Introduction
Why Family Engagement Matters
ParentSquare began with a simple, deeply held belief: every family—no matter their schedule, language, or background—deserves to feel connected to their child’s school life.
What started as a grassroots effort in just four local schools has since grown into a platform that supports over 20 million family-teacher connections across the country.
But along the way, I’ve learned something important: technology alone isn’t enough. True family engagement doesn’t happen by accident—it takes intention. It takes systems, routines, and a shared commitment to making families feel seen, heard, and valued.
That’s why I started this guide.
Whether you’re a district leader, a school administrator, or a teacher in the classroom, my hope is that this month-by-month roadmap helps you move beyond one-way updates—and into real, ongoing partnership with the families you serve.
And like ParentSquare itself, this is a living guide—built to evolve with your feedback, questions, and ideas.
Inside, you’ll find templates, tools, and practical ideas—but more than that, you’ll find heart. Because our goal isn’t just to communicate better. It’s to build something better—together.
Let’s begin.
Anu Vaid
Founder & President
Have ideas on how we can improve the guide? We’d love your feedback—share with us here.
Introduction
Why Family Engagement Matters
ParentSquare began with a simple, deeply held belief: every family—no matter their schedule, language, or background—deserves to feel connected to their child’s school life.
What started as a grassroots effort in just four local schools has since grown into a platform that supports over 20 million family-teacher connections across the country.
But along the way, I’ve learned something important: technology alone isn’t enough. True family engagement doesn’t happen by accident—it takes intention. It takes systems, routines, and a shared commitment to making families feel seen, heard, and valued.
That’s why I started this guide.
Whether you’re a district leader, a school administrator, or a teacher in the classroom, my hope is that this month-by-month roadmap helps you move beyond one-way updates—and into real, ongoing partnership with the families you serve.
And like ParentSquare itself, this is a living guide—built to evolve with your feedback, questions, and ideas.
Inside, you’ll find templates, tools, and practical ideas—but more than that, you’ll find heart. Because our goal isn’t just to communicate better. It’s to build something better—together.
Let’s begin.
Anu Vaid
Founder & President
Have ideas on how we can improve the guide? We’d love your feedback—share with us here.
Preparing for the New Year
The school year doesn’t start in August—preparation, planning, and thoughtful setup need to start much earlier. The summer months are critical to laying the foundation for a successful communication year. By taking action now, you set the stage for a year where communication feels intentional, not reactive.
Your Goal: Set your district and schools up for communication success by cleaning up systems, organizing groups, refreshing templates, and ensuring alignment.
Top 3 Takeaways:
- Create groups that parents can join. Do not send everything to everyone. Set up groups that families can join based on their needs and interests (PTA, Athletics, Clubs, Volunteer Teams, etc.).
- Establish Weekly Communication Days. Create a predictable rhythm by assigning specific days for communication, such as “District Tuesdays” and “School Thursdays.”, so families know when to expect important information and look out for the digest that day.
- Encourage Families to Download the App. The mobile app offers the best ParentSquare experience—instant alerts, easy access to posts, messages, calendar events, forms, and more. Promote app downloads early and often.
Ready to dive deeper?
Explore the full chapter for practical checklists, sample posts, templates, and strategies you can share with your team. From cleaning up contact data to launching your first newsletter, this chapter helps you turn summer planning into a school year built on trust and consistency.
Available as a printable PDF.
Back-to-School Communications
First impressions to students and families matter. After all, you only get one! August is your opportunity to welcome families into a new school year, build trust, and establish communication norms. Now that foundational tools and templates are in place, it’s time to execute. This chapter includes guidance and communication norms you can provide to schools and teachers for a successful year.
Your Goal for August
By the end of the month, families should:
- Feel genuinely welcomed by the district, school, and teacher
- Know how to use ParentSquare (or your centralized app) to stay connected
- Receive timely, consistent communications from multiple levels
- Be connected to key interest-based groups (e.g., PTA, Celebrations)
- Begin responding to posts, signing up for events, or completing forms
Explore the full August chapter for checklists, sample welcome messages, templates, survey ideas, and celebration strategies. Whether you’re launching your district newsletter or helping a teacher make their first post, this chapter supports your team in turning back-to-school excitement into communication success.
Let’s turn first impressions into lasting connections.
Available as a printable PDF.
Building Attendance Habits Early + Sustaining Connection & Routines
September is when first-day energy turns into everyday habits. This month is all about helping students and families settle into consistent attendance, trusted communication rhythms, and routines that last all year. With Attendance Awareness Month as the backdrop, you have a perfect opportunity to reinforce why “every day counts” while keeping families engaged and informed. Your Goal for September By the end of the month, families should:- Understand the importance of daily attendance and feel supported in building healthy routines.
- Be actively engaged in school groups, volunteer opportunities, and events.
- Know where to find information about classroom activities, field trips, and extracurriculars.
- Feel confident in how to communicate with teachers and schools.
- Be ready for upcoming touchpoints like Back-to-School Night and parent-teacher conferences.
Explore the full September chapter for checklists, campaign ideas, sample messages, and tips from ParentSquare users. Whether you’re running an attendance challenge, launching community groups, or preparing for conferences, this month is about turning routines into results.
Let’s turn consistent connection into stronger outcomes.
Available as a printable PDF.Coming soon…
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Have ideas on how we can improve the guide?
We’d love your feedback—share with us here.
