Good afternoon, CCS families:
Here's ten back-to-school communications tips to make sure you stay connected with CCS and our schools throughout the school year.
1. Check your contact info: Your contact information is the most critical piece of the communications puzzle, and it's part of our PowerSchool database. Please make sure your contact information is up-to-date in PowerSchool by contacting your school's data manager. Our communications systems rely on accurate information in PowerSchool to reach you.
2. Register your ParentSquare account: ParentSquare is the primary communications tool used by the district to contact our students and families. Your contact information is synced directly from PowerSchool. Did you know that you can choose how (email, text, app) and when (instant, digest) you can receive notifications in ParentSquare? Did you know that ParentSquare can overcome the language barrier by auto-translating into your preferred language? To find out how to adjust your notification settings, choose your language, and to utilize many other user-selected features, please visit our ParentSquare for Parents webpage.
3. Follow us on social media: Our district and schools maintain social media accounts to provide an additional avenue of information to our community. Please follow the district Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube accounts; visit our LinkTree for news updates; and, follow your individual school social media pages. While we welcome your comments on our social media pages, please note our commenting guidelines.
4. Visit our district and school websites: The purpose of the Cabarrus County Schools webpage is to provide students, parents, staff, and the community with access to important information and resources. The district and school sites offer updates on school events, academic programs, district policies, and services, while also serving as a platform for communication through announcements, news, and contact details. It ensures that all stakeholders stay informed and engaged with the school district and our schools. Our most searched-for items may be found in the "I want to" dropdown of the webpage. Other information may be found by clicking the search 🔎 icon at the top and searching for keywords or by utilizing the A-Z Index, an alphabetical listing of topics.
5. Check out The Friday Five: Please take a moment to read The Friday Five. The Friday Five is delivered via ParentSquare on Fridays at 5 P.M. and contains important district information including reminders, calendar events, updates, and upcoming community engagement opportunities.
6. Be a partner with your child's school to support your child’s learning: Regular communication with your child's school and teacher(s) is essential for their academic success and well-being. It helps you stay informed about your child's progress, address any concerns early, and build a strong partnership with the teachers and administrators. This collaboration ensures that your child receives the support they need, both at school and at home, to thrive in their educational journey. Talk about school matters with your student at home and always reach out to your child's school or teacher through ParentSquare direct messages, email, or by phone if you have questions or concerns.
7. Communicating during a crisis: During emergency situations, our top priority is ensuring the safety of our students and staff and securing our campuses. Most times, we will not communicate information externally until the situation is resolved. In today’s information on-demand society, it is easy to understand why expectations for immediate information about situations exist. We know students begin contacting their parents and sharing information on social media as soon as an incident occurs (or even in real time as it is unfolding) – a result of the times in which we live. However, this can lead to incomplete and often times incorrect information being conveyed. As a district, we want to ensure we are communicating complete and accurate information to parents, the media and our community. Once we have resolved a situation or have secured the safety of our students and staff, we will communicate as quickly as we can, first through ParentSquare (the primary and official source for CCS information), and then other channels (social media, website, media), if necessary.
8. Ask us for photos: Our CCS Communications team (Mike and Caroline) takes a lot of great photos. If you see a photo on our social media or website and would like to have the hi-resolution version for your personal use, please reach out to us at cabcoschools@cabarrus.k12.nc.us, and we will gladly share those precious memories with you.
9. Be ready for inclement weather: In the event of inclement weather leading to hazardous road conditions and unsafe travel, the superintendent or their designee will consult with district leadership and local emergency officials to decide whether schools will open late or be postponed. If a delayed start or closure is necessary, we aim to make a decision prior to our high school buses beginning their routes at approximately 5:00 am. The district will communicate its decision through ParentSquare first. We will also utilize our website, social media pages, and local news stations. Remember that the information posted to CCS sites is the official information from the district. We encourage parents to have childcare arrangements set in anticipation of school closings and delays. Our KIDS:PLUS programs are not open when school is closed for inclement weather. Unless you are notified through the official CCS channels listed above, Cabarrus County Schools is operating on a normal schedule.
10. Look for important documents, photos, and videos in your ParentSquare folder: ParentSquare is a safe and secure domain to share photos, videos and files. Registered users have access to all photos, videos and files that are shared throughout the school year through ParentSquare. Parents are able to view files shared in the classroom, school-wide events and groups. To learn how to access these, log in to your ParentSquare account and access this tutorial.
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