Following the launch of our new website at www.westbournegrammar.com I am pleased to advise parents that we have also been working diligently on a new portal platform. After a thorough period of research and investigation we have chosen “Schoolbox” as the product that will best suit the diverse needs of our students, parents and staff. It is a Melbourne based enterprise but already is found in close to 200 schools in Australia with a growing presence overseas.

With the help of a wide ranging team of staff we have been building the content to this intranet and learning management system since the start of this year. Students are currently trialling the system as we continue the development phase.

An important feature of the new platform includes the fact that it is easily accessible and functional across all device types, including smart phones. We also intend to make the site highly navigable and intuitive for parents and we plan a greater window into important parts of school life including music, sport and extra-curricular activities.

Our timeline is to have this new portal ready for all parents for the beginning of the 2019 school year. However, we will attempt to trial the product in Term 4 of this year if everything continues according to plan. The platform is quite dynamic and versatile so there will also be the regular opportunity to take and act on user feedback as the product continue to develop.

We believe this will be an important step forward in increasing parent levels of communication and involvement in the learning journeys of their children at Westbourne. More information will follow throughout the year.

Andrew McGregor – Associate Principal