Student Information & Mass Notification Tools

ParentSquare is a school-to-home communications platform that is:

• Providing the district with access to a single, unified system that is being used to complete tasks such as sending mass emails (e.g., weekly updates) and text messages, making automated phone calls and posting to social media.
   
• Enabling the district to consolidate the number of systems we use for communications.
   
• Offering stakeholders greater flexibility in terms of how and when they receive communications - i.e., people can request that communications be delivered in their preferred language, can sign up to receive a daily digest of communications versus individual emails (does not apply to emergency messages), etc.
   
• Providing families with another tool they can use to engage in two-way communication with our schools and the district. Please note that district-issued email accounts and systems such as Canvas and Remind are still the primary methods that individual faculty and staff members will use to communicate information on a day-to-day basis.  In addition, while ParentSquare offers features for making payments, taking attendance, etc., these functions will continue to be handled through systems such as Infinite Campus. 

Any community member who wants to sign up to receive District 86 communications should complete the following steps:

• Fill out the Google Form found at https://forms.gle/vdf7NzYkdB75ive9A. We also encourage you to please share this form with anyone you think might be interested in receiving news or updates from the district.
   
• Wait for an email inviting you to join ParentSquare and activate your account. Below is an example of what the email will look like.

 

• If you do not receive an invite, you can activate your account by visiting https://www.parentsquare.com/signin, entering your email and clicking on “Get Started.” By completing this step, you will be able to access features such as the ability to set your preferred language, select how and when you receive communications, etc.
   
• After you have activated your account, please visit https://parentsquare.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/7954096700173-Manage-Your-Account-Settings#update-edit-your-contact-information-0-0 for instructions on how to update your account information and user preferences (you must be signed in to ParentSquare to access the information that is available via the link).

We also encourage you to download the ParentSquare app so you can access the system’s features from your mobile device. Below are QR codes that you can use to complete this process.

 QR code to download iOS app:

 

QR code to download Android app: 

The district has a free mobile app our students, staff, and families can use to quickly and easily access important school and district information that includes:

• News and announcements
• Calendars
• Staff directories
• Bell schedules
• Details about athletics and activities
• Links to resources such as attendance lines, Infinite Campus, Canvas and the Tip Line

The items we chose to feature were based on the feedback we received from students and parents/guardians during our website focus groups.

The app is available for download from Google Play and the Apple App Store. You can access it on either platform by performing a search for Hinsdale District 86.