SZ Insider - 2025 Edition 1
From the CEO's Keyboard
G’day Schoolzine Community!
Welcome to 2025! I’m really excited to kick off the year and share what we’ve got planned. As we step into this fresh chapter, our focus stays the same—supporting schools and communities like yours to thrive.
Building Stronger Connections
This year, we're all about listening and collaborating. We're rolling out customer focus groups to hear directly from you - what's working, what's not, and what you'd like to see next. On top of that, we're sprucing up our knowledge base and launching new training options like the Digital Toolkit Sessions to help you get even more out of our tools. Your feedback is what drives us forward, so don't hold back!
Supporting Our Communities With Managed Services
Managing websites and keeping your online presence up to scratch can be a bit of a headache. Let's be real, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) sounds like something out of a sci-fi dictionary, right? That's why we're already working with dioceses across the country to lighten the load with our managed services.
SPARKS: This is our way of taking the stress out of managing multiple school websites. Whether you’re a diocese looking after dozens of schools or a single school with a busy team, SPARKS has you covered. We’ll audit and fine-tune every site, keep content fresh and engaging, and make sure your branding is spot on. Need help with compliance updates or staff training? We’ve got that sorted too. Basically, we take care of the details so you don’t have to.
SEO: If SEO feels like a riddle wrapped in a mystery, you’re not alone. But it’s actually a powerful tool to make sure families can find your schools online. Our team boosts your discoverability, improves site speed, and ensures your websites are accessible to everyone. It’s about making it easy for families to see the great things your schools are doing—and taking that worry off your plate.
At the end of the day, we’re here to handle the tricky stuff so you can focus on what matters most—supporting your communities and making a difference.
Learn with Schoolzine Coming Soon
I'm stoked to announce our new Learn with Schoolzine channel is just around the corner. It'll be packed with easy-to-understand resources in different formats on everything from increasing enrolments and what makes a good newsletter parents want to read to what the heck is SEO and everything in between. Think practical tips, strategies, and step-by-step guides to help you navigate the digital world with confidence. We can’t wait to share it with you!
Thank You for Your Trust
Your trust in us means everything. It's what keeps us innovating, improving, and striving to do better every day. So keep the ideas and feedback coming - together, we're shaping the future of school communication and engagement.
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead. Let’s make 2025 one to remember!
Cheers,
Dan Dawson - CEO/CTO Schoolzine
What's New At Schoolzine?
We’ve been hard at work over the break, and we’re thrilled to share some exciting updates to kick off the new year. Here’s a peek at what’s new at Schoolzine:
SZApp: New Features, Smoother Experience
Our mobile app, SZApp - your go-to tool for quick engagement with your community - just got even better! With bug fixes, stability improvements, and handy new features like search and bookmarking, it's now easier than ever for your community to find what they need. Whether it's locating specific announcement or keeping important updates at their fingertips, SZApp is here to help you streamline communication.
Check out the images below of the new search and bookmark features!
Help Desk: Streamlined and Ready to Serve
Did you know? Behind the scenes, we previously managed five different systems to provide the stellar support you know and love. You probably never noticed (shoutout to our amazing team!), but we've now streamlined everything into one unified platform.
No matter how you get in touch—email, form, survey, or LiveChat—it’s all managed in one place, giving our entire team complete visibility. And don’t be surprised if you hear from our General Manager, who’s been known to jump in and help during busy times. (She might not match the speed of our Customer Success Team, but she’s giving it her all!) We're ironing out some minor kinks, so if you have any feedback let us know!
ICYMI (in case you missed it): We sent an email on the 13th of January letting you know that we are changing the way we keep you informed about system issues and updates. If you missed it, here's the important stuff:
We’ve created a Help Desk Notifications contact list to ensure the right people get the updates they need—no more, no less.
Why Opt In?
By opting in, you’ll stay informed about any critical updates that might impact your service. If you don’t join, you could miss out on important notifications—and we’d hate for that to happen!
It’s Quick and Easy:
Click the link below to opt in now:
New Names, Same Commitment
You've probably noticed new team names coming through on our email signatures. We've renamed some of our teams to better reflect what they do:
The Support Team is now Customer Success, because their focus is on helping you achieve the best outcomes.
The Production Team is now Service Delivery, highlighting their role in bringing our services to life for you.
This isn't just a name change - it's a commitment to aligning our teams with their mission of delivering exceptional service and success for your school and communities.
These updates are just the beginning of an exciting year ahead. We’re committed to improving and supporting your school community every step of the way!
Spotlight On Success: Customer Stories
Kurwongbah State School’s Engaging Approach to Communication
Kurwongbah State School has been connecting with its community through Schoolzine eNewsletters since 2018, and they’ve brought a fresh twist to their Principal’s Report!
Gone are the lengthy walls of text—instead, Principal Peter Davey takes centre stage with engaging video updates. Each newsletter features Mr. Davey sharing key information, celebrating achievements, and delivering shoutouts to students and teachers who have gone above and beyond.
This approach not only makes the updates more personable and relatable, but it also fosters a deeper connection within the school community. Whether he’s recognising a student’s outstanding effort or applauding a teacher’s dedication, Mr. Davey’s video messages reflect the vibrant and supportive culture at Kurwongbah State School.
The Schoolzine team loves seeing these updates come through, as they exemplify how eNewsletters can be used to strengthen communication and create a sense of belonging. By combining important updates with heartfelt moments, Kurwongbah State School is setting a fantastic example of community engagement in action.
Bravo to Principal Davey and the entire Kurwongbah community for this innovative and inspiring approach!
Check out a little snippet of Mr Davey in action below!
Top Tips & Tricks
Groups Vs Contacts in Control Centre
As schools return, we receive a flurry of panicked calls—staff can’t log in, or entire groups seem to have disappeared. To help you avoid those back-to-school blues, here’s a quick guide on the difference between Groups and Contacts, and how to update them in the Control Centre to start the year smoothly.
Contacts: The Big Pool
The Contacts page is your master list—a pool of all the individuals in your system. Think of it as your central database, where every parent, teacher, student, and staff member is stored.
From here, you can:
- Add new contacts.
- Update details like emails and phone numbers.
- Remove contacts that are not longer part of your school community.
Groups: Your Targeted Lists
Groups are specific lists of contacts pulled from the big pool of Contacts. Groups are used for targeted communication and access, such as system admin users, year levels, sporting teams, or event attendees. They make it easy to send the right message to the right people without the guesswork.
For example:
- Year Levels: Keep parents of Year 7 students informed.
- Sporting Teams: Share game schedules or updates with team members.
- Staff Groups: Communicate with teaching or admin staff separately.
Where to Update What
Contacts
- Use the Contacts page for bulk changes to groups.
- With filters, you can add or remove contacts from groups quickly.
- If you need to remove contacts entirely from the system, you can bulk delete them here.
Groups
- The Groups page is where you set up and manage all your specific groups.
- You can bulk delete contacts from a group, but remember: this only removes them from that group, not from the system itself.
Avoid the #1 Mistake
One of the most common mix-ups happens when trying to manage contacts directly from inside groups. Clicking the "Delete" button ends up deleting the entire group - oops! It's easy to accidentally delete groups like like the System Admin group, which then locks everyone out of the Control Centre.
You’re not alone, though—this happens to the best of us! Even Stacey, our GM, admits to doing this more times than she’d like to admit (and yes, she’s made those panicked calls to our Customer Success Team too). So, if it happens to you, you’re in good company!
Pro Tip: If you don’t want to delete the group itself, stay away from the "Delete" button. Instead, remove or update contacts within the group to reflect your current needs.
Pro Tips for Success
- Check Out The How To Guide: The team has put together a quick guide to help you update your contacts - check it out here before you jump in!
- Check Before Sending: Always ensure Groups are up-to-date before sending your newsletters or emails.
- Keep It Clean: Regularly review your Contacts to avoid duplicates and outdated information.
- Reach Out To Us: If you're unsure, our Customer Success Team is here to guide you! The team is happy to show you the ropes. Need a refresher? Book a Schoolzine Digital Toolkit Session today!
By keeping your Contacts and Groups well-organised, you’ll breeze through the start of the year without a hitch. And remember, our Customer Success team is always ready to help!
Team Highlight: Meet Dion
This edition of SZ Insider, we’re stoked to introduce you to Dion! Dion is a name many of you are already familiar with – he’s practically part of the furniture here at Schoolzine! If you’ve crossed paths with Dion, you’ll know he’s a down to earth larrikin and the kind of person who can light up a room and inspire a team all at once.
Role: As our Head of Global Sales and Managing Director, Dion’s journey with Schoolzine has been nothing short of transformative for both the company and the communities we serve. Dion's not just about making connections - he's about building strong partnerships that last. He's been with Schoolzine so long that he is the all seeing and all knowing oracle of what works and what doesn't in the school comms space.
Fun Fact: This is an obvious one if you've ever seen Dion, he's a surfy dude from the Sunny Coast, but did you know, he's a sucker for vintage fashion! Next time you see Dion and he's wearing one of his signature vintage Hawaiian shirts, ask him where he got it from, he knows all the secret spots for some vintage wardrobe updates!
Favourite Work Snack: Doritos are Dion's go-to, that probably explains why his keyboard is usually orange with cheesy dust!
Hidden Talent: Dion is the life of any party, but his trick to taking it up a knotch? Epic knee slides on the dance floor! Whether it's a wedding, a work party, or even a conference, Dion's got the moves to bring the house down!
Favourite Things: Dion's comfort TV show that he can watch over and over is the show about nothing - Seinfeld, while he has a soft spot for Braveheart and Wedding Crashers when it comes to the blockbusters (which actually, are both really good depictions of Dion's personality!). As for holiday destinations? Dion loves the Queenstown - a place as adventurous and vibrant as he is! Check out the video below of Dion bungee-jumping in Queenstown!
What They Love About Schoolzine? Dion says, “Schools are the cornerstone of the community, and the people who make them tick are often taken for granted. Providing them with technology that makes their lives easier and helps them celebrate all the great things they are doing is a great motivation.”
Dion Living His Best Life!
What You've Told Us
Sports Tracker Prioritisation
At the end of last year, we asked for your input on what you want from Sports Tracker, and wow, did you deliver! Your feedback has been a game-changer (literally), and we're so excited to share how it's shaping what's next.
Over the break, our development team rolled up their sleeves and got to work—not just on the shiny new features you asked for, but also on some back-end wizardry to keep Sports Tracker running smoothly for the long haul.
Here's What's Coming First
We heard you loud and clear, and these are the top-priority features currently in testing:
- Allow Older Participants: Got some students who need to compete with a lower age group for whatever reason? You’ll soon be able to include them with ease.
- Mix Results: A simpler, more streamlined way to manage and share outcomes.
- Number Input Instead of Dropdowns: Scoring made quicker and easier (because who has time to scroll?).
- Attempted Option: Reward students for giving it a go, even if they don’t finish. Effort matters!
These updates are just the beginning—so stay tuned for their release soon!
What About the Other Features?
Don't worry, we haven't forgotten the rest of your great ideas. Every single feature you voted on is on the roadmap for development. We just can't do everything all at once (trust us, we wish we could!). But rest assured, your feedback is the foundation of every step we're taking.
Celebrating Students
We know how important it is to recognise your students' efforts and achievements, and you couldn't have made it clearer in the survey. That's why we're also working on updates to certificates to make sharing those moments of of celebration even more exciting.
About That Last Question...
You know the one: “On a scale of 0 (this was awful, sort out your surveys) to 10 (this was amazing, I love having my voice heard) – how did you find this survey?”
Well, some of you weren't shy about giving us a zero. And that's okay! If you've got ideas for how we can improve the feedback process, let us know. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to share what's on your mind.
A Big Year Ahead
We're not stopping with Sports Tracker. This year, we're rolling out exciting updates for DIY eNewsletters and brand-new website templates. Plus, we'll be sending more surveys and hosting focus groups to keep you in the driver's seat.
Thanks for being part of this journey with us. Your voice matters, and together, we’re building tools that truly work for you. Keep the feedback coming—we’re all ears!
2025 - Bring it on!
As we wrap up this edition of the Schoolzine Insider, we just want to take a moment to say: we see you. We know how hard school staff work behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly, and in our eyes, you’re not the unsung heroes—you’re the stars. The work you do to support and inspire your communities is nothing short of amazing, and it’s what keeps us motivated to do what we do. We've got your back every step of the way, just give us a shout!
This issue was filled with practical insights and updates to help you get even more out of Schoolzine’s tools and resources. We shared tips on setting up contacts and groups to kick off the new year smoothly and efficiently, ensuring your communications are set up for success from the start, and gave you a sneak peek at the epic year we have planned!
We love seeing the ways you connect with your school communities—whether it’s by celebrating student achievements, promoting events, or just keeping families informed. You inspire us every single day, and we’re here to support you in whatever way we can.
This year, you’ll be seeing a lot more of our team on socials. We’ll be sharing tips, tricks, and insider info to help you stay ahead, so make sure you’re following us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We don’t want you to miss a thing! If you have any requests or ideas about what you’d like us to share in future editions, let us know. We’d love to hear from you and make sure we’re delivering the insights and tips you need.
Thank you for being part of the Schoolzine family. We can’t wait to see what you achieve this year. Here’s to a productive, positive, and inspiring term ahead!
