ParentSquare

ParentSquare is Tooele County School District’s new communication platform designed to keep families informed and connected. With ParentSquare, you’ll receive all school and classroom messages in one place, whether by email, text, app, or web, and in your preferred language. It’s easy to use and helps streamline communication between parents, teachers, and schools, making it simpler to stay up to date on events, announcements, and important updates.

Nearly two years ago, we surveyed our schools and found that over 50 different apps and platforms were being used to communicate with families. This created confusion, limited oversight, and raised concerns about data privacy. By moving to one comprehensive system, we’re able to better protect student information, ensure consistent communication across the district, and provide a more convenient experience for families. ParentSquare is a key part of our commitment to safety, transparency, and meaningful engagement.

Click to access ParentSquare:

Click the images below to download ParentSquare app:

This FAQ is designed to help families and students understand how to use ParentSquare and StudentSquare, Tooele County School District’s new communication platforms. It will be updated as new questions arise. And thank you for your patience as we launch and learn the best ways to implement this convenient new communications platform.

General Overview

Q: What’s the difference between ParentSquare and StudentSquare?
A: There really is no difference other than some very minimal branding. ParentSquare is the main communication platform used by TCSD for parents, families, and school staff to stay connected. StudentSquare is the same basic platform, just a different name a slightly different look. A student can sign in to either platform using their school email address. This FAQ includes information relevant to both platforms.

Getting Started

Q: How do I access ParentSquare?
A: Visit www.parentsquare.com or download the free app from the App Store or Google Play. When looking for the app, parents and guardians should use ParentSquare, while students can use StudentSquare. Log in using the email or phone number registered with your school through the Skyward SIS system. Students use their school email.

Q: Do I need to create an account?
A: Your account is already created using the information in Skyward. You should have received an invitation email or text to activate your account around September 12, 2025. Follow the instructions to set up your login. However, if you didn’t receive an invitation, no problem. You can still register through the website or the app by using the email or phone number on file with the school.

Features and Communication

Q: What can I do with ParentSquare?
A: You can receive messages from your school and the district, view calendar events, send and receive messages with teachers and staff, and control how and when you receive notifications.

Q: Can I reply to messages?
A: Yes. You can reply to messages sent by teachers or staff. Replies are private and go directly to the sender unless otherwise specified. While the app and online experience is a little deeper, parents can also reply with a text message without downloading the app.

Q: How do I change my notification settings?
A: In the app or website, go to your account settings and choose “Notification Settings.” You can select how you want to receive messages (email, text, app push) and when (instant, daily digest, or never). The digest feature allows you to receive all messages from that day in one notification.

Troubleshooting

Q: What if I didn’t receive my activation email or text?
A: Check your spam folder. If it’s not there, no problem. You can also register through the website or the app by using the email or phone number on file with the school.

Q: What if I’m not receiving messages?
A: First, check your notification settings in ParentSquare. Make sure your contact information is correct in Skyward. If everything looks correct and you’re still not receiving messages, contact your school for assistance.

Q: Is my contact information visible to others?
A: No. Your personal contact information in ParentSquare is not visible to other parents or students. Some contact information is still available for staff through Skyward. Messages you receive will show the sender’s name but not their personal contact details.

Support and Resources

Q: Where can I find help or tutorials?
A: Click the question mark icon in the top right corner of the ParentSquare website or in the app click on the hamburger menu and click on "Help" to access help topics and videos. You can also visit the ParentSquare Help Center online for more detailed guides.

For Staff

While there are a lot of similarities withing the platform for parents and staff, this section is designed to support TCSD staff and teachers as we transition to using ParentSquare, our new district-wide communication platform. It provides answers to common questions, guidance on best practices, and updates on the implementation timeline. As we continue to learn and adapt, this document will be updated to reflect new questions, features, and feedback from staff. We encourage everyone to read through this FAQ sheet to help you get started and check back occasionally for updated information.

Getting Started

Q: How do I access ParentSquare?
A: When we officially launched on September 10, you should have also received an email invitation to activate your account. You can also go to www.parentsquare.com or download the ParentSquare app (iOS/Android) and log in using your district email.

Q: Do I need to set up my classes or contacts?
A: No. Your school and class rosters should be preloaded. You’ll see your students and families automatically linked to your account.

Q: What if my classes or schools I am assigned to are wrong or incomplete?
A: If you feel your roles, schools, or permissions need to be updated, especially for those staff members assigned to multiple schools, you can email the Help Desk. Please use “ParentSquare Help” in the subject line and indicate what specific changes need to be made. Since most changes are tied to Skyward, it can take 1-2 days for the updates to reflect on your ParentSquare account.

Basic Features and Navigation

Q: What can I do with ParentSquare?
A: Availability to some features varies depending on your role, but you can:

Send posts and messages to the school, your class, and families
Use Smart Alerts for urgent communications (text, email, voice)
Translate messages into families’ preferred languages
Share calendar events
Review the reach and engagement of your messages
Set your notification preferences and working hours

Q: What’s the difference between a post and a direct message?
A: Posts are public information shared with your class, extracurricular group, or school community. Direct Messages are private, one-on-one or small group conversations with parents or staff. Think of Posts like a social media post and Messages as emails to selected individuals.

Q: How do I change my notification settings?
A: Click your name in the top right corner through the web version and then → Manage account → Notification Settings (on the left side of that page). On the app, click on the hamburger menu and the account on the left-hand side. In here, you can choose how and when you receive alerts (email, text, app push) along with other account-level updates.

Communication Tips

Q: Can I schedule messages to go out later?
A: Yes and no. When creating a Post, use the “Schedule” option to choose a future date and time. You can also save it as a draft to finish it later. However, when sending a Message, scheduling features are not available.

Q: How do I translate messages?
A: ParentSquare automatically detects the preferred language of each parent and translates your message. This applies to any communication through the platform. You can also manually preview translations before sending.

Q: Can I use graphics and images in ParentSquare posts?
A: While you are able to insert images and files to your posts, it is also important to understand the files such as .jpg, .tif, .pdf, etc do come with limitations. Those files need to include "alt text" in order to be ADA compliant. Information in those files are also not searchable or translatable. So those types of files should only be used to support the content of your post and not contain much if any text. A PDF file of a school newsletter is not the proper way to send information. There are templates in the "Studio Editor" tab to help with newsletters and other regular messages that are sent to your school/class.

Q: Can parents reply to my messages?
A: The default setting does NOT let parents reply to Posts for others to see, just the author and group managers/owners. You can also control whether individuals can reply to everyone in a Message or just you. These settings can be adjusted, but it is recommended to make the default setting not include replies to everyone.

Limitations and Access

Q: Are all ParentSquare features available to us?
A: Not currently. TCSD’s version does not include RSVPs, Forms, Payments, Volunteering, and Appointments.

Q: Can parents and other employees see my personal information?
A: No. Even though TCSD’s version does not include RSVPs, Forms, Payments, Volunteering, and Appointments.

Support and Training

Q: Where can I find help or tutorials?
A: There are a few places for you to learn more about ParentSquare. Communications and Ed Tech teams are creating some materials to help answer basic questions and get people started. These will be available on the Communications webpage and on the “Staff Login” under the Communications tab. ParentSquare also has some great resources to better understand the platform.

Click the question mark icon in the top right of the ParentSquare site or app for help topics and videos.
Visit ParentSquare Help Center
Ed Techs and Communications are available for group training. (Your staff should be familiar with PSQ beforehand for a better experience)

Troubleshooting

Q: I didn’t receive my activation email. What should I do?
A: Check your spam folder. If it’s not there, contact the Communications Department.

Q: My contact information is not correct, or I want to add my cell phone. What should I do?
A: The best place to update your contact information is through Skyward. That will help keep accurate information through multiple platforms, and information updated only in ParentSquare may be changed with Skyward information during the nightly sync.

Q: Is my contact information viewable by the public and other staff members?
A: No. Personal information is not viewable by parents, students, or other staff members. This also applies to messages sent from PSQ. The recipient will see the message or text is from you, but it will contain generic contact information that isn’t tied to you personally.

Q: A parent says they aren’t receiving messages. What should they do?
A: The parent should confirm their contact info is correct in Skyward. If it is, direct them to check their notification settings in ParentSquare or contact the Help Desk.