Mum’s app puts schools on notice
A school-notices app developed by a Kaikoura mother has been picked up by more than 400 schools in New Zealand and 40 in Australia.
Sharlene Barnes-Ealam created the free Parent Teacher Calendar app because her son’s school newsletters regularly got lost at the bottom of his school bag, reaching her too late, or not at all.
The app incorporates a school’s Google calendars and newsletters to keep parents and caregivers in the loop for school notices.
‘‘The idea is that if parents are at a coffee shop they can read that newsletter electronically rather than having to scroll through masses of links and information from a URL link,’’ she said.
It also sends push notifications for earthquakes and weather warnings, as well as for important school events.
The app is being used by 420 New Zealand schools, as well as 40 schools in Queensland, Australia.
Barnes-Ealam said she has also been in contact with five schools in the Cook Islands and one in the United States.
With help from family members and her personal savings, BarnesEalam raised $84,000 to launch the app. She said in the past year the number of users had increased by 35 per cent.
After the Kaikoura earthquake in November many principals used the app to notify parents of emergencies or school closures.
Kaikoura Suburban School principal Hayden van Lent said the school had been using the app since it was launched in 2014.
Otaua Primary School principal Carol Graham, in Waiuku, said the school had been using the app for over a year, with about 115 parents signed on. The app had made the school office more efficient, as parents could report absences using the app.
The app is available on Apple and Android platforms and is funded by advertisements of local businesses that are approved by the schools.
Parent Teacher Calendar employs 13 staff in Kaikoura.