Connect and collaborate with parents and guardians

Misty Flowers

July 09, 2024 19:40

Once you get organized and learn how to manage the participants in your chatrooms and direct messages area of your mobile app's chat feature, you are ready to do what the chat was made for: connect and collaborate!

This is a Chat for Teachers article helping teachers with everything they need to communicate via chat with parents and guardians. Teachers are at the Chat Manager Level.

Not a teacher? Check out Chat for Parents & Guardians or Chat for School Leaders for more personalized help!

Chat in a chat room

Are you a visual learner?

Skip straight to the video tutorial!

The top half of your chat screen in your mobile app includes a list of all of the chatrooms in which you are either a Chat Manager or Chat Participant. As Chat Manager, you can set the scene, creating a positive and engaging environment for all participants. For any questions about your chat role, reach out to your main site admin or check out the article for School Leaders, "Assign chat roles, create rooms, and manage members."

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Click to read messages in chat rooms with a notification bubble next to them. This means you have Unread Messages.
Once inside a room, start a chat message by typing text into the Message box at the bottom.
- Upload from Photo Library, Take a Photo or Video, and/or Choose Files.
- Format your text.
- Click the send icon to share this message with the chat room.
Hold down on a message to open up the quick action menu where you can:
- Reply and send send files such as images, documents, and more.
- React with an emoji so that everyone feels seen and heard!
- Report inappropriate communication to your district and school admins.

Quick Tutorial: Chat in a chat room

1. Let's learn all that you can do in a chat room. Once you are on the Chat Dashboard, click on a Chat Room to open it up and start chatting!

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2. To add a new Chat message, tap into the text box at the bottom and start typing your message.

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3. Let's practice replying to a thread. Click to open a chat room.

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4. After you hold down briefly on any message, this menu will appear. Here you can React with an emoji, Reply to a message, and even Report inappropriate or offensive conduct.

Tap Reply in Thread to start a reply to this message.

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5. Once you click send, your message will appear in the thread below the original message.

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6. Now you have added a message in a Thread! Great job!

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7. Let's practice using emojis to react to a message! Tap to open another chat room.

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8. When you hold down briefly on a message, the emojis menu will pop up! Select an emoji.

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9. Your emoji will appear below the message.

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10. Emojis also brighten up the chat room and help everyone to feel seen and heard. Have fun with them!

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11. Let's practice sending a File in a chat room message. Tap to open up a chat room.

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12. To attach a file, tap on the paper clip in the text box at the bottom of the chat window.

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13. You can even type your message first before clicking on the paper clip to include a message with your file attachment. (ADD ARROW TO PAPER CLIP)

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14. The paper clip will open a menu giving you the option to select something from your Photo Library, to Take Photo or Video, or to Choose Files. Let's select Choose Files to post a PDF file into this chat room.

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15. Wherever you store your files on your phone, navigate to this area and select the folder.

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16. Next you can select your file. We'll select our newsletter so it can be posted in the chat room.

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17. Check your message one more time or edit to add more. Click to send!

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18. Now you've posted a file! Remember you can also post photos and gifs and so much more!

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19. Tap open another chat room for some more practice!

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20. Speaking of posting other media, let's share a photo! Add your message and then Tap the paper clip to go select your media.

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21. We'll return to our folder where we have a QR code image waiting to be posted. Tap on Choose Files.

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22. Select your image you'd like to post.

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23. Confirm your message before clicking send!

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24. Your message will post with the image you selected.

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25. Now you can go chat and connect with others using Finalsite Chat! Great job!

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Send and receive direct messages

Create a new direct message.
Reply to direct messages.
Message multiple parents at once.
Send files, photos, and fliers.
Send links, files, photos, and fliers.
Increase engagement with emojis!
React to a chat message or direct message.

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Quick Tutorial: Communicate with Direct Messages

1. Let's learn how the Direct Messages section works! Locate Direct Messages in the bottom half of your dashboard.

Tap the + sign to start a new Direct Message.

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2. Tap into the window to Search by name for a recipient.

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3. Select a recipient and their name will appear at the top next to the To field. Click the Create Message button to start your message!

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4. Type your message to the recipient.

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5. Your message will appear in the window once you've sent it. Now you can track your communication in the same panel with this recipient.

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6. Tap on a recipient's name to read and/or reply to an existing message.

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7. Want to add another message or reply? Tap again in the message box. Consider attaching media to your message by clicking on the paper clip.

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8. Click iPhone 13: Starlight

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9. Type your message and click send.

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10. Your new message appears with a timestamp of the date and time it was sent.

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11. Did you know you can create a Direct Message with multiple recipients? This is great for including multiple parents or mutual teachers. Click the + sign to try this out.

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12. Start searching by name or scroll to select your recipients.

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13. Check the box next to each recipient you'd like to add to this single message.

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14. Add another recipient once you see the first appear next to the To field.

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15. Add as many recipients as you need, but remember to keep in mind FERPA and COPPA requirements to protect the privacy of student records and data in all of your communication.

Click Create Message when you are ready to start your message.

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16. Click the paper clip icon if you want to send any files or other media. Then click send to start communicating in a direct message with multiple recipients.

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17. Hold down in the window if you want to Paste a link that you have copied from somewhere else.

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18. Your link will appear in the message and will be clickable once you tap send!

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19. Now you know how to send a link in a Direct Message!

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20. Want to react with emojis? Simply hold down on a message until the quick actions menu appears.

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21. Select an emoji. Here you can also Reply in a Thread or Report inappropriate communication.

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22. Your emoji will appear beneath the message.

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23. Click iPhone 13: Starlight

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24. Now you know how to communicate with Direct Messages in Finalsite Chat! Great job!