At the start of the 2024 school year, the Riverside Brookfield High School administration took action to create a new app that would be convenient for students and parents in order to know what daily events are happening. Assistant Principal for Student Affairs Dave Mannon, Community Engagement Coordinator Kiley Fletcher, and Assistant Principal of Athletics Filberto Torres collaborated with each other to bring the RB app to life.
The RB app can be found in App Stores and is free to download. It gives parents and students access to when school events are, and it also shows where they are located. These events can include athletic games and practices, activities, theater performances, etc. Mannon explains when the app was first put into place and how it works.
“The thought of creating an app came into play at the start of the school year,” Mannon said. “We used a registration system called Snap, and they were rolling out this new feature with schools and apps. You take what you have from the Snap site and it can transition into an app for easier access for parents to view scheduling, concerts, and events.”
Creating the app and getting it approved by the district was around a three-month buildout. It was a long process but was all worth it in the end. When asked why it was beneficial for RB to create the app, Mannon shared his thoughts.
“For years, the athletic and activity sites were separate, so the idea was to move everything onto Snap so activity registrations now will be held on there as well as the athletic registrations so that everything is housed in one area,” Mannon said. “It is an easier visual for families to utilize to see what the schedules are of the students and the events in the building”
The app makes it very convenient for families to keep track of their children’s busy schedules. You can see when and where it will be held all in one section. Fletcher also touches on the convenience of the app.
“Any information you want about a club or a sport is all on here, and the great thing about the app is that you can make it customizable to your interests,” Fletcher said. “You can take out anything that you don’t necessarily care for.”
The RB app allows you to select any sport, activity, or event and gives you information. Since this is a new app, the administration is always looking for feedback on people’s opinions. Fletcher touches on the app’s updates and feedback.
“The app is updated every day, and it syncs directly from our athletic website,” Fletcher said. “There is no need to manually add stuff onto there. If any student has any ideas or feedback on the app, they can always reach out to us. We are always looking to make it better.”
There has been no negative feedback about the app so far, and it is continually growing by the day. The app gives students a way to be more involved and informed on what is going on at RB. Fletcher also shares why she believes the app is beneficial.
“I think that it benefits the school because people can access information easier, and one of the most important things about working for a school is making sure that everyone has accessible information,” Fletcher said. “Our parents and students need to be updated about things that are going on around the school.”
Instead of going to the RB website, the app conveniently gives information about the events going on and has people involved all around. Mr. Mannon gives his final thoughts on the app and why he believes everyone should utilize it.
“I think that it helps kids get acclimated with a digital calendar or schedule because I think students are more prone to write it in their notebooks, so it would be a huge help for kids with their heavy schedules,” Mannon said.
