The Jamesville DeWitt School District recently announced a new, more efficient way of communicating with J-D families. ParentSquare is a platform that can be accessed via the website, or on a mobile device using the app. 

ParentSquare is a communication platform that allows for an easier form of communication between parents, teachers, and students. There are two levels of messaging, alerts and posts. Alerts are for important information that the principal can send out immediately for families to be notified. Posts on the other hand can be scheduled if need be. 

When administrators post something onto the J-D ParentSquare, they have the option to choose what group(s) they would like it to be sent to. There are a multitude of groups including each grade level, families, and students. On communication mode, parents and guardians can choose what kind of messages they would like to receive. There are settings that allow for notifications to be sent through email or text message when something new is posted. 

High School Principal Greg Lawson says, “The great part about it is, it’s wicked easy to use. It should help us get our message out to more people easier and quickly.” 

The part of ParentSquare that allows students to send messages hasn’t been enabled, and the district has not yet decided if they’ll enable this feature. However, students do have the ability to respond if a message is sent to them by an administrator like the principal. Principal Lawson says, “Right now we’re going to lean on the teachers and administrators pushing the message out and parents communicating that way.” 

Principal Lawson explains how in the past, the district has had a variety of different communication platforms. Some being easier to use than others. He also explains how ParentSqaure meets the specifications for privacy required in a new law. 

Principal Lawson says he hopes ParentSquare will “Increase the flow of communication outwards so we can be more proactive.”