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Parent Communication

Varun avatar
Written by Varun
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Newsletters

Q1. How can I create a newsletter template?
A. Navigate to Parent Communication > Newsletter > Create New Newsletter. Use the drag-and-drop editor to design your newsletter. You can save it as a template, draft, or share it directly with parents.

Q2. How can I share newsletters with parents?
A. After creating a newsletter, click "Send Newsletter" to share it directly. If saved as a template, go to Parent Communication > Newsletter, click the three dots next to the newsletter, and select Send to Parents.

Q3. Can I bring my school branding into newsletters?
A. Yes, you can add your school logo and branding while creating newsletters.

Q4. Can I schedule newsletters?
A. No, newsletters cannot be scheduled to be sent at a later time.

Q5. Can I upload an existing newsletter into Illumine?
A. No, uploading external newsletters is not supported. You must create newsletters using the Illumine editor.


Notes & Concerns

Q1. Can parents share concerns with any staff member?
A. Yes, parents can go to Connect > Concerns in the Parent App to share concerns. The school can configure which staff members are eligible by visiting Settings > Other Settings > Concern Escalation Roles.

Q2. Is there a way to resolve concerns?
A. Yes. Staff can mark a concern as resolved by clicking "Mark Done" under Connect > Students > Concern, provided they have the necessary Resolve permission (configured via Settings > Access Control).

Q3. Who can view concerns shared by parents?
A. By default, the staff member and the Super Admin can view concerns. Visibility can be customized via Settings > Other Settings > Concern Visibility Roles.

Q4. Can parents send a note to teachers at any time?
A. Yes, parents can send notes anytime via Connect > Staff Notes in the Parent App.

Q5. What is the difference between a Note and a Concern?
A.

  • Concern: Urgent issues that need attention (e.g., incidents).

  • Note: General information or instructions (e.g., dietary preferences).


Daily Reports

Q1. Can I automatically share the daily report with parents every day?
A. Yes, go to Settings > Attendance and enable "Auto-send daily activity report post student check-out".

Q2. Can I customize activity data in the daily report?
A. You can customize data shown on the web view via Configure Column, but the emailed report includes all posted activities for that day.

Q3. Can I share a daily report from a previous day?
A. Yes. Go to Parent Communication > Daily Reports > Send Report, select the date, and click Send.

Q4. Do staff members receive a copy of the daily report?
A. No, only parents receive the daily report via email.

Q5. Are daily reports shared via email and app?
A. No, daily reports are shared only via email and not on the Parent App.


Parent Communication – Activity Posts

Q1. Can I create a new activity type?
A. Yes. Go to Settings > Activity Posts > Create New Activity, name it, choose a color, and upload an icon.

Q2. Can I change the time of an activity post?
A. Yes. Activity time can be edited (not the date) if the user has the Edit permission in Access Control.

Q3. Can I keep drafts of activities?
A. Yes. Enable "Enable Draft Mode" under Settings > Activity Posts. Then use the "Save as Draft" button while posting.

Q4. Can I enable comments on certain activities?
A. Yes. You can turn on "Enable Comments" while posting or make it default via Settings > Activity Posts for that activity type.

Q5. Can I ensure important activities get posted only after approval?
A. Yes. Disable "Post without approval" under Access Control. To bypass approval for specific activities, check "Does not require approval" under Settings > Activity Posts.

Q6. How can I remove activities I don’t need?
A. Set activities to Inactive in Settings > Activity Posts to hide them from the posting interface.

Q7. Can I notify parents about activity posts?
A. Yes, parents are notified by default via the Parent App.

Q8. Can I post without sending notifications?
A. Yes. Go to Settings > Activity Posts, select the activity, and toggle "Notify Parent" to Disabled.

Q9. Can I share an activity with all parents in one go?
A. Yes. Select all students while posting. Teachers must have access to all classrooms to do this.

Q10. Can I create posts for upcoming events?
A. Yes. Use the Announcement activity or create a custom activity for the event.

Q11. Can I edit the announcement email subject?
A. No, the subject line for announcement emails cannot be edited.

Q12. Can I schedule activity posts?
A. No. Activity posts cannot be scheduled. You can only post immediately or save as a draft.

Q13. How many photos or videos can I upload per activity post?
A. You can upload up to 50 photos and 5 videos per activity post.


Scheduled Activities – FAQ

1. What are scheduled activities?
Scheduled activities are posts that you can set to be published automatically at a specific future date and time. You can schedule an activity up to 30 days in advance.

For example, if you'd like to post an announcement about an upcoming event like a PTM, you can schedule it beforehand and it will be sent out automatically at the specified time.


2. What is the minimum and maximum time I can schedule an activity for?

  • Minimum: 5 minutes in advance

  • Maximum: 30 days in advance


3. Does a scheduled activity require approval?
Yes, if the person scheduling the activity does not have permission to post without approval, the following workflow applies:

  • The activity can be reviewed and approved by an admin before the scheduled time.

  • If it is approved in advance, it will be posted as scheduled.

  • If it is not approved by the scheduled time, it will move to the Unapproved Activities section. The admin can then manually approve and send it to parents.


4. Will a scheduled activity get posted without approval?
No, if the user scheduling the activity does not have auto-approval permission, the post will not be sent to parents automatically. Instead, it will appear under the Unapproved Activities section and will need to be approved manually by an admin.


5. Are there separate permissions for scheduling activities?
No, there are no separate permissions for scheduling.
Any user with permission to POST ACTIVITY can also schedule activities.


6. What types of activities can be scheduled?
All activities listed under Parent Communication > Activities can be scheduled, including custom-created activities.

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