screen -e^}]

Makes screen's commands prefix C-]. That really works very well with Emacs. Since that is command prefix of telnet, all other software avoids it.

Something like:

  hardstatus on
  hardstatus alwayslastline "%{rk}%H %{gk}%c %{yk}%M%d %{wk}%?%-Lw%?%{bw}%n*%f %t%?(%u)%?%{wk}%?%+Lw%?"

in ~/.screenrc gives an always-visible status line.

I've found that using caption lets my shell update the xterm window title.

    caption always
    caption string "..."

I use C-\ for the escape sequence. I'd add:

(3) Easier-to-use shift-pgup/pgdn equivalent

My .screenrc:

  escape ^\\
  hardstatus alwayslastline
  hardstatus string '%{= kG}[ %{G}%H %{g}][%= %{=kw}%?%-Lw%?%{r}(%{W}%n*%f %t%?(%u)%?%{r})%{w}%?%+Lw%?%?%= %{g}][%{B}%Y-%m-%d %{W}%c %{g}]'
  shell /bin/bash
  defflow off
  startup_message off
  defscrollback 1024

'defflow off' lets C-s work. The status line lists the current shells, computer name, time, and date.

So long as we are sharing .screenrcs, this is the way I like my hardstatus string:

  hardstatus string '%{gb}[%{W}%H%{g}] [%= %?%-w%?%{Y}(%{W}%n %t%?(%u)%?%{Y})%{g}%?%+w%= ] [%{W}%D %M %d %c%{g}]'

What is the windows key used for in bash? Could you just use that to begin screen commands?