Background
Our current communication system that powers our websites and “all call” communications - emails, phone calls, text messages - to families, has been found to have considerable constraints and is not optimal for family engagement and communication.
As a result, through a joint effort with Ed Services, Communications, and Business Services, we will be transitioning from School Messenger to ParentSquare for all communication to families. Not only will this be a helpful and easy-to-use tool for administrators and school office staff, it is also a powerful tool for teachers, allowing for two-way communication and instant translation with families in dozens of languages, more robust engagement features and a mobile app.
About ParentSquare
ParentSquare is a unified communication platform that offers a whole host of tools which allows district, school administrators, and teachers to more effectively communicate and engage with families and students. Some features include:
· Mass notifications and Urgent Alerts with two-way communication
· Mobile application for administrators and parents (iOS and Android)
· Attendance notifications
· Teacher and classroom communication
· Direct Messaging with two-way translation
· Social (Facebook and Twitter) and website share
· Forms and Permission Slips
· Appointment Sign Ups (parent-teacher conferences, technology pick-ups)
· Calendar and RSVP
· Volunteering and classroom supply sign-ups
· StudentSquare
· And so much more!
Communication to Parents
Parents will receive an activation email for their ParentSquare account. Those who do not register will still receive text, email, and phone notifications. Parents who do create an account can interact by viewing photos, downloading attachments, leaving comments, messaging teachers, signing permission slips and managing their communication settings and preferences.
ParentSquare Resources
The district will provide a variety of resources to ensure an effective launch at each site, including: training videos, flyers, PowerPoint presentations for parents and more.
Training Resources
For users who already have a registered ParentSquare account, modules and webinars to learn more about the platform and its features can be found here.
For training courses that can be accessed without a registered ParentSquare account, please click here.
ParentSquare User Group on Facebook
Once you are set up on ParentSquare, feel free to join the ParentSquare User Group on Facebook. This group is specifically for customers to provide feedback to the product team and interact with other ParentSquare users. You can join here.