SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Carolina Day School
Since its founding in 1936 in the historic Biltmore neighborhood of Asheville, NC, Carolina Day School has stood in an area vulnerable to the impact of powerful storms.
While North Carolina has experienced over 400 major storms over time, the devastation brought by Hurricane Helene in 2024 was unprecedented for Asheville.
For Carolina Day School, engagement is more than a commitment; it’s a way of life, and it's not confined to sunny days or perfect conditions. Whether in the classrooms, on the stage, or on the field, students at CDS are encouraged to be fully present, embrace every opportunity to learn, and stay engaged.
At a Glance
Carolina Day School is Asheville's only co-ed, independent, secular day school for grades PK–12, where inclusive community, inspired teaching, and innovative programming create a journey of excellence for each student.
In the fall of 2024, just about a month into the academic year, the school faced Hurricane Helene, a massive storm that resulted in the deaths of at least 230 people and caused upwards of $88 billion in damage across the region.
Despite being the deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. since Katrina in 2005, the community proved it could weather any storm, and not even a hurricane could dampen the school’s dedication to staying connected with its families.
“At Carolina Day School, we value strong partnerships that allow us to grow and adapt with the times, and Finalsite has proven to be essential to this commitment,” shared Sarah Goldstein, director of marketing communications.
“Finalsite’s technology has given us the tools we need to remain adaptable and deeply connected to our community—even through the most challenging times.”
SARAH GOLDSTEIN
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
The school recently completed a data integration between its student information system and the Finalsite platform, which it uses to manage and optimize communications with its community through its mass notification system, Messages XR. “The integration allowed us to sync employee, student, and parent data seamlessly, while our simultaneous upgrade to Messages XR added robust text and phone communication options to our existing email capabilities,” said Goldstein.
Using Messages XR, admins can easily send urgent notifications via emails, texts, voice calls, mobile app notifications, website alerts, and social media posts with just a few clicks.
With the ability to send personalized and translated messages to a wide audience, Messages XR streamlines the most essential communications to families, all from the same platform.
“We wanted a flexible solution for wider communication needs—a role Messages XR has filled perfectly,” Goldstein said.
Communications During a Hurricane
During Hurricane Helene, school communication became challenging due to service disruptions across the Asheville area. With widespread Internet outages affecting nearly 70% of western North Carolina’s cell phone towers, Carolina Day School relied on SMS text as their most dependable form of communication, helping keep families informed even with limited connectivity.
From updates on school closures, safety checks, and efforts to transform parts of campus into a distribution center for nearly 2,000 families, Messages XR delivered timely notifications to the CDS community. “This setup became indispensable during the recent crisis following Hurricane Helene,” said Goldstein.
“As much of the region faced prolonged outages and cell service was compromised, we needed diverse communication methods. SMS text messages became a lifeline to keep our community informed since even limited cell service allowed some messages to get through.”
Multi-Channel Communications in a Crisis
The hurricane struck during one of the busiest times of the year, disrupting back-to-school preparations, key admissions events, homecoming activities, and spirit week. With CDS's campus closed for 13 school days due to the storm, many of these events had to be canceled or rescheduled.
Yet despite the challenges, the school used Finalsite’s platform to connect families when it mattered most, ensuring that crucial information about reopening, safety, and upcoming events reached every family.
By combining SMS, email, and web notifications, CDS could efficiently share critical messages and ensure families were informed about each update, allowing students and parents to stay focused on the school year ahead.
“Finalsite’s flexible communication tools empowered us to reach our families across multiple channels at a critical time, keeping them informed about school closures, ongoing assessments, and the eventual reopening in October, ahead of most other schools in the region,” shared Goldstein.
Together in Every Challenge
Thanks to the flexibility of its communication tools, CDS maintained strong connections with its community and even welcomed new families to the school.
“The crisis underscored how quality technology and communication tools enable schools to stay responsive and nimble,” said Goldstein, adding that “through Finalsite, we could quickly establish our Helene Recovery webpage, set up relevant new family pages for mid-year enrollees, update our admissions deadlines, and streamline our open house RSVPs through Forms.”
“This responsiveness proved invaluable as we saw an influx of new enrollments, allowing us to on-board families effectively and keep everyone engaged and informed,” shared Goldstein. “Finalsite’s technology has given us the tools we need to remain adaptable and deeply connected to our community—even through the most challenging times.”
With the focus on providing students and families with stability, Carolina Day School welcomed its students and faculty back to campus on October 15th. “I hope this past week brought a sense of normalcy, safety, and comfort to our students,” said Head of School David Fuhrman in a message to the school.
“Our community’s strength has been, and continues to be, a beacon of hope for so many."
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