Future-Proof Your School Diary: Smart Solutions for Keeping Student Diaries Relevant

Louisa Wood
5 days ago
3 min read

A student diary is more than just a planner; it is a vital tool that supports organisation, communication and engagement throughout the school year. However, with events, staff and student leadership constantly evolving, it is important to ensure that your diary remains relevant and adaptable. By integrating dynamic elements such as QR codes and blank tables, schools can maximise the flexibility of their diaries, ensuring they remain an up-to-date resource for students.

Open spiral planner with speech bubbles, QR code and table floating above. Background has clouds, leaves, paper plane, balloon. Fun mood.

Events

School events are often subject to last-minute changes due to weather conditions, scheduling conflicts or external factors. Ensuring students always have access to the latest event information helps them stay prepared and engaged.

QR Codes

Mary MacKillop College, Nundah incorporated a weekly QR code in their student diary to link to the latest events and activities. This approach secured early delivery of their diaries, allowing ample time for sorting and distribution at the start of the school year. This was particularly valuable during the uncertainties of COVID-19.

Pages from a Student Diary. Includes dates, sections for homework, assignments, and reflective activities. Includes QR Code next to the first day of the week.

Trinity College, East Perth integrated a weekly QR code that linked to their school calendar, ensuring students always had access to the most up-to-date event schedule.

Pages from a Student Diary for January/February 2025. Features schedule, QR Code, gratitude prompts, and a calendar.

Weekly Reminders

Mount Lawley Primary School included reminders in their dates layout, directing students to check the Class Connect Notice for updated event details.

Pages from a Student Diary. Weekdays listed with spaces for book names and communications. Note on Friday: "Remember to check class notices."

Blank Tables

Glenmore State High School, North Rockhampton provided a blank table for key dates, broken into four terms, allowing students to write in important events as they were announced by their Year Coordinator or teachers.

Staff Details

Staff roles and assignments often change due to promotions, transfers or personal circumstances. Providing a way for students to keep track of their teachers ensures they always know who to turn to for support.

Interactive Staff Pages

Balmoral State High School included a blank table and a QR code linking to an online staff directory, allowing for real-time updates.

Page from a Student Diary titled 'Staff', listing principal, deputy principals, and department heads. Includes a QR code and a blank "My Teachers" table.

Glenmore State High School, North Rockhampton & North Rockhampton State High School incorporated a blank table and a QR code to ensure students could access current staff details.

MidCoast Christian College, Taree went a step further by including interactive paragraphs for students to fill in their teacher’s details, making it an engaging exercise.

Pages from a Student Diary titled 'Executive Staff' and 'Who I should speak to'. Features contact roles, tasks and paragraphs with blank lines.

Teachers can also initiate a ‘Diary Discovery’ lesson at the beginning of the year, as outlined in our Life360 Teacher’s Toolkit, to encourage students to familiarise themselves with the key staff who will support them throughout the year.

Student Leaders: Recognising Leadership

Student leaders are often not confirmed until late in the year, making it difficult to include their names in pre-printed diaries. Providing a dedicated space for students to record leadership details ensures they always know who to reach out to.

Mackay North State High School included a blank table for ‘Who’s Who,’ covering both staff and student leaders.

Page from a Student Diary titled 'Who's Who'. With a blank table for a School directory with sections for school captains and teachers, including roles and blank spaces for names.

Woree State High School provided sections for both school leaders and sports leaders to be recorded.

Page from a Student Diary titled "School Leaders and Sports Leaders" with sections for school and sports leaders.

By allowing students to fill in their diary with leadership details, schools ensure that this essential information is always accessible, fostering a sense of connection and engagement with student representatives.

A future-proof diary is one that evolves alongside the school community. By incorporating QR codes, blank tables and interactive elements, schools can ensure that their diaries remain a relevant and dynamic tool for students all year round.

MyDiary offers Flexible Solutions

MyDiary is committed to working closely with schools to create planning resources that are not only customised but also flexible and adaptable. We understand that schools need solutions that fit their unique requirements while also allowing for real-time updates. Our team works diligently to ensure that diaries arrive within the required timeframes, so students and staff have access to their planning tools exactly when they need them. By prioritising both quality and efficiency, we help schools create diaries that are practical, engaging and built to support students throughout the year. that are not only customised but also flexible and adaptable.

Further Resources

For more information on enhancing the adaptability of your student diary, explore the following resources:

Teacher’s Toolkit: A guide to interactive diary activities, including the ‘Diary Discovery’ lesson. Get the Toolkit here.
Maximise Diary Usage: How schools can use diaries to enhance communication between students, teachers and parents throughout the academic year. Read the Article.
QR Codes Skyrocket in Popularity Due to COVID-19: This ABC News article discusses the significant increase in QR code usage across various sectors in Australia during the pandemic. Read the article.