The Muscogee County School District uses Blackboard Connect, a telephone notification/messaging service, to communicate with parents and district employees. Blackboard Connect allows administrators to personally contact parents about emergencies, events, and other important issues that impact you and your child throughout the school year. Principals and administrators use Blackboard Connect to send a personalized voice message to your family's home, work, or cell phone. For example, principals can make one phone call and reach all of the parents, employees, or a combination of both within minutes. The service also offers email and text message capability.

Text messages are likely not to be used due to the need for clarity and accuracy. Some service providers may limit the number of characters used in a text message. It is important that parents and employees receive the entire message sent from school to home via Blackboard Connect.

Contact your child's school if you receive a message that is incomplete or cut-off.

Be sure to supply accurate contact information to your child's school

• All Contact Numbers (Home, Cell, Work)
• Email Address
• Home Address

Blackboard Connect will detect answering services and leave a message after the beep. Outreach messages typically go to the home phone number. Emergency messages go to numbers supplied by you (up to six numbers).

Parents are responsible for making sure accurate contact information is on file at their child's school. Changes include name, address, emergency numbers for home, work, cell phone and email address(es). If the information is not accurate, you may not receive messages sent via Blackboard Connect.

The information must be on file at your child's school in order for principals and district administrators to send important messages to you via Blackboard Connect. Once information is changed, it usually takes up to 24 hours to update in the Blackboard Connect system.

Emergencies (Up to six phone numbers can be contacted.)

• Crisis/Safety
• School Closings
• Cancellations
• Bus Delays

Outreach Messages

• Open House
• Test Schedules
• PTA Meetings
• School Events
• Report Cards

Attendance

• Notification of Student Absence (Primary Use of Connect-ED)

Timeline for Attendance Notifications to Parents:

• Elementary Schools 8:45 am
• Middle Schools 9:45 am
• High Schools 9:10 am
• SIG Schools 8:25 am *(School Improvement Grant Schools start at 7:40 a.m.)

Attendance messages are sent during these times to inform you of your child's absence and for safety concerns. Parents should verify absences by contacting their child's school. Please note, parents will still get an attendance notification message even if you have notified the school that your child will be out for a particular day or week. This is verification of school attendance records and notification to parents.

Single Survey

• Will vary depending on your child's school

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Principals are also expected to communicate with parents continuously through traditional methods (letters, flyers, newsletters, and the school website) about events, programs, or announcements. Principals are encouraged to send a wrap or summary message (no more than two per month) about upcoming events or issues at school to effectively communicate with parents and school employees. This will keep parents informed, but also limit the number of calls received for matters other than attendance or emergencies.