NTPS Utilizes School Messenger for Parent Communication
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North Thurston Public Schools utilizes a communication system called School Messenger. When you register your child to attend school, you consent to receive these communications. Your contact information, including phone number, email address, cell phone, etc., are obtained from Student Records and used to send messages from schools and teachers through phone calls, emails, and text messages. The messages you receive are not for marketing or commercial purposes (see types of messages below). Teachers also have access to the system to interact with parents via the School Messenger App & Website.
School & District messages include:
- School closures
- Emergency Information
- Attendance reports
- General announcements
Teacher messages can include:
- Classroom announcements
- Pictures
- Files
- One-to-one chats
- Download the family/teacher message FAQ
Activate your account!
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Click “Sign Up” on
https://go.schoolmessenger.com
- Use the email address we have on file
- Fine-tune your settings
- See if your child's teacher utilizes the service
- Account activation step-by-step
Download the app and get it all on your Smartphone!Please ensure that your contact information is up to date by contacting your child's school.
FAQ
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How do I activate my account?
Accounts are activated using the email address on file for you.
- Click the SIGN UP Button on the top of the page, or Download the SchoolMessenger App (& scroll down to click 'Sign Up') from the Apple App Store or Google Play App Store.
- Enter your email address (the one we have on file) and create a password. An email will be sent to that address with a secure token.
- After authenticating via your email, return to SchoolMessenger and sign in using your email and password.
It's that easy! If you need to change your email address on file, please contact your child's school office.
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How does School Messenger get my phone number?
The telephone number and email address you provided at registration are loaded directly into School Messenger via a secure connection. Once a school is logged in to send a message, the calling data is even encrypted. School Messenger is contracted with NTPS to only use parent information to fulfill a call that is initiated by our District or a school. They will not contact you directly.
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How Does Teacher Messaging Work?
Teachers can push messages to the class or individual guardians through the app/website including pictures, video, files and more.
The teacher can include individual and group (clubs, sport teams, PTO groups).
Two-way messaging - chat-like interface between guardians & teachers with the ability to exchange files, videos, pictures, and more.
See these messages and all other notifications and messages related to your schools and district in a single, scrollable newsfeed-like view.
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How should I answer the phone?
Answer the phone as you normally would - with a hello! Phone messages are voice-activated and won't begin playing the message until it hears a greeting. If you don't say hello or answer, the message will eventually begin but it will take several seconds before doing so.
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I don't have a child in the District and I'm getting messages!
Sometimes mobile carriers reassign phone numbers to new phones. If you are receiving messages in error, contact Community Relations and we will try to track down the phone number and make sure it is updated.
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I get too many messages!
Each school has different habits on how they communicate with their students. If you have more than one student, you may notice a lot of messages, some even with duplicate information about school closure days, etc. Activating your School Messenger account will allow you to customize how and where you receive these messages greatly reducing their frequency to specific numbers and addresses dependent on their settings.
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I just want text messages, what do I do?
If you want to customize your communication settings, you will need to activate your School Messenger account by visiting their website. There you can change settings on the phone numbers and email addresses associated with your child(ren) to customize the types of messages you receive. NOTE: You cannot opt-out of receiving Emergency communications.
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I'm not getting the messages, what do I do?
The only phone numbers and email addresses used are what is on file with Student Records. Check with your student's school to make sure they have the current contact information.
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Is School Messenger secure?
The sign-up process creates a secure link between the user and School Messenger. School Messenger operates with the latest encryption technology to protect access to stored information. School Messenger is also a signatory of the Student Privacy Pledge, which requires us to adhere to stringent data protection standards as a further assurance of our commitment to protecting your data.
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Is the website the same as the app?
Yes. For those that prefer to use the website instead of a mobile app (or who don't have easy access to a smartphone), the SchoolMessenger app's functions will be available online at https://go.schoolmessenger.com.
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The system keeps calling me back after I hang up! Help!
Each phone message has an introductory portion before playing the actual message. If you hang up during the 'Hello. this is a message from North Thurston Public Schools, please stay on the line', it will call back until you hear the actual message after the introduction.
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What Caller ID will I see?
District messages will appear to be from the main phone number (360) 412-4400. School-based messages will appear from that school's main phone number. To make it easier on mobile phone users, it is a good idea to add your schools to your contact list with their main phone number. Text messages will come from 67587.
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What is School Messenger?
A communications system currently employed by NTPS. Contact information is utilized that is stored in our Student Information System to inform guardians and parents about emergencies, closures, upcoming events, and other announcements. It is also a one-to-one communication tool to chat with your child's teacher.
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What should I expect after activating & logging in?
After successfully logging in, you should expect to see any messages that you've received. You can navigate through the options using the menu to view all of the students associated with your account.
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What's the point of activating my account?
Once you've created your account, we'll automatically link the records associated with your email address. You can then:
- See which of your child's teachers utilize the system & see updates and messages from them directly.
- Review the last 30 days worth of messages for all schools your children attend.
- View your contact information and configure how you would like to receive notifications.
- See which of your child's teachers utilize the system & see updates and messages from them directly.
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What's the point of the App?
Through the App, messages sent by the school or district will trigger a badge, notification, or alert on your phone when you receive new communications. You can choose to receive those notifications in addition to, or instead of, the phone calls, emails, and text messages you normally receive.
You can also adjust all of your communications settings (which address and phone number receive which types of messages), and see all message for all of your students for the last 30 days in one place.
The app is also home to Teacher Messaging, which will allow to communicate directly with your child's teacher (if they utilize the service).