ParentSquare and Hanover County Public Schools

Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, Hanover County Public Schools will use ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text, phone calls, and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number that is listed in PowerSchool.

We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.

10 Things to Know About ParentSquare

1. The purpose of ParentSquare is to provide a more modern, easy-to-use, and one-stop-shop for families where they can receive communication from HCPS, our schools, and – beginning in the 2025-26 school year – their student’s classroom. This will be accomplished in two phases, beginning with school and HCPS communications for the 2024-25 school year.
2. ParentSquare fully integrates with PowerSchool, and families are automatically opted in to receive notifications. All contact information must be listed correctly in PowerSchool, so please review your student’s information and your contact information to ensure it is accurate.
3. We will be using ParentSquare for transportation and attendance notifications.
4. ParentSquare allows you to receive notifications immediately or you can opt for a nightly digest to minimize the number of notifications you receive throughout the day. Any urgent notifications will override this setting so that you remain in the know about significant situations.
5. ParentSquare offers immediate translation service in most languages, meaning you can receive communications in your preferred language.
6. Downloading the user-friendly app is an easy way to stay connected and one that we strongly recommend each family completes.
7. ParentSquare offers a school directory for you to find contact information for faculty and staff members.
8. You can comment on posts to ask a question or show your appreciation. Only administrators will be able to see your comments.
9. You can also see the school calendar in ParentSquare.
10. All ParentSquare posts are easy to view in a feed that resembles social media.

Sign Up and Stay in the Know

Families will receive an invitation over the summer to activate your account. Once your account is activated, we strongly encourage you to review your notification and language preferences, as well as download the ParentSquare app. Prior to the sending of those invitations (likely late June or early July), we recommend that you confirm that your contact information is correct in PowerSchool to ensure you receive all messages and notifications.

Here is an easy-to-understand getting started guide (Spanish) for once invitations have been sent.

FAQs

What does ParentSquare replace?

For the 2024-25 school year, ParentSquare will replace eConnect as our mass communications platform. Once it is fully implemented, ParentSquare will replace the third-party applications that are currently being used to communicate with families, such as Remind, Seesaw, Google Voice, and more.

Please note that Schoology will remain the learning management system and PowerSchool will continue to be used as our student information system.

How do I sign up or opt-in to receive messages and notifications?

While you don’t have to take any action to receive emails, texts or phone calls, you need to confirm that your contact information is correct in PowerSchool to ensure you receive all messages and notifications. Our student information system (PowerSchool) syncs contact information directly with ParentSquare. If you want to utilize the app, simply download it from the app store and follow the prompts.

Can I access communications for more than one of my students from the same account?

Yes. The first time that you log into the app or web portal, all of your students should automatically be listed in the upper lefthand corner. If you don’t see them, please contact your child’s school.

What are the message/alert/notification categories, and what do they mean?

You can choose to receive messages via email, text, and/or the app.

Can I change the email and/or cell phone number on my account?

While you have the ability to request a change in your contact information in ParentSquare, please contact your child’s school to do so. PowerSchool syncs nightly with ParentSquare to update information and by contacting the school directly, you can ensure that it is updated as soon as possible.

English is not my first language. How can I receive content in my preferred language?


You can customize your language settings by going to "My Account" once you are logged in. From there, you can choose any language that you prefer from the drop-down menu, and you’ll start to receive content in that language. Here is a help article on how to change your language settings.

I get too many messages from school. Is it possible to receive fewer notifications?

Yes! You can customize your notification settings by going to your homepage and clicking on your name in the top right corner and selecting "My Account" from the drop-down menu. On your account page, you can find your notification settings in the top right corner and to customize your notifications. If you’re receiving too many notifications, try changing your setting to "digest", meaning you’ll only receive one condensed message in the evening that contains all communications from your child’s school for that day. Here is a help article on changing your notification settings.

Which contacts sync with ParentSquare?

PowerSchool communicates contact information for those who have custody – as marked in PowerSchool – to ParentSquare. Emergency contacts in PowerSchool would receive only urgent communications.

Dive Deeper

Here is a helpful video for you to watch for an overview of this new system. Please note that while ParentSquare has many offerings, including classroom communication and more, HCPS is offering only school-wide communications at this time. We plan to use more features in the coming school years to help further streamline our communications, making it even easier for our families.

Here are several other resources:

- Parents and Guardians Tips (Spanish)
- Parents and Guardians Training Video (Spanish)
- Parent 101 Self-Paced Training (please note that you must be logged into your ParentSquare account to complete this training)

Questions

If you have any questions about Hanover County Public Schools and ParentSquare, please email [email protected]. If you need to update your contact information, did not receive an invitation, or have a concern involving your child, please contact your student’s school.