Sending notices and messages

There are two main ways to reach people. A notice appears on the Notice Board in the staff, student and family portals, and can also go out by text message. A quick message goes straight to the mobile numbers you enter. For routine events, automatic notifications send the message for you.

Before you start

• Notices are managed under Front Desk > Notice Board, and quick messages under Front Desk > Quick SMS. You need permission for each.
• Portal notices work without any messaging provider. Text and WhatsApp messages need a provider connected for your institution. Availability, providers and costs vary by country and provider.
• If you do not see this option, it may not be included in your plan or your role may not have permission; ask your administrator.

Steps

Post a notice

1. Go to Front Desk > Notice Board and click Post Notice.
2. Enter the Title and Content. Choose a Category: General, Event, Holiday, Exam or Urgent.
3. Choose the Audience: Everyone, Students, Staff or Families. To narrow it, set a Target Class and Target Section.
4. Set the Priority (Low, Normal, High or Urgent), the Publish Date and, if the notice should drop off later, an Expiry Date.
5. Optionally add an Attachment (link), tick Pin to top, or mark it as Emergency.
6. Under Delivery Channels, the portal is always included. Tick Send SMS to the audience if you also want a text message to go out.
7. Save the notice as Published, or keep it as a Draft to finish later.

See who has read a notice

1. In the notice list, open Read Receipts on the notice.
2. The list shows each person who acknowledged it and when. If nobody has yet, the screen says so.

Send a quick message

1. Go to Front Desk > Quick SMS.
2. Enter the receiver mobile number or numbers.
3. Write the message in the compose box and click Send SMS.

Set up automatic notifications

1. Go to Settings > Auto Notifications.
2. Select an event from the list and subscribe to it.
3. Choose the Message Type and the Receiver, then write the Message. Choosing a receiver shows the fields you can insert, such as a name, which are filled in for each person when the message goes out.
4. Save. You can later enable or disable each notification.

Good to know

• A text message for a notice is only sent when the notice is first published. Editing it later does not send it again.
• Families and students see the texts they received under SMS & Alerts in their portal. Your sent messages are listed under Reports & History > SMS history.
• Other screens can also send messages, for example fee defaulter reminders, result messages and absence alerts from attendance.
• Reusable wording lives in Message Templates, so staff do not have to retype common messages.
• Each text message may carry a cost from your provider. Check charges before sending to a large audience.

Common questions

Can I send a notice only to one class's parents?
Yes. Choose Families as the audience and set the Target Class, and section if needed.

For an overview, see Front Office.