Every Sunday night, you send the same email: "Here's this week's calendar!"
Every Monday morning, parents ask: "What time is pickup on Thursday?"
Sound familiar? There's a better way.
The Problem with Email Calendars
Email gets buried. Parents receive 50+ emails per day. Your calendar update gets lost.
Email is static. You send Monday's calendar. On Tuesday, something changes. Now everyone has outdated information.
Email doesn't integrate. Parents can't see school events alongside their personal calendar.
The Solution: Calendar Subscription
Give parents a link to subscribe to your school calendar. Once they subscribe:
- School events appear in their Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, or Outlook
- Automatic updates when you change something
- No app to download
- Works on all their devices
Real Example: Oakwood Elementary
Before:
- Weekly calendar emails (12-15 per parent per year)
- 30% of parents missed at least one event
- Admin spent 3 hours/week on calendar communication
After (6 months):
- Zero calendar emails sent
- Event attendance up 25%
- Admin spends 15 minutes/week on calendar
- 72% of active parents subscribed
How to Set It Up
- Choose your platform (Sync Our Schedule recommended for schools)
- Add your events (school hours, early dismissal, conferences, etc.)
- Share the subscription link
- Help parents subscribe
What to Include
DO Include:
- School-wide events
- Early dismissal days
- No school days
- Parent events (conferences, meetings)
- Sports schedules
DON'T Include:
- Daily homework assignments
- Individual class activities
- Teacher-specific reminders
Cost Analysis
Current method (weekly emails):
- Admin time: 3 hours/week × $25/hour = $75/week
- Annual cost: $3,900 in labor
Calendar subscription:
- Setup: 1 hour ($25)
- Maintenance: 15 min/week × $25/hour = $6.25/week
- Software: $10/month = $120/year
- Annual cost: $465
Savings: $3,435 per year
Bottom Line
Parents are busy. They live in their calendar app. Meet them there.
Get Started Today
Ready to implement this at your church? Try Sync Our Schedule free – it's designed specifically for churches and takes less than 5 minutes to set up. No credit card required.
Start Free Trial