ParentSquare 101 - Self Paced Training Modules

ParentSquare 101 - Módulos de capacitación a su propio ritmo

Can I change the email and/or cell phone number on my account?

If you wish to change your contact information, please contact your school or update the information through Infinite Campus. Infinite Campus syncs nightly with ParentSquare to update information. You can not update information through ParentSquare.

English is not my first language. How can I receive content in my native language?

You can customize your language settings by going to your name in the upper right corner and clicking My Account. In the left column click on Language Settings.  From there, you can choose any language that you prefer from the drop-down menu and click save. You will start to receive content in that language. Here is a help article on how to change your language settings.

How do I change my password?

Please go to ParentSquare and on the login page, click "Forgot Password." Put in your email or phone number, and you’ll be sent a link to reset your password. 

How do I sign up or opt-in to receive messages and notifications?

You don’t have to take any action to receive emails, texts or phone calls. Our student information system (Infinite Campus) syncs contact information directly with ParentSquare. If you want to utilize the app, simply download it from the app store and follow the prompts to log in.

I am getting too many messages from ParentSquare. Is it possible to receive fewer notifications?

You can customize your notification settings by going to your homepage and clicking on your name in the top right corner and selecting My Account from the drop-down menu. On your account page, find your notification settings in the left column. You can then customize your notifications. If you’re receiving too many notifications, try changing to "digest" setting, meaning you’ll only receive one condensed message in the evening. Here is a help article on changing your notification settings.

You are not able to disable or customize urgent alerts.

Is it possible to contact my child's teacher directly and privately?

You can contact your child's teacher privately by using the direct messaging tool. On the home page, click on "Messaging" in the left sidebar. From there, you can send a direct message to your child's teacher that only you and the teacher can see. You also can send messages to other staff members at the school, such as your child's coaches and club leaders. You can send these messages in your preferred language; the messages will arrive to staff in English. Here is a link to our help page on direct messaging.

I've received an invalid registration link. What should I do?

If your registration link expired, you’ll need a new one. Please contact your school office or send us an email and ask for a new link to be sent to you.

My email is correct in ParentSquare. Why am I not receiving emails?

Please check your spam to see if any ParentSquare messages ended up there and mark them as "Not Spam." Also add donotreply@parentsquare.com to your email contacts so your server recognizes our messages. If you still aren’t receiving emails, please contact us so that we can assist you.

What are the message/alert/notification categories, and what do they mean?

You can choose to receive messages via email, text, voice and/or the app. While you can opt out of any of these methods of communication, please note that the district has the discretion to override opt-outs for messages and alerts deemed urgent or important, including health and safety situations and attendance. 

What types of messages will I get?

ParentSquare allows the district, schools and teachers to send messages in a variety of ways. One method is a post that would only go to your school’s “feed” in the ParentSquare app or web portal. Your school or teacher also could choose to send that post to parents/guardians in the form of a text or email. Staff can choose to send  a private message to one or more users. For example, a school nurse might text you to ask a question about administering your student’s medication. The third method is a “smart alert” sent at the district and school level — things like the district newsletter, messages from the superintendent and messages about back-to-school nights. They can be sent via text, email or phone call. The final category is an “urgent smart alert.” These messages will be sent via text, email and phone call and include inclement weather notifications and health and safety issues.

Can I add a room parent or classroom assistant to my class?

Yes. If you'd like to add a room parent to your class, please visit Admin > Classes. From this page, click "Add User" and type in the name of the individual whom you would like to add. Click on the name to highlight it and then select the role that you'd like that person to have: room parent or assistant/other. Here is a help article on assigning a room parent to a class.

Can I manually add a parent/guardian to a specific sign-up?

Yes. If you have parents/guardians who have contacted you about a sign-up but have not signed up in ParentSquare, you can add these users manually. Login to ParentSquare and go to the sign-up post that you'd like to add the parent to. Then, on the sign-up post, click "Add Someone" above the sign-up button next to the time slot or item you'd like to sign them up for. Search for the user, highlight the name and click save! 

Can I still use Infinite Campus and/or Canvas to communicate with parents/guardians?

Yes. You're still able to use Infinite Campus and/or Canvas to communicate with parents/guardians. However, you may find that you get more engagement with non-English speaking families through ParentSquare due to the live-time translation feature. You also may simply copy and paste messages sent in IC or Canvas into ParentSquare to take advantage of the translation. Other districts that have implemented ParentSquare have found that parents appreciate having one place to go for communications and have seen increased engagement as a result.

Do I need to let parents/guardians know about ParentSquare?

Parents/guardians will receive an activation email for their ParentSquare accounts. Those who do not register will still receive text, email and phone notifications. Parents who do create an account can become more actively engaged in communication by appreciating posts, viewing photos, leaving comments and managing their communication preferences. As a staff member or teacher, you may choose to communicate with your families utilizing ParentSquare. You may find with the two-way messaging and live-time translation that you're able to reach more families. You also may find the analytics about who isn't receiving messages helpful.

How do I create conference sign-ups for multiple classes/groups?

Go to Add-Ons > Conference Sign-ups and on the first page of the conference sign-up, select any class to start. Go through and input the information according to your preferences, deleting any time slots that don't work for you. Finally on the third page, you can delete the original class that you chose and select the classes and groups that you'd like to hold the conferences for. Here is a help article on conference sign ups.

How does two-way messaging with translation work?

Example: An English-speaking teacher wants to send a message to a student's parent, letting them know that the student went out of their way to help another classmate. Infinite Campus has the home language listed as Spanish, and the teacher is aware that the parent does not speak English. Using ParentSquare, the teacher types the text message to the parent in English and presses send. ParentSquare, using advanced Google translate, translates the message into Spanish so that the parent receives the message in Spanish. The parent then thanks the teacher for letting them know about the student's kindness. The parent types that thank you message in Spanish and presses send. ParentSquare translates the message into English and the teacher receives the message in English. View the visual example on ParentSquare's blog.

I'm both a staff member and a parent in the district. How can I add my child to my staff acount?

It's likely that you'll have two separate accounts: a parent account with a personal email and a staff account with your school email. Once we launch, we can merge your staff and parent account so that you have access to your children and school under one single account. Please email support@parentsquare.com and include the emails and phone numbers that you're using.

I'm doing a project with my class and need parent/guardian volunteers and items. Can I ask for those through ParentSquare?

ParentSquare offers the capability to ask for both parent volunteers and items. Go to “New Post” and create a post about your class project. Then in the left sidebar, select both "Ask for Items" and "Request Volunteers." Next, input the items and amount you need, as well as how many volunteers you need and what activities they'll be doing. Once you're finished, click "Post Now" and watch your sign-up fill up. Here is a help article on creating signups and volunteer lists. 

I'm in charge of a club or sport. Can I communicate with those parents, even if their children are not in my class?

Teachers have the ability to create groups with students who aren't in their class. Please visit Groups > New Group > New Static Group. From there, you can create the group and choose a name and description for your group, as well as whether or not you want the group to be public or private. At the bottom, you can add your members by searching for them and checking the box next to the names of the individuals that you'd like to add. When you're finished, click "Save" at the bottom. Here is a help article on creating a group.

Is it possible to contact a few of my students' parents/guardians privately?

If you'd like to contact a few of your parents without posting to the entire class, use the messaging feature. Select "Messaging" from the left sidebar on the homepage. Here, you can select either a single parent to message or multiple parents. Just begin typing their names in the recipient field, and they'll appear as an option. If you select more than one recipient, the choice will come up to have a private message or a group message. A private message will create individual threads to each recipient, whereas a group message will create one thread where all recipients can communicate. Here is a help article on direct messaging.

Is there a way to set office hours so that I only receive messages during certain times?

Yes. The Office Hours setting allows staff and teachers to enable office hours to let people know the best times they can be reached via Direct Messaging. Staff, parents or students who initiate a direct message with a staff user, who is currently outside of office hours, will be informed that the recipient may not respond until office hours resume. Note: If you send a message to someone outside of their office hours, the message will still be delivered when you click send. And, the recipient can choose to reply while out of office. 

1. Click your name in top right and select My Account from drop-down.
2. Select Office Hours and click Enable Office Hours.
3. Enter time and select days that you will be available to respond to direct messages. 
4. Click Save. 

What translation tool does ParentSquare use?

The advanced Google translation tool uses context-driven translation for higher accuracy and can translate into 100+ languages. A disclaimer about the auto-translation tool is included on messages.