Using your content management system for schools during extreme weather
How Beekmantown Central School District handled a snowstorm
Undoubtedly, many Edlio schools were affected by the January 2018 snowstorm that swept the Northeastern United States. We noticed that one district, Beekmantown Central School District, did a fantastic job of notifying their community of dangerous weather, school closures, and updates using the tools in their Edlio CMS.
Homepage Alerts
Logging onto Beekmantown CSD’s website, and the first thing you’ll notice will be the Homepage Alert front-and-center, notifying visitors that the district is closed today and providing a link to a longer article that provides more information. Situations like these are what Team Edlio designed the Homepage Alerts feature for - it’s a quick way to ensure that every visitor sees vital information when they access your website.
News
You’ll notice that if you click through the Homepage Alert, you’ll be taken to a News article. News is another must-have feature for notifying your community about abrupt changes due to weather. After creating a News article, it’s just a few more clicks to post it to your social media accounts, expanding your reach and notifying your entire social community. This is vital for those parents who may not have seen your Homepage Alert on your website. News stories are also featured on your homepage, and their longer format can share more detailed information than a Homepage Alert. After the weather event has passed, leaving the News story up on the homepage News section can give parents an idea of what to expect from their school or district the next time there is a an unexpected or emergency event.
Other tools in your content management system for schools’ toolbox
Beekmantown CSD did a fantastic job notifying their community about their response to a snowstorm, but there are still more features in your Edlio CMS that are perfect for weather preparedness! Here are just a few more options:
Social Media Manager
Social media’s instantaneous communication capabilities are essential for schools and districts. Edlio’s social media manager enables you to take it up a notch by sending out posts without having to leave your admin site, as well as scheduling posts for later. If you know that your school or district will be closed for a few days, save yourself some time and schedule update posts days in advance.
Voice messages and text alerts
When the weather outside is frightful, checking the Internet may be the last thing on parents and students’ minds. That’s why it’s important to have alternative modes of communication! With Edlio’s voice messaging and text alerts features, you’ll be able to reach parents on their cell phones and even on landlines. Voicemails and text messages sent through the Edlio content management system for schools can also be sent immediately or scheduled for later, taking some of the guesswork out of updating your community.
Email Sender
Reach your community with unlimited emails and newsletters created and sent from your admin site. It’s easy to plug in News articles into your newsletter, and your email contact list can be created from the contact lists in your admin site. Create a newsletter or email to notify parents about your school or district’s evolving response to an ongoing weather situation. You can also schedule an email to be sent out once the weather has passed, about your school’s response to the event and to similar events in the future.
With the tools in your Edlio CMS, your school or district will be well-prepared for any unexpected events nature throws your way. We can’t provide the snow boots, but we can make sure you’ll be able to communicate with parents and students reliably on short notice!