With ParentSquare, a unified app for school communication, parents and guardians can now receive all announcements from the district and their children’s schools and teachers in one place, with options to specify how and when they are notified.

Riverview School District has launched ParentSquare—a simple and unified school-to-home communication platform—to reach and engage every parent, helping ensure all parents have the opportunity to actively participate in their children’s education. ParentSquare is now available for staff and parents to use on their computers or mobile devices.

By unifying multiple tools into one communications app and service, ParentSquare provides a seamless experience for parents and staff. Over the coming year parents will be able to keep track of news, activities and events from all their children’s schools in one place.

“Effective school-to-home communication has never been more important, which is why Riverview adopted the ParentSquare communication platform. We’re looking forward to reaching 100% of our families no matter where they are, unifying all our communications tools." - Dr. Susan Leach, Superintendent of Schools.

Click on the dots for quick info, or scroll to learn more and get started with ParentSquare!

Quick Link Info

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Unified Communication

ParentSquare is an easy-to-use communication tool that combines multiple communication streams into one convenient interface for families and staff. Over the coming year, the Riverview School District will be transitioning from our current notification systems, Constant Contact and School Messenger, to a much more robust communication platform, ParentSquare. All families will receive an invite by the district to engage with ParentSquare. From there, they'll be able to set their preferred communication mode, view alerts and posts, interact with staff, and have a one-stop shop for all district and school communication. ParentSquare will now be the direct way we communicate non-instructional information from the classroom, school, and district.

Introduction video:

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Deployment Timeline

Riverview will focus on getting staff first, then parents connected over the coming months. Our goal is to have 100% connectivity.

As we move through the coming months we will be using ParentSquare for Urgent Alerts, Alerts and Posts from the District Office in combination with School Messenger and Constant Contact. At the end of the school year we will retire both of these applications*. In addition to Urgent Alerts, families will also be able to see a school directory as well as the school and district calendars.

Through the remainder of this school year and into the 2023-24 school year we will expand the use of Parent Square to include many more features:

Mass notifications and urgent alerts with two-way communication
Consolidated, newsfeed-style contacts from multiple sources when and how they’re wanted
Mobile application for staff and parents (iOS and Android)
Attendance notifications
Teacher and classroom communication
Direct messaging with two-way translation
Social (Facebook and Twitter) and website share
Useful links
Volunteering and classroom supply sign-ups
Setup and implementation of StudentSquare (the student equivalent of ParentSquare)

* Retirement of Constant Contact and School Messenger is subject to change. Community members interested in District news are encouraged to subscribe to the news feed from the district and all schools.

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Get Started

Watch your email inbox for your account activation link.
Download the mobile app from your phone app store.
Click through the slides below to get familiar with the mobile app:

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t my student bring his/her own computer to school (BYOD)?

There are several reasons why we are providing the same computing devices to all students: safety, instruction, technical support, and equity. Safety: We have installed web filters and have other safety precautions that help prevent students from accessing inappropriate or unsafe websites while at school or home. We can’t be sure that devices brought from home meet this same standard. Instruction: Every district device has the same software, so teachers can efficiently teach entire classes and help individual students. Trying to teach a lesson with several different kinds of software and/or different versions of that software is very difficult. Technical Support: We can provide more robust technical support by having all students use the same device. We can’t offer the same level of support to an unlimited universe of devices, which could lead to more computer downtime and lost learning opportunities. Equity: Many families cannot afford to purchase laptops for their children. If all students are using the same device, they can focus on what they are learning with the device, not on who has which device and what else is on it.
What if a student forgets to charge their laptop and the battery is dead?

IT has provided teachers with two spare charging cords for students to use in the classroom if needed. There are not enough spare charging cords or power outlets for all students; however, so the best solution is for students to develop a routine for charging their laptops each night.
What if my student forgets to bring the laptop to school?

The LRC has a small number of “loaner” devices for students to check out for the school day if needed. Priority for these loaners goes to students experiencing equipment issues outside their control. Again, there are only a limited number of these loaner devices available.
What happens if a student’s laptop is broken after checkout?

If a laptop breaks, it should be turned into IT for repair. During this time, the district will provide a loaner laptop, for which the student is liable while it is in their possession. Once the original laptop is fixed, the student will be notified to return the loaner for the original device. If the damage to the laptop is determined to have been caused by student negligence or abuse, there will be a fine assessed for the repair costs, as stated in the contract.
What if the laptop is stolen?

A stolen laptop needs to be reported ASAP to IT. For insurance coverage, a police report must be filed and a copy provided to the school within five days. The student will be able to check out a loaner device until the loss issue is resolved and a permanent replacement device provided.
How will my student be protected from objectionable material?

Filtering software is installed on each laptop. This software runs even when students are not at school. Objectionable websites are screened out; however, no filtering system is perfect. If a student inadvertently accesses an objectionable website, students and/or parents can alert IT, and they will address the issue.
How can I monitor computer use at home?

apParent allows a parent to view a student's laptop screen outside of school hours for monitoring purposes. New functionality includes setting useable hours, and time lapse recordings of the laptop screen - all from your smartphone. This is an opt-in service, available to all parents / guardians listed in the Skyward system. PLEASE NOTE - You must verify and use your email address on record in Skyward for the app to work. Request more information apParent User Manual
What is we don't have internet at home?

Office 365 enables students to work in the desktop version of OneNote without Internet access. Some school assignments may require Internet access, but many do not. If a student qualifies for free or reduced lunch, their family is eligible for reduced-cost Internet through Internet Essentials. This program offers basic home Internet service for $9.95 a month plus tax, with no activation fees, equipment rental fees, or price increases. For more information, visit InternetEssentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376. We also have a small number of mobile hotspots that can be borrowed upon request. These are subject to availability, and require a decent cellular signal to be functional.