Communication Module Overview

Our new Communication module is designed to make it easier for schools to send messages to families and staff directly from School Pathways.

Table of Contents

• What is the Communication Module?

• Who Can Use the Communication Module?

• Key Features

• How to Access the Module

• Permissions and Groups

• Drafting and Sending a Message

• Sample Messages

• Message Compliance

• FAQs and Support

What is the Communication Module?

The Communication Module allows school staff to send messages to parents, guardians, and other staff members directly from within School Pathways. You can send individual messages, bulk communications, and track message delivery status — all without needing a third-party platform.

This helps schools:

• Increase communication efficiency

• Maintain message history

• Improve family and staff engagement

Who Can Use the Communication Module?

Access to the Communication Module is a premium add on and must be enabled for your school. Contact our Customer Support Team at Customerservice@schoolpathways.com or your Account Manager if you'd like to enable this feature for your school.

Once enabled, access is typically granted to:

• Admin users

• Teachers

• Support staff (depending on permissions)

Key Features

• Integrated Messaging
  Send messages without needing an external platform.

• Role-Based Permissions
  Customize who can send messages.

• Bulk Messaging Options
  Send updates to a roster, grade level, or entire school.

• Message History
  View delivery and results of messages.

• Log Messages in Contact Manager
  Log messages that are sent as a contact to contact manager.
• Data Fields: Personalize messages with student or contact details.
• Flexible Delivery: Choose between email, SMS, or both.

How to Access the Module

• The Communication Module can currently be accessed from the following pages:

  • Student List

  • Parent List

  • Staff List
    (Student Groups access coming soon)

Using the Module from the Student List

1. Navigate to the Student List page Admin>Student Info>Show Student List

2. Filter the selection to ensure your targeted audience is populated in the search results. You can refine your search by grade level, teacher, school year, educational program, and more.

3. Choose the students you wish to include in your message:

   

4. Scroll to the bottom of the page and Click Message Selected.

5. This process works similarly on the Parent List and Staff List pages.

Permissions and Groups

Access to Student, Parent, and Staff Lists

To send messages, staff must have access to the appropriate list depending on the type of recipient:

• To email students: Access to the Student List is required.
  Permission Element: /Admin/registration/studentlist.php [program] [Product/sis]
• To email parents/guardians: Access to the Parent List is required.
  Permission Element: /Admin/registration/parents.php [program] [Product/sis]
• To email staff: Access to the Staff List is required.
  Permission Element: /Admin/staff_list.php [program] [Product/sis]

Communication Module Access

This permission grants users the ability to open the Communication Module, compose messages, and send them.

Permission Element: /Admin/mass_communications.php [program] [Product/sis]

Communication Account Sync

This permission allows users to manage communication-related settings, including reviewing sync statuses and ensuring communication accounts are up to date.

Permission Element: /Admin/message_accounts.php [program] [Product/sis]

Permission Summary

Drafting and Sending a Message

Once you’ve selected your group of students, parents, or staff and clicked Message Selected, the Communication Module will open.

Step 1: Set Up Your Message

• Message Title: This is for internal record-keeping only and will not be sent to recipients.

• Messaging Channels: Select one or both delivery options — Email, SMS, or both.

  

Step 2: Compose Your Message

You will see two composition fields:

• Compose Email Message

  

• Compose SMS Message

  

You can enter the same message in both fields or customize each based on format or tone.

• Email Subject: This is required when sending an email.

  

• Data Fields: Use fields on the right-hand side (like {first_name}, {last_name}, {contact_information}, {date}) to personalize the message.

Before proceeding to send, you will also see two checkboxes:

• Include in Replies: When checked, this allows the recipient to reply directly to the message (email only). If unchecked, the replies will go to the school’s designated reply-to address.

• Share with Contact Manager: When selected, this message will be visible to staff members with access to the Contact Manager, providing transparency across your communication history.

⚠️ SMS Limitations

• Messages are limited to 160 plain text characters.

• Emojis or special characters reduce the limit to 80 characters.

• If exceeded, messages are broken into multiple parts.

Helpful resource: Twilio Guide to SMS Character Encoding

Step 3: Preview and Send

When ready, click Prepare to Send or Save as Draft.

Click on Prepare to Send, and you will be taken to the Message Preview Page:

• Email Message Preview on the left

• SMS Message Preview on the right

• Click View Details under either preview to see the recipient list

At the bottom, you’ll see how both messages will appear to your recipients.

• Click Send Messages to deliver them.

• Use the Edit icon to return to the composer if changes are needed.

Sample Messages

Here are some message examples to help you get started:

📱 Sample SMS Message

Hello! This is a message from {scopename}. We wanted to let you know there is an important update available in your Parent Portal. Please log in to review.

– {scopename} Support Team

📧 Sample Email Message

Subject: Important Update from {scopename}

Dear {parents_firstname},

We hope this message finds you well. We wanted to notify you that there is an important update available for your student in the Parent Portal.

Please log in at your earliest convenience to review the latest information regarding your student’s records, forms, or upcoming events.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact us at {website} or reply to this message.

Thank you for staying connected!

– The {scopename} Team

Message Compliance

Each email sent using the Communication Module includes an Unsubscribe or Manage Communication Preferences link at the bottom. This ensures compliance with communication regulations and allows families to manage how they receive messages.

FAQs and Support

Q: Can I send attachments?
A: Not at this time, but we are exploring this for future updates.

Q: Can I schedule a message to send later?
A: Not yet — messages are sent immediately upon clicking Send Messages.

Q: Can families reply to my messages?
A: Email replies will go to your school’s designated reply-to address. SMS replies are currently not supported.

For additional help or to enable the Communication Module for your school, please contact our Customer Support team at Customerservice@schoolpathways.com or reach out to your Account Manager.