The world relies on communication. From telegraph lines to telephone lines, and from paper mail to email, the world has become more connected than ever. Without the glue of proper communication, society falls apart: governments cannot coordinate, businesses cannot manage themselves, and relationships fall apart. Students, too, rely on communication from their school regarding upcoming events and activities, and recently, school-student communication is not quite at the status it should be at Saint Viator. Instead of relying on indirect communication such as parent newsletters, St. Viator should utilize more direct communication with its students such as email.
Unfortunately, this year had and continues to have some events or programs that could have benefited from better communication. For example, most students learned about picture day after they arrived at school, and “HelloCollage” remains a mystery to those who could not attend the informational meeting. These are just a few examples of school programs students could be/have been more prepared for if they had been notified about beforehand. While the school has sought alternate communication methods, they are not as effective as emails. For example, while keeping parents notified about school events is great, somehow parents do not read the parent newsletter, and if they do, fewer talk to their kids about upcoming school events. Homeroom announcements are an attempt at direct communication, but oftentimes they contain outdated information.
Lion Block was created to help students build skills such as independence and time management. Communication gives students the tools they need to grow in these
skills as well. Besides these benefits, direct communication also boosts student involvement. For example, if the fact that students have free admission to home volleyball games was better communicated, sports games could have increased student turnouts. All of this can be accomplished through a single email, potentially a weekly message similar to Campus Ministry’s service opportunity emails. With this slight change, Saint Viator and its students could become more connected—and more prepared—than ever before.