SZ Insider - 2025 Edition 3

From the CEO's Keyboard

G’day Schoolzine Community,

It’s been a big few weeks across the Schoolzine world, and I wanted to share a few updates from my desk (which now has a slightly cooler view than it used to).

On the Road to SIMON
I had the chance to head to Victoria and attend the SIMON Conference in person. It was a brilliant event, and I've got to say, the SIMON team are doing some impressive work in the student management space. They're pushing forward at pace, and it was exciting to see. 

Even better, I got to catch up with members of the Schoolzine community, both new and familiar. There’s something really energising about having real conversations with the people using our tools every day. It gave me a stack of new ideas, and it’s always a good reminder that our job is to make your job easier.

Accessibility Needs Action
Last week was Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and while it's great to see more attention being given to inclusion, there’s still a lot of work to do. The reality is, many schools are still sending out PDFs and using tools that aren’t accessible. It’s not because they don’t care, it’s often because they don’t know.

I’ve started reaching out to disability advocacy groups because we want to do more than just talk about accessibility—we want to be part of creating real change. If you’re involved in any advocacy groups or community organisations focused on disability inclusion or accessibility, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s work together to raise awareness and improve access for every family.

Focus Areas: Accessibility and Security
Behind the scenes, our teams have been working hard on improvements across Sports Tracker and the Schoolzine platform, with a strong focus on accessibility and security. These aren’t just buzzwords—they’re priorities we take seriously. You’ll see changes rolling out soon that aim to make our tools safer, easier to use, and more inclusive.

Life Update: Tassie Living
On a personal note, in the last edition I shared that my family and I were making the move from Brisbane to Tasmania. Well, we’ve made it! We packed up the car, took a road trip down the east coast, and hopped on the ferry across to our new home. It’s been amazing so far.

The kids got to see snow for the first time, which they thought was magical for about five minutes until they realised snow is actually cold. We’re all settling in well, enjoying the cooler weather, and loving everything Tassie has to offer.

Thanks as always for being part of the Schoolzine community. Whether you’ve been with us for years or just signed up yesterday, we’re grateful to be on the journey with you.

Cheers,

Dan Dawson - CEO/CTO Schoolzine

Check out the video of Dan settling into Tassie life below! (We have a running joke in the team, that if you share a photo or video, there's a pretty good chance it'll end up in our newsletter or on our socials. Dan has just found that out the hard way!)

What's New At Schoolzine?

At Schoolzine, continuous improvement isn’t just something we talk about. It’s how we operate. We’re always listening to our community and using your feedback to shape what we build next. When you tell us something’s slowing you down, we take it seriously. Because if it’s frustrating you, it’s likely frustrating plenty of others too.

Of course, we can’t do everything all at once. But we’ve got solid processes in place to gather feedback, investigate and prioritise new ideas, and most importantly, keep our community in the loop along the way.

Want to be part of those conversations? Join SZ Pulse, our customer feedback group, and help shape what comes next.

Introducing Your New In-Built Image Editor!

This latest improvement came straight from the coalface. While running a professional development workshop with our friends at the Diocese of Toowoomba Catholic Schools, our CEO Dan got a very clear piece of feedback:
"Can we please have an easier way to edit images without needing another program?"

We took that request seriously. Over the past few months, our team has been building, testing, breaking, fixing, and testing again to get it just right. The new inbuilt Image Editor is now in its final stages of testing, and you’ll soon be able to edit images directly within the Schoolzine platform—no extra software needed.

Smarter Image Editing, Built In
This new tool has been designed to make uploading and editing images faster, easier and more flexible. You’ll first see it appear in the Media Library, with plans to expand access to the DIY eNewsletter Builder and Website content holders soon after.

Here's what you'll be able to do: 

• Automatic image resizing on upload: No more fiddling with dimensions and file size before uploading. Just drag, drop and you're done.
• Blur tool for privacy: Easily blur student faces or sensitive information before hitting publish. 
• Filters, cropping, rotation and more: Clean up and customise your images without ever leaving the platform. 

Check out the video below of all the cool things coming your way in the image editor!

Custom Websites, Built With You
Our templated websites are a great fit for many schools and organisations—but sometimes, you might want something a little more tailored. Whether it’s aligning with a new brand, adding more advanced functionality, or simply wanting a unique online presence, our custom website option is here for those projects that need something beyond the standard setup.

We recently partnered with the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT (CCSP) to bring their updated brand and vision to life online. The process is collaborative from day one, and that's exactly how we like to work.

Here’s how our custom website process works:

• Collaborative discovery – We start with your goals, ideas and audience, and work with you to define clear outcomes.

• Design options – You’ll receive visual concepts to review, tweak and approve before we get building.

• Custom development – Our team handles all the behind-the-scenes magic to ensure your site is fast, secure and user-friendly.

• Content and copy – Already have your content? Great. Need help writing or refining it? We’ve got you covered.

• Launch and support – We guide you through the launch and provide ongoing support, training and updates once the site is live.

If your organisation’s website needs an upgrade—or you’re just ready for a change—we’d love to chat.

Top Tips & Tricks

Making Your Athletics Carnival One to Remember

With athletics carnivals coming up fast, we asked Schoolzine’s Head of Global Sales and Managing Director, Dion, to share his top tips for creating a fun, inclusive, and high-energy event.

Dion’s passionate about all things Schoolzine, but if you’ve ever heard him talk about Sports Tracker, you’ll know he’s especially fired up about one thing—getting more kids involved and excited to take part in their school carnivals.

Here are five easy ideas to boost participation, build school spirit, and make your next athletics day one to remember.

1. Set Up a Chill-Out Zone
Carnivals can be full-on. Bright colours, loud cheering, whistles, crowds… it’s a lot. A quiet space with shade, bean bags, water and low-key activities can give students a break when they need it. It’s a small touch that makes the day more accessible for everyone.

2. Celebrate Every Effort
Not everyone is chasing a ribbon. Hand out spot prizes for participation, cheer on students who give something new a go, and maybe even hold a “Participation Parade” to spotlight effort, not just podium finishes. It’s about showing students that having a crack is just as important as coming first.

3. Pair Up the Big and the Little Kids
Buddy relays, novelty games or team events that mix age groups are a great way to build connection across year levels. Older students love the chance to step up, and younger students gain confidence having someone to cheer them on. Win-win.

4. Run Real-Time Results
Using a digital scoring system like Sports Tracker means house points and achievements can update throughout the day. Sharing live scores over the PA keeps the energy up and lets students know their efforts are being seen. Every race counts when the leaderboard is shifting in real time.

5. Get the Students on the Mic (or Behind the Camera)
Give students the chance to be part of the action in a different way. Set up a student media crew to take photos, interview competitors or report on events throughout the day. Their updates can be shared on screens, in a student newsletter or on your school socials.

Whether you're planning a massive whole-school carnival or something a little more low-key, small changes can make a big impact on how inclusive and fun the day feels for everyone. If you're keen to see how Sports Tracker can help you change the game at your school carnival, reach out to our team—we’d love to show you what’s possible.

Schoolzine Live

You might have noticed we’ve been popping up in your inbox and socials recently with invites to join our new Schoolzine Live Demos. And if you did join us, thank you!

Our first round of webinars featured walkthroughs of the eNewsletter Builder and Sports Tracker, and we were blown away by the response. We had schools from across Australia and New Zealand—some already part of the Schoolzine community and others simply curious to see what we’re all about.

These sessions are designed to help you get more out of your tools if you're already using them, or to give you a clear picture of the Schoolzine difference if you're still exploring your options. Whether you're discovering features you didn’t know existed or finally getting answers to questions you’ve been wondering about, these demos are practical, friendly and easy to follow.

If you missed out on Dion's live demo of the DIY eNewsletter Builder, don't worry! He's just recorded a full demo that you can check out on our YouTube channel!

More Topics Coming Soon
We’re just getting started. More live sessions are on the way, covering everything from building great website content to running events, managing bookings and improving accessibility in your school communications.

If there’s something you’d like us to cover in a future demo, let us know. These sessions are here to help you, and we want them to be useful and relevant to your day-to-day.

Keep an eye on your inbox and our socials for the next session. Or better yet, sign up to get notified when new Schoolzine Live webinars are announced. That way you won't miss a thing!

Team Highlight: Meet Stacey

This edition of SZ Insider, we’re shining the spotlight on someone many of you already know, or have at least seen pop up in a few different corners of Schoolzine. Meet Stacey, our General Manager and the powerhouse behind so much of what keeps things running smoothly around here.

Role: Stacey is our General Manager, working closely with the Customer Success and Service Delivery teams. But truth be told, there’s not a single part of the business she hasn’t had her hands in. From marketing to product to process improvement, and even jumping into Live Chat or answering phones when things get hectic, Stacey is the glue that keeps it all together. Her to-do list is genuinely a little scary.

Fun Fact: If you follow Stacey on LinkedIn, you’ve probably already seen glimpses of her chaotic and loveable crew. She’s a mum to four kids ranging from 19 to 3 years old and has a backyard full of ducks and chickens, none of whom have laid a single egg yet. ROI (return on investment) pending.

Favourite Work Snack: Jatz and cheese between meetings, paired with the occasional energy drink. As Stacey puts it, “I can’t remember the last time I had an uninterrupted night’s sleep, so we do what we gotta do.” Relatable.

Hidden Talent: A vault of useless trivia knowledge. Perfect for pub quizzes, less so for day-to-day work... unless someone needs to know what year Dial-Up peaked in popularity.

Favourite Things: Stacey’s a documentary junkie and cannot fall asleep without a true crime doco playing in the background, which might explain the sleep struggles. Her all-time favourite movie is Almost Famous, and she holds a soft spot for Malolo Island in Fiji, where she and her husband tied the knot in 2023.

Advocacy Work: Outside of being a full-time GM and mum, Stacey is an active advocate across several spaces. With a neurodivergent young person in her family and a background in EdTech within the not-for-profit sector, she’s seen first-hand how inequity affects communities that are already at a disadvantage.

She’s a strong voice for equality for women, particularly in leadership roles and across STEM industries, where diversity and representation still need serious attention. As a survivor of domestic violence, Stacey also speaks openly about her experience to raise awareness and drive change.

To learn more about the incredible work being done in this space, check out the article Stacey has written in this edition about the Be There Group and how they’re helping change the conversation around violence prevention in Australia.

What They Love About Schoolzine:
“I love being part of a team that genuinely cares about its customers. Since day one, I’ve seen our people go above and beyond, and it shows in the feedback we get from schools. Being part of a company that listens, engages and makes real decisions based on what our schools actually need is huge.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Stacey Living Her Best Life!

Being There Matters

Doing the Real Work
As someone who advocates across a few different spaces, especially around gender equity, inclusion, and violence prevention, I’m always looking for organisations that are doing the real work. Not just talking about change, but creating it in practical, community-driven ways.

The Be There Group is one of those organisations.

Founded by Shaan Ross-Smith and Kirsty Tschirpig, The Be There Group brings together passionate professionals including psychologists, mediators and educators, all focused on primary prevention. That means stopping violence before it starts by changing attitudes, behaviours and systems, not just reacting after the fact.

They work across schools, universities, sports clubs, faith communities, arts organisations and grassroots groups to bring conversations about domestic and family violence out into the open. Their work is trauma-informed, culturally aware, and tailored to the needs of each group they work with.

In schools, that looks like delivering workshop sessions as part of the Domestic and Family Violence curriculum unit at Moreton Bay Girls College, delivering bystander intervention education in school leadership programs, and helping staff feel more confident identifying and responding to harmful behaviours among students.

One of the things I appreciate most is how practical their work is. They don’t deliver a one-off session and disappear. They build relationships, tailor programs to real situations, and support long-term cultural change.

I first met Shaan after helping to organise a DFV rally on the Gold Coast. Her leadership and deep empathy left a lasting impression. Her work, along with Kirsty’s, continues to inspire me.

A Tool Worth Sharing
If you haven’t already, I really encourage you to check out the Be There App. It was developed in consultation with Telstra during Shaan and Kirsty's time working for the Griffith University MATE Bystander Program, drawing on research-backed approaches to help people recognise and respond to domestic and family violence.

The app is a free tool that supports you in being a better bystander and a more confident support person. It guides you through how to recognise the signs, how to check in safely, and how to respond in a way that is supportive and non-judgemental.

It includes practical advice, journaling tools, privacy settings and language that is accessible and easy to understand. 

Most people want to help. They just don’t always know how. This app gives you the tools to start.

Where to Learn More and Get Involved
If you're part of a school, a sporting club, a community organisation or just someone who wants to be better equipped to support others, I highly recommend looking into the work of The Be There Group.

You can learn more at www.betheregroup.com.au, and download the Be There App from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. 

If you want to connect with their team, or are curious about how to bring this work into your school or organisation, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to help open that door.

– Stacey

What You've Told Us...

Your feedback is gold. Every time you fill out one of our surveys, we use that info to improve how we work, fix what’s not working, and celebrate what is.

We share your feedback across our remote team—whether it’s a shoutout for someone who went above and beyond, or a suggestion that helps us make things better. Positive comments get dropped into our team chats and read out in meetings, giving everyone a chance to feel the love and stay connected to the work that matters.

Thanks for helping us improve and reminding us why we do what we do.

That's a Wrap!

If Term 2 had a vibe, it would be: a little chaotic, very productive, occasionally powered by snacks. And we're only half way through!

We’ve loved hearing from you, whether it was through a survey, a live demo, or a help desk request that turned into a great product idea. This edition of the Insider has been full of updates, real talk, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the people and passion that keep Schoolzine ticking.

From accessibility advocacy to cheese-and-Jatz-fuelled leadership, we hope something in here made you feel more connected, more informed, or at the very least, mildly entertained.

Want more between newsletters? Catch us on socials. We love connecting with our community, sharing tips, and showing you what we’ve been working on.

You’ll also see some of the Schoolzine crew popping up at conferences around the place over the next little while. If you spot us in real life, make sure you swing by and say hello. We’re always up for a chat, and yes, we usually have some merch.

We’ll be back with another edition soon. And this time, we really are aiming to be on time.

Until then, keep being brilliant and let us know how we can support you.