Gmail

I plan to use the archive feature more.  I wasn't sure how it worked exactly and thought it skipped deleting and if you did it, you could never get the message back.  It is nice to hear that it will take the message out of my inbox and I can search for it if I still need it.  This will declutter my inbox significantly.  I also intend to use labels, I just want to come up with a label system that works, first.
As far as using it in the classroom, I will set up a parent group so that I may send messages to parents collectively about classroom news, due dates, resources, and school events.  I will continue to use gmail to contact parents about student specific concerns and addressing any specific issues from the classroom if that is the parent's preferred method of contact. I can also send out important reminders for parents and students within the class.  Students can email me with questions about class work and I am more accessible for last minute questions or concerns.  I have not had this come up yet, but I could also use the translation feature to connect with parents that may not speak English.