💬Parent Messaging

Overview

Parent Messaging lets your school hold private, one-to-one conversations with parents and guardians directly inside WhitePenguin — no email or outside chat app needed.

Everything happens in the Communication section, which has two tabs:

Each row in the Messages list shows:

• The person's name with a role badge — Parent or Staff
• For parents, the child's name and class underneath (for example, Jules Mandie • grade 2)
• A preview of the last message, or Attachment if the last message was a file
• The date or time of the most recent activity

How to Access

• Admins

  1. Click Communication in the left sidebar.
  2. The Messages tab opens by default, showing every conversation in the school.
  3. Click + New Message (top right) to start a conversation, or click any row to open an existing thread.

• Teachers

  1. Click Communication in the left sidebar.
  2. The Messages tab shows the conversations they are part of.
  3. Teachers can always reply to messages they receive — starting new conversations depends on their custom role.

• Parents

  1. Sign in to the Parent Dashboard.
  2. Open the Communication section.
  3. Parents can start a new message and reply to anything they receive from the school.

Roles & Access

What you can do in Parent Messaging depends on the custom role assigned to you:

• Roles with View permission for Communication can open the Messages tab and read conversations.
• Roles with Create permission can start new conversations and send replies.
• Roles with Edit or Delete permission can update or remove messages.
• Admins with full Communication access can message any parent and any teacher in the school.
• Teachers can always reply to messages they receive, even if their role does not allow starting new conversations.

How to Create a New Message to a Parent

Click + New Message at the top right of the Communication page, then complete the New Message window:

1. Send To

   • Open the Select recipient type dropdown.
   • Choose Parent to message a parent or guardian.

2. Parent

   • A second dropdown appears once the recipient type is selected.
   • Pick the parent you want to message (for example, Adaeze Okafor).
   • Admins can select any parent in the school.

3. Message

   • Type your message in the Type your message… box.

4. Attach image or video (max 3) — optional

   • Click the attachment link to add files — up to 3 per message.
   • Each file appears as a chip below the box. Click the × on a chip to remove it before sending.

5. Click Send Message to send it, or Cancel to discard.

Recipient types available in the Send To dropdown:

Replying to a Parent

1. Open the conversation from the Messages tab.
2. The thread header shows the parent's name, their Parent badge, and their child and class.
3. Messages are grouped by day (Today, and so on). Messages you send appear on the right with a ✓ once they are delivered.
4. Type your reply in the Type a message… box at the bottom of the thread.
5. Use the attachment icon to add a file, then click Send.

Sharing Images, Videos & Documents

• You can attach up to 3 files per message.
• Files can be attached from the New Message window or from inside an open conversation.
• Attachments appear in the thread as a preview card, with your message text shown underneath as a caption.
• In the Messages list, a message that contains only a file is previewed as Attachment.

Tips

• Use the search bar at the top of the Messages tab to find a conversation by name or class instead of scrolling.
• The role badge next to each name tells you instantly whether you are replying to a Parent or a member of Staff.
• Keep one topic per conversation — the full history stays with the parent, so it is easy to look back on what was agreed.
• Look for the ✓ to confirm your message was delivered.
• Attach a photo or PDF instead of retyping long details, such as forms, reports, or permission slips.
• Use Announcements when the same information needs to reach many parents at once.
• If a teammate cannot see or send messages, update their custom role in Settings → Roles & Permissions.

FAQs