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Join our Free Info Session to learn what PeerSphere can do for you!
Smarter Parent Communication
Rethinking Engagement in the Digital Age
October 25, Saturday | 1:00-5:00PM
Avenues The World School, Shenzhen
Sponsored by School365
Event Sponsored by School365
This event is free for all participants thanks to the generous sponsorship of School365. Their support makes it possible for us to bring together educators and school administrators for an afternoon of shared learning and collaboration, at no cost to you.
The Why
Across schools, leaders are rethinking how they engage parents. From onboarding new families to building trust over time, communication is a challenge—made even more complex by the fast-evolving digital landscape.
This Peer-to-Peer event brings together leaders, operations staff, and communications professionals to explore smarter, more human ways to connect with families. You’ll learn what’s working, avoid common pitfalls, and discover strategies to align your communication with your school’s values.
Key Benefits
Learn from real cases
Hear proven strategies from schools tackling the same challenges.
Practical tools you can use immediately
From platform rollouts to reducing email fatigue.
Collaborate with peers
Share challenges, compare approaches, and co-create solutions.
Keynote Speaker
Lexi Pang
Communications Strategist, School365
Lexi Peng is a communications strategist who supports international and bilingual schools across China in shaping parent engagement, school branding, and internal communications systems. With a background in journalism and school operations, she brings both storytelling expertise and practical insight to her work with schools. Lexi believes that meaningful communication builds trust—and that trust is the foundation of any successful school community.
Host
Ryan J. Baxter
Director of Academic Innovation and Pedagogy, Avenues The World School Shenzhen
Ryan Baxter is the Director of Academic Innovation and Pedagogy at Avenues, bringing 18 years of experience in education, including eight years at Avenues—three in New York and five in Shenzhen. Throughout his career, Ryan has taught grades K-8 and held key leadership roles, including Head of Mathematics, Technology Integrator, and Instructional Coach. Known affectionately as “Mr. B” to his students, Ryan is a firm believer in the transformative power of exploration, expression, and problem-solving. He understands that these experiences not only build perseverance but also nurture the qualities necessary for students to become empathetic, globally-minded citizens.
In his current role, Ryan is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and innovative learning environment. He focuses on empowering both students and educators to engage with meaningful, real-world challenges, ensuring that learning extends beyond the classroom and prepares students to thrive in an interconnected world.
Sophia Deng
International Education and Non-teaching Leadership Professional
Sophia Deng, originally from Guangdong, has over eight years of administrative experience in bilingual and international schools. She spent a decade studying and working in Beijing before serving as Administrative Manager at Harrow Shenzhen. Passionate about fostering cross-cultural relationships and advancing education, Sophia is particularly interested in supporting new and aspiring middle leaders. Since the 2024–25 academic year, she has been pursuing a graduate degree in International Education and Global Leadership at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Education.
Agenda
Welcome & Framing
Keynote
The Future is Mobile: Rethinking Parent Communication in the Smart Campus Era
How well is your school really communicating with parents? Lexi Peng explores the gap between what schools intend to communicate and what parents actually receive, unpacking the common frustrations of email fatigue, platform overload, and fragmented messaging. Through real-world examples and a look at integrated, mobile-first tools like mini programs, she offers a vision for smarter, more connected communication—along with practical considerations for getting there.
Breakout Room Session
Participate in one of the following Breakout Rooms:
- Parent Communication: What’s Actually Working?
- Let’s Talk WeChat: Potential and Pitfalls
- Real Challenges, Real Solutions (Chinese-language room)
Refreshments Break (30 minutes)
Market Place
Panel and Closing Remarks
School leaders and operations staff will share practical strategies and lessons learned from navigating parent communication challenges in diverse contexts. From onboarding and platform choices to measuring engagement and building trust, expect real stories and actionable insights.
Breakout Rooms
Parent Communication: What’s Actually Working?
Format: Guided group discussion
Focus: Tools, strategies, and challenges across different channels
Prompts:
- How do you segment communication for different parent types?
- What gets ignored—and why?
- Are you seeing message fatigue?
Let’s Talk WeChat: Potential and Pitfalls
Format: Case-led discussion
Focus: How WeChat/mini programs are being used effectively
Prompts:
- What’s unique about engaging parents on WeChat?
- Lessons learned from rollout and ongoing use
Real Challenges, Real Solutions (Chinese-language room)
Format: Case-based group sharing
Focus: Chinese-speaking staff discuss real communication issues and peer solutions
Prompts:
- Most challenging cases and how they were handled
- Supporting parents with diverse language and tech backgrounds
Venue
Avenues The World School, Shenzhen
A12 Zone A, SoFun Land, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China 518000
October 25 (Sat)
1:00 - 5:00 PM
Get inspired, get connected, and get ahead with us!
© Peer Sphere. All Rights Reserved 2023
© Peer Sphere. All Rights Reserved 2023