring smooth operations and financial sustainability. Sentral for Independent Schools continues to innovate and simplify financial workflows with the latest enhancements to the Fees, Billing, and Payments module. These two new dashboard features – Alerts and Cash Flow Forecasting – are designed to give school finance teams greater visibility, control, and foresight over key financial data.

Connecting with your community: How SMS messaging strengthens parent engagement in 2025

Sentral — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 03:05:00 GMT

If your K-12 school is struggling with parental engagement, a strategic approach could help you thrive in 2025.

Wanted: A solution to streamline student data collection for informed decision-making

Sentral — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 03:00:00 GMT

This article was written by Serena Stevens, Marketing Executive

As a former early-career teacher, I learned the value of following up on behaviour as soon as possible, setting expectations, and building rapport with my students. This usually looked like rewarding and encouraging positive behaviour with a phone call home or discouraging negative behaviour by redirecting students and making them aware.

It takes a village to navigate social etiquette for our little ones

Sentral — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 03:50:00 GMT

This article was written by Melanie Moffatt, Marketing Manager

📢 Listen to the latest Sentral Station Podcast with Kirra Pendergast on being Safe on Social.

An insight to the daily juggle of parenting tweens in a digital world from our own Marketing Manager, Melanie Moffatt

Empowering Schools with Flexible Solutions

Sentral — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 04:20:00 GMT

This article was written by Dante M., Product Marketing Manager

Schools play a vital role in shaping the future of our society, and their success relies on effective management systems that cater to their unique needs. Whether you’re a government school, Catholic school, independent school, large or small, have multiple locations, or legal requirements, finding a comprehensive solution that fits your needs can be a daunting task.

Sentral helps Oakhill Drive PS tackle challenges with admin and parent comms

Sentral — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 04:57:00 GMT

This article was written by Dante M., Product Marketing Manager

In a recent interview, Sentral’s Lee-Anne Garcia (Customer Success Team Lead) and Colin Klupiec (Content Specialist) sat down with the Principal atOakhill Drive Public School to discuss her school’s experience with the Sentral Parent Portal and App. The principal provided valuable insights into the adoption ofthe portal and app and the benefits it has brought to the school's staff, parents, and students including a 100% attendance compliance rate.