Parent Messaging (Teachers and Admins)

The mobile app now allows teachers and admins to send direct messages to parents!

Please note:

• Messages can only be sent to family members who have activated a Family Portal account. For instructions on account activation, please click here. 

Sections:

A. Initiating a Conversation with a Family Member

B. Opening an Existing Conversation

C. Opening Unread Messages

D. Calling Family Members

E. Group Messaging

A. Initiating a Conversation with a Family Member

1. Log on to the mobile app. Here are instructions for logging on. 

2. Click on a student's name card.

3. Click the message icon on    the top right of the screen. 

Note: If the family member hasn't activated a Family Portal account, you will receive this message: 

 4. Click the + icon  on the top right of the screen. 

5. Click the circle next to the name of the family member(s) you want to send the message to.

6. Click "Next" on the top right. 

7. Type your message in the message field.

You can attach a picture by clicking the camera icon in the left of the message field and then selecting your image.

8. When you have finished typing your message, click the Send icon. 

Your conversation has been initiated. 

 

B. Opening an Existing Conversation

1. Click the message icon at the top right of the homescreen. 

2. Click on the conversation that you would like to reopen.  

C. Opening Unread Messages

If a family member has replied to you, you will see a number inside the message icon on the top right of the home screen. Click on it to read any new message(s). 

Unread messages will be bolded and will have a blue dot to the left of the family member name. 

D. Calling Family Members

If a family member has included his/her phone number in their Family Portal profile, you can click on the phone icon on the top right of a message with them to call them.

Their number will appear, and you can call from there. 

The phone icon will not appear if the family member hasn't included a phone number in the Family Portal.

E. Group Messaging 

If you'd like to message family members of a group of students, i.e. the whole class, select the Group card from the menu:

Press the messaging icon at the top right to begin the message:

You'll be prompted with all the family members' email addresses for that group. Select all or deselect specified members then hit Next to type the message to send to the group.

Click the arrow to send the message to all selected recipients. Once you hit send the following alert will show that the message has been sent successfully, and you can see it in your message history.

Please note: 

• Messages can only be initiated by teachers or admins, not family members. However, once an educator has initiated the conversation, family members can respond at any time.
• Messages will appear in the Kickboard app. A notification will be sent to a family member's phone according to their phone settings but will not be sent to a family member's phone as a text message.
• Hyperlinks cannot be shared through the app for security purposes. You can still share website addresses, but the user would need to copy/paste the address in their own browser to visit any linked page.
• You cannot send messages to students, only users with a parent account. 
• Messaging is currently only on the mobile apps, not on the web portal.
• Messaging is not currently available on Amazon devices.
• When you send a group message, it will begin individual threads with all included family members so that they can reply just to you.
• Group messages can only be sent to groups of less than 100 at this time.