A short weekly announcement that says what is happening, what is due, and links straight to it keeps students oriented and cuts down on email. You can write these while you build the course and schedule them to post on the right date, so the communication runs without you remembering each week.

In Canvas, scheduling is done by setting the announcement’s available-from date. Draft the term’s announcements now, set each to post when its week begins, and keep them brief and focused on the next action.