Here is a quick video to show you how to create an announcement.
Announcements are broadcast messages that you can send to all parents to share a great moment from the classroom, give them some tips and ideas on how to support their child, or give heads up on something going on at school. You can upload pictures, videos, and files along with the announcement itself.
Announcements will appear on the Home page for you and parents in your class
They will also arrive shortly as emails or SMS
Announcements delivered via email will use the Title as the subject of the email and the Message as the body of the email, including up to 3 pictures and a link to see more pictures and attachments
Announcements delivered via SMS will show the Title as the message and the Message (if included) as the link to see more, including pictures and other attachments
To create an announcement, please follow these steps.
1. Log in on ClassTag.
2. Click the orange plus sign and click Announcement.
3. Fill out the Announcement form.
a. Title | Here you can add a title to your announcement. Make it short and eye-catching. |
b. Message | You can add details of your announcement here. Treat this as the main content of your announcement. |
c. Add Send Time | If you need to send the announcement at a later time, clicking on Add Send Time will allow you to do this. |
d. Add File or Photo | If you need to attach a file, photo, or video from your computer to your announcement, this is where you can upload them. |
e. Connect Google Drive and/or Connect YouTube | You can attach a document, file, or folder by clicking the Google Drive button on the left and attaching it to your Google Drive. You can also connect to and import a YouTube video by clicking the YouTube button on the right. |
f. Send announcement to | By default, you’ll see your class here and it is checked. |
g. Include other classrooms | If you want to send the announcement to different classes in the same school, you can check this box and then the box for the other classrooms. By default, it will show the grade level of each class. Clicking on the arrow on the right side of the grade level will show the name of the classes on each grade level.
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4. Once you’re done creating the content of your Announcement, click Preview.
5. The next page will show you the summary of your announcement and how it will look like when the parents receive the email. If you didn’t click on Add Send Time, the next page will show Send which you can click on to send the message. Otherwise, it will show Send Later.
6. After clicking on the Send button or Send Later), you’ll be brought back to your Home page where you can see the announcement that you’ve created.
FAQs:
1. Can parents post a comment or reactions to my Announcements?
Yes, parents do have the ability to post a comment or reaction. You and the parents can add a comment and reaction to any announcement you post for the class. Here is what it looks like:
Clicking on React will allow you and the parents to choose from one of the reactions.
Typing a message in the box will post a comment to the announcement.
2. I don't like parents to post any comments or reactions to my Announcement. How can I restrict them from doing this?
By default, when an Announcement was created, the option to leave a comment or reaction is enabled. If you prefer not to allow anyone to add any comments or reactions to the Announcement that you have created, you can do this by clicking on the gear icon on the left side of the announcement and then clicking Disable comments.
3. How can I see the list of parents who posted a reaction to my Announcement?
Clicking on the Seen by section will show the list of names.
This is what the list looks like.
You can click the Not seen by tab to see who hasn’t viewed the announcement yet.
4. How can I delete the comment posted by the parent to my Announcement?
If, for any reason, you need to delete any comment posted by the parent, please click on the (a) three dots next to the comment and click (b) Delete.
5. How to duplicate announcements for various classes?
Clicking the Include other classrooms button would allow you to see the other classes that are linked to the school and send the announcement.
6. If you add a new student, can their parents see previous announcements?
Yes, parents of the newly added student will see the previous announcements sent to the class.
7. Can I send an announcement to one parent or select parents instead of my entire class?
Sending an Announcement means sending a message to the entire class. If you want to send an announcement to one parent, you can use the Share a Story option. Please refer to this article and check the Stories section on how to use this feature.
If you need to send an announcement to multiple parents, please utilize the conversation feature by clicking on the messaging icon on the upper right side.
8. I’ve sent an announcement. How do I confirm if I sent it or not?
All announcements are posted on the Home page.
9. Do all school leaders receive all announcements, notices, etc. from all classes in the school?
No, only parents and teachers of the class will receive the announcement. School leaders can view these announcements by going to the class directly.
10. How can I share YouTube videos in ClassTag? How can I add YouTube videos to my announcements?
You can easily attach YouTube videos directly to your announcements so they can be viewed.
11. How do I hide parents' emails when sending out an announcement?
Parents’ email addresses are not visible when an announcement has been sent out.