Project Profile: Crescent School’s Student Network

December 20, 2012 by Dave Haynes

It’s almost weird that a little private school appears to do a better job with content presentation than a lot of private businesses that have the budget and people available to get it right.

Here’s s small project involving the century-old Crescent School for boys in Toronto, which is using a digital signage network in five key areas around the campus to keep students and staff informed Content is everything from bus schedules to news, announcements and house standings.

The Scala-driven platform also has an emergency alert system, which is unfortunately more and more a reality of schooling anywhere. Canada doesn’t have a glut of guns, but we have our shared of damaged souls with bad thoughts.

The students manage and run the network on a daily basis, having been guided and trained (along with staff) by Dot2Dot Communications (basically Scala Canada – new name, same folks) in an onsite two-day workshop.

“We control the look and feel of the content, we’re delivering on-campus news and highlights quickly and dynamically,” says Spencer Belyea, the school’s Communications Prefect. “Both students and faculty are keen to get their own announcements on the screens – from school sports results to charity fundraiser reminders, they want it up there. Everyone feels a part of the process and they’re looking at the screens with a sense of ownership.”

“This is exactly what we’re looking to achieve as we work with schools to implement a digital communications solution,” says Andy McRae, Dot2Dot’s GM. “As part of Dot2Dot’s Education Bundle we emphasize the importance of getting students involved and taking ownership in the network, Crescent is doing just that.”

One of the screens is in the gymnasium – a 47” LG touch screen used for lessons. It also has a program loaded that somehow or other monitors the students’ vital signs while they are doing exercises.