ParentSquare

Parents can click on an activation link sent from their child's school via email or text message, then confirm their contact details and their children's information. The email or phone number used for verification must match the information the school has on file.

1. Open the "Activate Your ParentSquare Account" invitation email or text message from ParentSquare. (It's sent to the email address or phone number on file with the school. You can also request another activation invitation with the email or phone number that you provided to your child's school at ParentSquare.com/signin or on the app.)
2. Click Activate your account or tap the link to go to the account registration page.
3. Enter your email or phone number, then click Get Started. Create a Password for your ParentSquare account and click Register. (Optional: You can also sign in with Google or Microsoft.)
4. Check your contact information. If it looks correct, click Confirm. You’ll receive a verification code by text or email.
5. Enter the verification code you receive by text or email when asked.
6. You’ll see your children’s names. Click Confirm next to each child who should be connected to your account. Use Not my child if a child listed is not associated with your account. If everything looks correct, click Yes, this is me.
7. Once activated and logged in, you'll see your custom ParentSquare feed, and you’re ready to start using ParentSquare by website, app, or both!

After you've activated your account, sign in to ParentSquare, then click here to read more about Getting Started for Parents.

If you didn’t receive or missed the invitation from the school to register, you can sign up manually on the web or sign up on the ParentSquare mobile app.

Manually register on the Web:

1. Go to: www.parentsquare.com

2. Click "Sign Up".
3. Enter the email or phone number that the school has on file.
4. Follow the prompts to verify and activate the account.
5. Once activated and logged in, you'll see your custom ParentSquare feed, and you’re ready to start using ParentSquare by website, app, or both!

Watch the video here!

After you've activated your account, sign in to ParentSquare, then click here to read more about Getting Started for Parents.

Manually register on the Mobile App:

1. Download the ParentSquare Mobile App from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

    

   • iOS App - Apple Store
   • Android App - Google Play Store
2. Open the app and click “Sign Up/Create Password”.
3. Enter the email or phone number registered with the school.
4. Complete the verification steps to activate the account.
5. Once activated and logged in, you'll see your custom ParentSquare feed, and you’re ready to start using ParentSquare by website, app, or both!

After you've activated your account, sign in to ParentSquare, then click here to read more about Getting Started for Parents.

Once you've activated and registered your ParentSquare account, you'll be able to:

• Choose how you prefer to receive messages—via email, text, phone call, and/or app notifications. You choose what works best for you!
• Select "instant" alerts or "digest" alerts (delivered once-daily just after 6 pm). Time-sensitive alerts will override your settings to ensure that you receive urgent messages in a timely manner.
• Automatically receive messages translated into your preferred language.
• View posts, documents, photos, calendars, and important announcements.
• Comment on district and school posts (where available) and stay engaged with your school community.
• Fill out forms and sign-up for meetings and school events. 

ParentSquare works with your child's school to keep your contact information accurate. It is important for us to have your current contact information in PowerSchool, so that we can reach you in the case of an emergency, as well as share important updates and information.

Please ensure your contact information in PowerSchool is accurate. If it is not correct, please update it in PowerSchool. ParentSquare is linked to PowerSchool, and will update any contact changes made overnight. 

If you have any difficulty logging in or making changes to your contact information in PowerSchool, please contact your child's school office.

Parents generally should NOT combine their accounts with their spouse in ParentSquare. ParentSquare is designed for each parent or guardian to have their own individual account, even if they share contact information like an email or home phone number. 

Combining accounts is generally for users who have multiple of their own accounts that need to be unified, such as: 

• A parent with multiple children who has different contact information listed in the school database for each child, resulting in separate accounts.
• A user who is both a staff member and a parent within the district.
• A parent who is missing a student or a school from their primary account. 

Why Separate Accounts are Recommended for Spouses

ParentSquare recommends that spouses maintain separate accounts for several reasons: 

Privacy and Security: Sharing a single login can risk exposing sensitive information.

• Clear Identification: Each user is clearly identified in messages sent, which prevents confusion over whether a message was sent by one spouse or the other.
• Individual Notification Settings: Each person can manage their own notification settings (email, text, app notifications) and preferences for receiving instant alerts or a daily digest.
• Direct Access and Control: Each parent has direct, independent access to their account, forms, sign-ups, and messages. 

While each spouse will still receive the same school communications if they are both correctly listed in the school's system, having separate accounts ensures a personalized and secure experience for each individual. 

When a parent logs into ParentSquare, they can view their children. Parents will see all children associated with their ParentSquare account, even if their child is at another school site or district (if all schools/districts use ParentSquare).

• Overview of Parent Dashboard - English / Spanish 
• Overview of the Mobile App Parent Dashboard - English / Spanish 

After you activate your ParentSquare account, you will be able to manage your account settings, including customizing your email, text, phone, and app notification preferences so that you receive messages "instantly" or in a once-a-day "digest" format delivered just after 6:00 pm. Time-sensitive alerts will override your settings to ensure that you receive urgent messages in a timely manner. You can also select the language setting to receive posts, messages, and alerts in your preferred language.  

How to Customize Your Account Settings - English / Spanish

On the mobile app

1. On the home screen, tap the three horizontal bars (the menu icon) in the top-left corner.
2. Tap Account, then tap Notifications.
3. For each school listed, use the toggles to turn notifications on or off for Email, Text, and App.
4. For each enabled channel, choose between Instant and Digest frequency. 

On the web browser

1. Log in to your ParentSquare account.
2. Click on your name in the top-right corner and select My Account.
3. Click Notification Settings on the left side of the page.
4. For "General Announcements & Messages," choose your preference for Email, Text, and App notifications: Off, Instant, or Digest. 

Notification frequency options

• Instant: You will receive a notification every time a message is sent.
• Digest: You will receive a single, consolidated notification in the evening that includes all non-time-sensitive messages from that day. This is recommended if you feel you are receiving too many messages. Messages will be sent daily just after 6 pm.
• Off: You will not receive any notifications for non-urgent posts and messages. However, time-sensitive urgent alerts will override your settings to ensure that you receive urgent messages in a timely manner.

Important considerations

• Urgent alerts: You will always receive instant notifications for urgent matters, such as school closures and emergencies, regardless of your personal settings.
• School-specific settings: If you have children in more than one school, you can set different notification preferences for each school and the district

Utilizing the mobile app is optional, but is the easiest way to receive all Posts, Events, Sign Up Requests, Photos and Files in one place!

• ParentSquare Mobile App Overview Video [1:45 minutes]
• ParentSquare Dashboard on the Mobile App - English / Spanish

The ParentSquare app is available in both iOS or Android stores.

• iOS App - Apple Store
• Android App - Google Play Store

Smart Notification Delivery streamlines communication for families who use the ParentSquare app by sending post notifications through the app first and using text only as a backup. This reduces duplicate messages while keeping families fully informed.

If you have subscribed to BOTH the APP and text notifications: 

• Post notifications now go to the app first, with a text fallback if needed
• This applies to posts: instant posts, post digests and post updates
• Email notifications still go out for ALL communications
• Alerts and direct messages continue to go to ALL subscribed methods

If you're not receiving any text messages from ParentSquare, first make sure you have a correct cell phone number entered into your PowerSchool contact information.

If you've opted out of text messages on your phone, you can text the word START to 66458. This will resume text messaging to your phone.

SUGGESTION: If you've opted out of text messages from ParentSquare, instead of a full opt-out, we suggest adjusting your notification settings to "digest" mode for general announcements. This sends non-urgent posts once a day in the evening but ensures that "School Alerts" and "Urgent Alerts" are still received instantly.

To ensure all emergency communications are received, it is best to use the in-app or website notification settings to manage the frequency of non-urgent messages, rather than using the phone's STOP feature. (See "How do I customize my account settings?" above for more information.)

For additional assistance, please contact your child's school, or use the Communications Support Form on this page.

• If you're not receiving any emails from ParentSquare, first make sure you have a valid email entered into your PowerSchool contact information.
   
• Check your spam folder for emails from "donotreply@parentsquare.com." If you find one, add this address to your safe sender list.
   
• Add the domain "ParentSquare.com" or the email address "donotreply@parentsquare.com" to the safe senders list in your email client (Gmail, Yahoo, aol, etc.). You can search online how to do this.
  
  For example, if using Gmail:
  • Go to settings.
  • At the bottom of the pane, click Mail.
  • In the left pane, select Mail > Accounts > Block or Allow
  • Under Blocked Senders, select the address or domain you want to unblock, and then select.

To ensure all emergency communications are received, it is best to use the in-app or website notification settings to manage the frequency of non-urgent messages, rather than blocking emails. (See "How do I customize my account settings?" above for more information.)

For additional assistance, please contact your child's school, or use the Communications Support Form on this page.

If you're not receiving any phone calls from ParentSquare, first make sure you have a cell phone number entered into your PowerSchool contact information.

(Please note that communications are first sent to the ParentSquare app and your email. If you do not have the ParentSquare app, messages are also sent to you as a text message. If you have opted out of text messages and emails, then a phone call will be sent. Phone calls are also sent for urgent notifications.)

If parents with accurate phone numbers still aren't receiving urgent alert phone calls in ParentSquare, it could be due to several factors, ranging from user settings to carrier issues. Urgent alerts are typically designed to bypass most user-controlled notification settings, but some issues can still interfere with delivery. 

Common Causes for Missed Phone Calls

• Parent Unsubscribed or Opted Out: Parents might have accidentally unsubscribed from voice calls. Although urgent alerts are forced, some carrier-level blocks might still be in place if a parent previously opted out of all communication types.
• Carrier Issues/Blocked Number:
  • The parent's phone carrier may be blocking the school's number, marking it as spam, or the line might have been busy or unavailable when ParentSquare attempted the call.
  • Issues specific to certain carriers, like T-Mobile/Sprint/US Cellular, have been known to cause problems with mass notification calls and texts in the past.
• Voicemail Glitches: The call may have gone to voicemail, but the parent's voicemail box was full, not set up, or experienced a technical glitch during the recording of the message.
• Duplicate Accounts (Less Likely for Urgent Calls): While "duplicate" status generally ensures a single notification is delivered, if there's a system glitch or data inconsistency across different accounts (e.g., one account has an old number listed first), the call might default to a non-working number or simply fail in the merge process.
• Data Synchronization Delays: Parent contact information is managed by the school/district's student information system (SIS) and synced to ParentSquare. If a parent recently updated their phone number with the school, the changes might not have fully synced to ParentSquare before the urgent message was sent (syncs usually happen overnight).
• Incorrect Phone Type Classification: The school's system might have the number categorized incorrectly (e.g., a cell number listed as a landline), which could affect how the auto-dialer handles the call.
• Parent's Phone Settings:
  • The parent may have "Do Not Disturb" enabled, which might silence the call depending on their phone's specific settings (though emergency calls often bypass this).
  • The parent may have manually blocked the specific phone numbers used by ParentSquare for outbound calls.

Troubleshooting Steps for Parents

• Check their phone/carrier: Advise parents to check if they have blocked the school's number or if their carrier has a spam filter that might have flagged the call.
• Contact the school office: Parents should confirm their contact information directly with the school office and ensure it is correct in the student information system, as the school controls this data.
• Check their ParentSquare settings:
  • Log in to their account on the web or the mobile app.
  • Go to My Account > Notification Settings and confirm that "School Alerts" are toggled "On". While "Urgent Alerts" cannot be disabled, ensuring "School Alerts" are on helps with general system functionality.
• Text START: If text alerts are also failing, the parent can text the word START to 66458 to resume receiving text notifications, which sometimes resolves broader connectivity issues with the platform's messaging service. 

To ensure all emergency communications are received, it is best to use the in-app or website notification settings to manage the frequency of non-urgent messages, rather than unsubscribing or opting out. (See "How do I customize my account settings?" above for more information.)

For additional assistance, please contact your child's school, or use the Communications Support Form on this page.

Instructions to reset a password through a web browser or ParentSquare mobile app:

On a Web Browser:

1. Go to the ParentSquare sign-in page and click 'Forgot password?'.

   —Sign in using your email or phone number on a web browser. (You can be on your computer, and sign in with your cell phone number!)
    

2. Enter your registered email or phone number.
    
3. Check your email or text messages for a reset link or code.

   If you don't see the message, check your email spam folder for ParentSquare emails.

   Add donotreply@parentsquare.com and parentsquare.com to your safe senders list.
   
   Email: click the reset your password link in the email, typically valid for 24 hours.

   Text: enter the six-digit verification code into the provided field.
    

4. Follow the instructions to set a new password.

On the Mobile App
The process differs slightly depending on whether you are currently signed in or signed out of the app.

If signed OUT of the app:

1. From the Sign In screen, enter your email or phone number associated with your account and tap "Continue".
2. Tap the "Forgot Password?" button.
3. Enter the verification code sent to your email or phone and tap "Verify".
4. Enter and confirm your new password, then tap "Change Password".

If signed IN to the app:

1. Tap the menu (three horizontal bars) at the top left.
2. Select "Account".
3. Select "Change Password".
4. Check your email or text messages for a verification code, then enter it into the app.
5. Follow the instructions to enter and confirm your new password.

Important Notes:
You must use the email or phone number that your child's school has on file. ParentSquare gets data from the school's student information system (PowerSchool).

If you do not receive the email or text, check your spam folder or contact your child's school office to verify or update your contact information. 

If you are unable to sign in, please contact your child's school for assistance. We'll need to confirm your contact information.

We use ParentSquare only for school-related communication. If you wish to stop receiving notifications, you can opt out at any time. 

How to opt out of notifications

1. Adjust notification settings

• This is the best way to reduce the number of messages without fully opting out.
• You can set your notifications to "Digest" mode, which sends a single message with all posts at the end of the day (just after 6 pm), instead of receiving messages instantly as they are sent.
• You can also turn off notifications for email, text messages, or app alerts individually. 

2. Opt out of specific channels

• Email: Click the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any ParentSquare email.
• Text messages: Reply "STOP" to a text message you receive from ParentSquare. 

3. Request to be removed by the district

• If you want to stop receiving all non-emergency communications, you must contact your school or district and ask them to remove your contact information from their database.
• Because ParentSquare syncs its data with the district's student information system, only the district can fully remove your contact details. 

What happens when you opt out

• You will still receive emergency alerts. Even if you change your settings or opt out of specific channels, your school or district can still send urgent alerts via email, text, and app notifications.
• You will miss important information. By opting out, you may miss key communications from your child's teachers, school, and the district regarding events, classroom news, and other vital updates.
• You cannot fully opt out without district action. Simply unsubscribing from emails or texting "STOP" does not remove your information from the system. It only stops communications from that specific channel. 

How to opt back in

• If you previously opted out of text messages, you can opt back in by texting "START" to the ParentSquare number (66458). You can also log into your ParentSquare account at any time to adjust your notification preferences. 

Once you've created your ParentSquare account, please take a few minutes to watch the Parent Overview Video (2:43 minutes) and the Parent & Guardian Training Video (7:48 minutes) for an introduction to ParentSquare from a parent/guardian's perspective.

There's also a self-paced Parent 101 training module, designed to take 10 minutes, which covers the things you need to know about using ParentSquare as a parent or guardian. Learn how to set up your account, confirm your contact information, set up your notification and language preferences, and and get a brief description of posts, direct messages, and alerts. 

Parent 101 (English)    Padre 101 (Español)

(Click the "Enroll" button, then "Get Started" to begin.)

If you want to know more beyond that, click here to learn about all of the options you have as a parent/guardian on ParentSquare! 

Learn More about ParentSquare  

For questions relating to your account, student, or school, please contact your school directly for assistance.

• Directly from ParentSquare online, you can find your school's phone number or submit a contact school form by selecting "?" at the top right corner of your browser and selecting "contact school." 
   
• On the ParentSquare mobile app, go to the triple bar menu (hamburger menu) in the top left of your device screen and select "contact school."

For questions related to the use of the ParentSquare platform, you can find many answers to your questions in the "help articles" under the "?". 

Visit ParentSquare's FAQs for Parents/Guardians page for more information and tips!

FAQs for Parent/Guardians