The Walt Whitman High School app was officially launched on Wednesday, aiming to improve communication between the school, students and their families.

It includes features such as GPS navigation to the school, the school calendar and the different bell schedules for potential altered schedules. Users will also receive notifications concerning after-school activities, mainly sports, such as game cancellations and scores.

Another feature added to engage students is the app’s ability to receive photos taken either directly on the app or that are in a phone’s photo gallery.

Students are also able to access commonly visited sites such as Edline, Whitnet, The Black & White and MCPS social media, including Dr. Goodwin’s Twitter, without exiting the app.

“Those are the things that we, as Whitman students, want access to and it’s great that the school is realizing that and including those sites in the app,” junior Maddy Coleman said.

Dr. Goodwin began implementing his idea for the app in March, with two main motivations.

“One was that students never listen to our morning announcements,” Goodwin said, “and two was when we send parents Whitnet they don’t necessarily read it, but if they do, they don’t share those announcements with students.”

Goodwin worked with Whitman parent Robin Wright to create the app.

“I have a background in technology,” Wright said. “I started messing around with code on my own and put together a team of developers to put together apps for small businesses and nonprofits so they have an opportunity to have an affordable app.”

Wright normally charges $1,799 for applications similar to the Whitman app. However, she offered a discount of $299, resulting in the PTSA only paying $1,500 for the app.

“I really wanted to create an app for a school, plus I have a daughter that goes here and I know the community,” Wright said. “I wanted Whitman to be my first school.”

The entire app-making process took a few months to finish after the year it took for the project to get initially started.

Now, Goodwin is in charge of updating edits to the app’s content with announcements and pictures, with occasional help from athletic director, Andy Wetzel to make sports announcements.

“We’re using our phones so much now,” PTSA president, Olivia Lai said. “It’s so easy that all the info that we would want is all in one place on the app.”

Updated at 5:02 April 21.