This is an overview of the core homepage features available for your Edlio website. Each feature can help you create a more engaging and functional homepage for your school community.
CALENDAR
First up is the Calendar feature, a powerful tool for keeping your community informed about important dates and events.
What the Calendar feature offers:
Publish Events: Create both one-time events and recurring events like weekly meetings or monthly board sessions
Multiple Calendars: Organize different types of events - academic calendar, sports schedule, PTA events, district calendar
Integration Options: Seamlessly connects with Google Calendar or Office 365 calendars your staff already use
User-Friendly Access: Families can download events directly to their personal devices or sync entire calendars
Print-Friendly Version: Generate clean, printable calendar views for those who prefer hard copies
Rich Content: Add images and attachments to event posts - perfect for flyers, maps, or detailed information
District-to-School Push: For districts, easily push district-wide events to individual school calendars
Where you can use it:
Embedded on your homepage for immediate visibility of upcoming events
As a Quicklink for fast access from anywhere on your site
In your main navigation menu as a dedicated calendar page
On interior pages like department or program pages for specific event calendars
The Calendar feature is ideal if you want families to never miss important dates and easily add school events to their personal schedules.
NEWS
Next is the News feature, your primary tool for sharing announcements and keeping your community updated.
What the News feature offers:
Flexible Publishing: Share news, announcements, and updates with your entire community
Multiple News Feeds: Create separate feeds for different audiences - general news, athletics, academics, district updates
Social Media Integration: Automatically share news posts to Twitter and Facebook with just one click
Smart Scheduling: Schedule news to publish at future dates and set expiration dates for time-sensitive content
Emergency Alerts: Create pop-up alerts that appear site-wide for urgent news or emergency situations
Rich Media Support: Include images, documents, and attachments with every news post
District Communication: Districts can push important news to all school sites simultaneously
Where you can use it:
Homepage news feed to showcase your latest updates prominently
Quicklink access for easy navigation to all news
Main navigation menu as your news or announcements section
Versatile content types- use it for blogs, testimonials, teacher spotlights, or any regular communication
The News feature is essential if you want to maintain regular communication with your community and ensure important information reaches everyone.
SPOTLIGHTS
The Spotlight Message feature gives you a dedicated space to highlight your most important message or announcement.
What the Spotlight Message offers:
Featured Content: Publish a single, prominent message that stands out from regular news
Visual Impact: Include eye-catching images or graphics to make your message more engaging
Easy Updates: Change your spotlight title, message, and image anytime without technical knowledge
Flexible Content: Perfect for welcome messages, important announcements, featured achievements, or seasonal content
Where you can use it:
Homepage prominence- often displayed as a hero section or featured content area
Quicklink integration for easy access
Navigation menu as a featured message section
The Spotlight Message is perfect when you have one key message you want every visitor to see immediately upon arriving at your homepage.
SOCIAL MEDIA WIDGETS
Social Media Widgets let you bring your school’s social media presence directly to your homepage.
What Social Media Widgets offer:
Live Feed Integration: Using APIs, your Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds display automatically on your website
Real-Time Updates: Content updates automatically as you post to your social media accounts
Community Engagement: Visitors can see your school’s social media activity without leaving your website
Authentic Content: Shows the day-to-day life and culture of your school through social posts
Important to know:
Limited Customization: The appearance options are somewhat restricted by the social media platforms’ APIs
Content Consistency: Make sure your social media content aligns with your school’s professional image
Where you can use it:
Embedded on homepage to showcase school spirit and daily activities
Footer areas for subtle social media presence
Dedicated social media page or sidebar areas
Social Media Widgets are great if you’re active on social media and want to showcase your school’s vibrant community life.
QUICKLINKS
Quicklinks provide fast, direct access to your most important pages and resources.
What Quicklinks offer:
Direct Navigation: Create buttons or links that take visitors straight to frequently accessed pages
Customizable Display: Choose from various visual styles- buttons, text links, or icon-based navigation
Priority Access: Help families find what they need most- Parent Portal, lunch menus, registration forms, contact information
Organized Layout: Group related links together for logical navigation
Common Quicklink examples:
Parent Portal access
School calendar
Staff directory
Registration and forms
Lunch menus
Transportation information
Emergency procedures
Where you can use it:
Homepage header for immediate visibility
Homepage sidebar for organized access
Footer area for secondary navigation
Any interior page where quick access would be helpful
Quicklinks are essential if you want to reduce the number of clicks it takes families to find your most important information.
VIDEOS
Video content can transform your homepage by showing rather than just telling your school’s story.
What Video content offers:
Welcome Videos: Feature your principal, superintendent, or students welcoming visitors
Campus Tours: Virtual tours of your facilities, classrooms, and outdoor spaces
Student Showcases: Highlight student projects, performances, or achievements
Event Coverage: Share footage from school events, graduations, or special occasions
Auto-Play Options: Videos can play automatically when visitors arrive, or on-demand
Mobile Optimization: Videos work seamlessly across all devices
Where you can use it:
Homepage hero section as your main focal point
About Us pages to introduce your school community
Program pages to showcase specific departments or activities
News posts to enhance announcements with visual content
Video content is powerful if you want to create an emotional connection with prospective families and showcase your school’s unique personality.
PHOTO SHUFFLES
The Image Shuffle feature creates a dynamic, rotating display of photos from your school.
What Image Shuffle offers:
Rotating Gallery: Multiple images cycle through automatically, keeping your homepage visually fresh
Student Life: Show candid moments from classrooms, events, sports, and daily activities
Seasonal Updates: Easily swap in new photos to reflect current seasons or events
Professional Appearance: Creates movement and visual interest without being distracting
Mobile Responsive: Works beautifully on all device sizes
Where you can use it:
Homepage hero section to showcase school life
Program pages to highlight specific activities
About Us sections to give a visual overview of your community
Image Shuffle is ideal if you have great photos of your school community and want to create visual appeal that represents the energy of your school.
INFOGRAPHICS
Infographics help you present important data and information in a visually appealing, easy-to-understand format.
What Infographics offer:
Data Visualization: Transform statistics, achievements, and school facts into engaging visuals
Quick Communication: Help visitors quickly understand key information about your school
Professional Design: Present complex information in a clean, organized way
Customizable Content: Update data and information as needed throughout the year
Brand Consistency: Match your school colors and visual identity
Common infographic topics:
Student achievement data
College acceptance rates
School demographics
Program offerings
Graduation requirements
Safety statistics
Where you can use it:
Homepage sections to highlight key school statistics
About Us pages to showcase school achievements
Program pages to explain curriculum or requirements
Annual report information in an accessible format
Infographics are perfect if you want to share important school data in a way that’s both professional and easily digestible for busy parents.
CONSIDERATIONS
As you consider which features to include on your homepage, think about:
Your Communication Priorities:
Do you need to share frequent updates? (News feature is essential)
Are events a major part of your school community? (Calendar feature is crucial)
Do you want to highlight one key message? (Spotlight Message works well)
Your Content Resources:
Do you have quality photos of school life? (Image Shuffle adds great visual appeal)
Are you active on social media? (Social Media Widgets extend your reach)
Do you have video content or budget for video creation? (Video content creates strong engagement)
Your Audience Needs:
What do families access most frequently? (Quicklinks should reflect these priorities)
Do you need to communicate complex information? (Infographics help simplify data)
Remember, you don’t need to include every feature. Choose the ones that best serve your specific school community and communication goals. Each of these features is designed to help you create a homepage that truly serves your school community. The best approach is to start with the features that address your most pressing communication needs, then add others as your website evolves. Your Edlio team is here to help you implement the features that will work best for your school, so please reach out to your Project Manager if you have questions about any of our features.