News : VINTON-SHELLSBURG ROLLS OUT DIGITAL BACKPACK FOR PARENTS AND COMMUNITY

Friday Folders that put weight on your student's back and clutter on the kitchen counter aren't the only way to get information home to parents now. The Vinton-Shellsburg school district has created an optional Digital Backpack that streamlines the flow of information. Like the other digital products in our lives, the digital backpack can be accessed anytime and anywhere. Parents and community members will also be able to search for the information they want to retrieve.

The new offering is yet another step in VSCSD's ongoing effort to improve the district's communications with parents and the community and grew out of conversations with various district stakeholders that rely on the school to distribute information about upcoming events.

"We wanted to make sure we were providing an avenue for organizations in our communities to communicate with parents," explains Kyle Koeppen, VS school superintendent, "but at the same time, as a parent, I can tell you that it has often been hard to get through all the material the kids were bringing home. Then there would be times when we missed something we needed but couldn't find the paper with the information on it. Paper distribution is inconvenient for parents and expensive for organizations."

Parents and community members can register to receive emails about activities and events they're interested in. The information will remain accessible until the event has over or registration is closed.

The district is creating a communications environment that knits together the district's website, social media outreach, and active communication with the community via email.

"Our goal," says Koeppen, "is to be a good community partner actively reaching out to the community and responding to what our students, parents, and community need. We want to foster two-way communication that serves everyone."

To access the new digital backpack, look under the Community tab on the VSCSD.org website or visit

https://digitalbackpack.vscsd.org/subscribe