School Text Messages to Parents Made Simple
Keep parents informed and reassured with school updates sent straight to their phones. SMS is the fastest and most reliable way to share urgent alerts, schedule changes, and important announcements the moment they happen.
How to Effectively Text a Parent
Interest in the use of text messages to facilitate parent outreach continues to grow. Although many parents agree that SMS is a helpful tool, teachers must practice proper etiquette whenever texting a parent. Be sure not to overwhelm parents by overloading them with messages. A few messages per week will suffice. Limit your text to under 160 characters to avoid distortion of the message.
Uses for Sending Texts About School
It has been reported that text messaging is the most effective communication tool for schools. Families are busier than ever. In many homes, both parents work. With all of the duties they have, parents can be over-scheduled. However, nine out of every ten parents have mobile devices that are within reach any time of day. The most preferred means of receiving important communication today is via text message. With school to parent text messaging services, you can always keep parents informed.
School Reopen Message for Parents:
The time of the year, poor weather, construction, and sick kids can alter when a school is opened. When it’s time to open the doors, send a reopen message for parents using Textedly.
Absent Message for Parents:
When a child isn’t in school, parents need to know as soon as possible for the safety of that student. Automate these messages when parents opt-in with your school to parent texting system and allow your administrative staff to spend time where your school needs it the most.
School Fee Reminder SMS Text:
Teachers and administrative school staff can send parents fee reminders to get any school transactions paid on time. Adding in an efficient way to speak with parents on school fees for student activities, attendance or participation fees is convenient for your staff and for the parents.
Time-Sensitive Information and Reminders:
Communicating time-sensitive information is one of the most effective ways to use school SMS messages for parent communication. A parent text message can be sent out to remind parents of deadlines for forms that need to be completed, meeting invitations, or event cancellations.
Severe Weather Alerts and School Emergencies:
A text about school schedule changes due to a snowstorm or other inclement weather will allow you to communicate ahead of time. It is also effective for communication of a school campus lock-down due to safety concerns.
Homework and Extra-Curricular Reminders:
Students who are in middle and high school can get class information and general reminders regarding any sports or club activities.
PTA Meetings and Communications:
Text messaging is a great way to get families signed up to volunteer for campus projects or other events. You can collect names and numbers to enter on the platform or direct parents to a volunteer site using SMS.
Fundraising Events:
Many schools rely on fundraising that will pay for field trips, computer labs, and school enrichment programs. Mass text messages can be linked to a donation page or fundraising campaign and sent to parents. You can include a call-to-action for parents to reply with a keyword to get your page link. You could also track school auction bidders with an SMS program.
Although text messaging provides a solution for the school to parent communication, you must be certain to follow some ground rules. There are some legal limitations to be aware of. In particular, you need to be aware of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. FERPA was implemented to limit what can be communicated about students and whom information can be communicated to.
There are also spam regulations that require you to obtain permission to text and require you have a way for recipients to opt-out if ever they choose. Once you have found a text messaging platform that meets those needs, take the following steps.
Sign Up For a Text Marketing Platform
Signing up with a text marketing platform like Textedly is hassle-free and can be done quickly.
Upload Current List of Contacts
Set up a subscription list with the names and numbers of students and parents who have already opted-in.
Compile Text Templates
Platform dashboards like Textedly allow you to create text templates that you can easily access as needed.
Set Up a Campaign Keyword
The tools that you need for notification campaigns and text marketing are readily accessible upon registration. The first element to configure is your keyword that parents can text to your short code to opt-in for text messages.
Promote Your Keyword
Have parents opt-in or provide their phone number when they fill out the school admission forms. When you message parents with a keyword, new subscribers can text the keyword as instructed and will receive a reply text within 3 to 5 seconds.
Send School to Parent Texts
Choose which list of parents to send a message to. Schedule a time for the message to go out. Next, hit done. It is that simple.
Text Message for Parents Templates
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It is super easy to mass-import a contact list and use the keywords to identify different groups of contacts.
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You can upload a large list of contacts, and be selective about which ones receive a particular text. When you get stuck, the support is super.
Sending School to Parent SMS Messages With Textedly
Textedly makes it super easy to send school-to-parent text messages and SMS notifications. Mass SMS messages can be sent in seconds and parents will be immediately informed of urgent updates. Textedly makes communication with students and parents fast and effective, and it all starts with a 14-day free trial.
