This article provides ready-to-use communication templates for introducing the Finalsite Mobile App and Finalsite Chat to families, including a launch announcement, a safety and privacy letter for parents and guardians, an evergreen "how to get started" page, a download reminder, and an internal note for staff.
💡Quick answers
- Which template should be used? Templates A, B, and C are for launching the app or Chat. Templates D and E are for ongoing use after launch. Districts launching Chat should send Template B alongside Template A, not after it.
- What app name should families search for? The school or district name, in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Confirm the exact listing name before publishing it, since families will search that string literally.
- Do families have to download the app to use Chat? No. Chat is also available through a web address that works in any browser. See "Chat for school leaders: Web Chat Option" to find the district's URL.
- What is the most important field to fill in? The expected response time. Two-way messaging fails most often because families expect immediate replies and staff do not know what was promised on their behalf. Every template below asks for it.
- Can these templates be used in an email, on a website, or in a newsletter? Yes. The text is designed to work in any format. Copy the version needed and fill in the bracketed fields.
Before using these templates
Decisions to make first. These determine what the templates say, and they cannot be filled in later.
- Set an expected response time, and tell staff before telling families. One school day is a common commitment. Decide it with the staff who will be answering, and publish the same number to families and to staff.
- Decide whether students participate, and at what level. Student access is configured by Finalsite support and cannot be self-activated. Direct messaging can be limited to teachers only, opened to teachers and parents, or disabled entirely. See "Chat for school leaders: Include students in Chat communication." Families will ask which grades have access, so settle it before announcing.
- Confirm how families sign in. Credentials may come from the school portal account or from a third-party system such as an SIS or single sign-on provider. See "Mobile App for school leaders: Decide how visitors log in and access your mobile app content."
- Name a single support contact. Account and credential issues are handled by district staff, not by Finalsite. One monitored address works better than a list of school offices.
Checks to run before sending.
- Search the app stores on both an iPhone and an Android device and confirm the district's app is the first result for the name being published.
- Sign in as a parent-role test account, open Chat, and confirm the expected rooms appear. See "Chat for school leaders: Assign chat roles, create rooms, and manage members."
- Confirm the web chat address loads for families who will not install the app.
- Do not publish language counts. The number of supported interface and translation languages changes over time and differs between the app and Chat. Link to "Language translation in Finalsite's Mobile App" and "Real-time language translation in Finalsite Chat" rather than printing a figure that will go stale on a district web page.
- Translate the finished message before sending it. A communication announcing translation support should not arrive in English only.
- Replace all text in [BRACKETS] and remove any italicized instruction lines.
Launch templates: Announcing the app and Chat
Use these templates when introducing the mobile app or Chat to families for the first time. Districts launching Chat should send Template B in the same week as Template A.
Replace all [BRACKETED] fields. Remove this instruction line before sending.
Subject: Introducing the [DISTRICT NAME] app
Dear [Community Name],
Starting [LAUNCH DATE], families can use the [DISTRICT NAME] app to stay connected to your child's school. It brings news, calendars, alerts, and [IF APPLICABLE: two-way messaging with teachers and staff] into one place on your phone.
How to get it
- Search for [EXACT APP STORE NAME] in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and install it.
- Prefer not to install an app? [IF CHAT IS ENABLED: Visit [WEB CHAT ADDRESS] in any browser to use messaging on a computer or tablet.]
How to sign in
- Sign in with [SIGN-IN METHOD, e.g., the username and password for your [SIS OR PORTAL NAME] account].
- Not sure of your password? Select Forgot password on the sign-in screen to have a reset link sent to the email address on file with the district.
- You can browse public information without signing in, but signing in is required for [IF CHAT IS ENABLED: messaging, ]personalized notifications, and protected content.
What to expect
- You control which notifications you receive, and you can set quiet hours so the app does not alert you overnight.
- Emergency and important announcements are always delivered and cannot be turned off, so you will not miss urgent news.
- The app is available in many languages, and you can choose yours during setup.
- [IF CHAT IS ENABLED: When you message a teacher or staff member, you can expect a response within [RESPONSE WINDOW, e.g., one school day]. For anything urgent, please call [SCHOOL OFFICE PHONE] instead.]
[IF CHAT IS ENABLED: We know families have questions about safety and privacy in a messaging tool. We have answered them at [LINK TO YOUR SAFETY PAGE, see Template B].]
Questions or trouble signing in? Contact [CONTACT NAME OR DEPARTMENT] at [EMAIL OR PHONE].
[YOUR NAME]
[TITLE]
[DISTRICT NAME]
Use as a letter, a web page, or an FAQ section. This template states how Finalsite Chat protects students. Confirm the current compliance language with Finalsite before publishing it in the district's own voice, and have it reviewed by district legal counsel as you would any public privacy statement. Replace all [BRACKETED] fields.
Keeping messaging safe: what families should know about [CHAT NAME, e.g., the [DISTRICT NAME] app's messaging]
Before we introduced messaging, we asked the same questions you are probably asking. Here is how it works and what protections are in place.
Who can message whom
- Conversations happen in two places: chat rooms, which are group conversations the school sets up for classes, teams, or announcements, and direct messages, which are private conversations.
- Rooms and membership are created and controlled by school staff. Families cannot add themselves to a room or create their own.
- [STUDENT ACCESS, e.g., Students in grades [X] through [Y] have access and may message teachers only. Students in grades [X] through [Y] do not have access.]
How messages are monitored
- Every message is reviewed automatically as it is sent, for bullying, threats, self-harm, hate speech, explicit content, and attempts to move a conversation off the platform. Images and video are scanned as well.
- Messages containing profanity are blocked before they are delivered. Other concerning messages are flagged for a school administrator to review.
- Automated review never decides discipline on its own. A person always reviews the context before any action is taken regarding a student.
- Private one-to-one messages are held to a stricter standard than group rooms, because there is no audience and no staff member present.
Reporting something concerning
- Press and hold any message, tap Report, and choose a reason. School administrators are notified and can act immediately.
- Users who repeatedly violate our standards can be temporarily or permanently removed from messaging.
- You can also contact [CONTACT NAME OR DEPARTMENT] at [EMAIL OR PHONE] directly at any time.
Records and privacy
- Messages are archived, including messages that have been edited or deleted. Deleting a message does not remove it from the record.
- Student data is not used to train artificial intelligence models.
- Please do not send medical or health information through messaging. It is not a secure channel for protected health information. Contact [SCHOOL NURSE OR HEALTH OFFICE CONTACT] instead.
What to expect from us
- Messages sent to staff receive a response within [RESPONSE WINDOW, e.g., one school day]. Staff are not expected to respond [OUTSIDE HOURS, e.g., evenings, weekends, or holidays].
- Messaging is not for emergencies. If your child is unsafe or the situation is urgent, call [SCHOOL OFFICE PHONE] or 911.
Questions about any of this? Contact [CONTACT NAME OR DEPARTMENT] at [EMAIL OR PHONE].
Post this on a public page families can reach without signing in, and link to it from every announcement. Replace all [BRACKETED] fields.
The [DISTRICT NAME] app
The [DISTRICT NAME] app keeps families connected to news, calendars, alerts, and [IF APPLICABLE: messaging with teachers and staff] in one place.
How to get it
- Apple devices: search [EXACT APP STORE NAME] in the App Store.
- Android devices: search [EXACT APP STORE NAME] in Google Play.
- In a browser: [IF CHAT IS ENABLED: visit [WEB CHAT ADDRESS] on any computer, tablet, or phone. No download needed.]
How to sign in
| Parents and guardians | [CREDENTIAL SOURCE, e.g., the email address and password for your [SIS OR PORTAL NAME] account] |
| Students | [STUDENT CREDENTIAL SOURCE, or "Students do not have access at this time"] |
| Staff | [STAFF CREDENTIAL SOURCE, e.g., your district sign-in] |
You can browse public information without signing in. Signing in is required for [IF CHAT IS ENABLED: messaging, ]personalized notifications, and protected content.
Choosing your notifications
- Tap the circle with your initials in the top right corner, then tap Notifications.
- Turn individual news topics and mailing lists on or off under Subscriptions.
- [IF CHAT IS ENABLED: Set quiet hours under Chat messages, and mute an individual conversation by opening it and tapping its name.]
- The bell icon holds everything in one list, even if you have turned off notifications on your device.
- Emergency and important announcements are always delivered and cannot be turned off.
[IF CHAT IS ENABLED: Messaging expectations]
- Expect a response within [RESPONSE WINDOW]. Staff are not expected to respond [OUTSIDE HOURS].
- For anything urgent, call [SCHOOL OFFICE PHONE] rather than sending a message.
- Do not send medical or health information through messaging. Contact [SCHOOL NURSE OR HEALTH OFFICE CONTACT] instead.
- Read more about how we keep messaging safe at [LINK TO YOUR SAFETY PAGE].
Languages
The app is available in many languages, and messages can be translated as you read them. Choose your language during setup or from your profile at any time.
Trouble signing in?
- Make sure the app is updated to the most recent version. Most sign-in problems are resolved by updating.
- Select Forgot password and check your spam folder for the reset email.
- Still stuck, or unsure which email address we have on file? Contact [CONTACT NAME OR DEPARTMENT] at [EMAIL OR PHONE]. We maintain your account information and can correct it for you.
Ongoing templates: After launch
Send a few weeks after launch, or at the start of a new school year. Keep the SMS version concise as text messages have character limits.
SMS or push version
[DISTRICT NAME]: Haven't downloaded our app yet? Search "[EXACT APP STORE NAME]" in the App Store or Google Play to get school news and alerts on your phone. Help: [LINK OR CONTACT INFO]
Short email version
Subject: One minute to set up: the [DISTRICT NAME] app
Dear [Community Name],
Some families haven't set up the [DISTRICT NAME] app yet. It takes about a minute, and it's how we send [BRIEF DESCRIPTION, e.g., school news, calendar updates, and urgent alerts].
Search [EXACT APP STORE NAME] in the App Store or Google Play, then sign in with [SIGN-IN METHOD]. If you don't know your password, select Forgot password and check your spam folder for the reset email.
Full setup instructions are at [LINK TO YOUR GETTING STARTED PAGE]. If you can't sign in, or the email address we have on file may be out of date, contact [CONTACT NAME OR DEPARTMENT] at [EMAIL OR PHONE] and we'll help.
[YOUR NAME]
[TITLE]
[DISTRICT NAME]
Send to teachers and staff before announcing messaging to families, so they learn the commitment from the district rather than from a parent. Replace all [BRACKETED] fields.
Subject: What to expect when family messaging launches [LAUNCH DATE]
Colleagues,
On [LAUNCH DATE] we are introducing messaging in the [DISTRICT NAME] app. Families will be able to message staff directly, so we want you to know what we are telling them before they start.
What we are promising families
- A response within [RESPONSE WINDOW, e.g., one school day].
- That staff are not expected to respond [OUTSIDE HOURS, e.g., evenings, weekends, or holidays].
- That urgent matters go to [SCHOOL OFFICE PHONE], not to messaging.
What you should do
- Set quiet hours on your own account so you are not alerted outside working hours. Tap the circle with your initials, then Notifications, then Chat messages.
- Keep conversations in the app rather than moving to personal phone numbers or email. Messages in the app are archived and moderated, which protects you as well as students.
- Do not send or request medical or health information through messaging.
- Report anything concerning by pressing and holding the message and tapping Report. [CONTACT NAME OR DEPARTMENT] is notified.
[IF STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS: Student participation]
[DESCRIBE, e.g., Students in grades [X] through [Y] can message teachers only. All student messages are monitored and archived.]
Questions, or want to talk through how this affects your workload? Contact [CONTACT NAME OR DEPARTMENT] at [EMAIL OR PHONE].
[YOUR NAME]
[TITLE]
[DISTRICT NAME]
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