There are a number of key ingredients for student success. Strong attendance habits may top the list, but also extremely valuable is building and maintaining open communications between families and our schools.
HPS offers a variety of communication channels to support sharing of information and to help forge connections and partnerships between school and home, including individualized communication tools such as emails, texts, and phone calls; meetings and events; and digital platforms including SchoolBrains and Class Dojo. The district also uses a variety of mass communication tools to communicate with the community, including the district website, mobile app, Channel 12, social media, and the Together for Holyoke newsletter.
“We encourage everyone to become familiar with our list of communication channels and make note of the ones that will be most helpful to them,” said Superintendent Anthony Soto. “Sometimes a phone call or in-person meeting is the best way to connect and share information, so families are encouraged to reach out to us directly if they would like a one-to-one conversation. We also push out information each day through the district’s website, mobile app, social media pages, and through emails and text messages home, so please be sure to check these regularly.”
The district’s annual calendar, community calendar of events, and school hours and bell times can be found on the Calendar page of the district website. Bus routes and bus tracker information can be found on the Transportation page, while cafeteria menus can be found on the Food Services page.
Families and staff are encouraged to download the district’s mobile app (available on both the App Store and on Google Play) so these and other helpful resources—as well as news and photos from our schools—will be easily accessible on their mobile devices. App users can also sign up for push notifications that are delivered directly to their mobile devices as an added convenience.
Individual communication tools:
Email, texts, and phone calls sent regularly from schools and the district that include information for all families as well as individualized information for specific students. Tip: To ensure you are receiving these important and time-sensitive messages, please make sure we have up-to-date contact information for you on file. Remember, too, that you can also communicate with us via email and phone calls. You can update your contact information via this form at any time. If you need assistance or have questions, please email our enrollment team.
In-person meetings and events, including individualized and public opportunities. Information is shared with families via email, texts, and phone calls, as well as through the district’s mass communications tools.
SchoolBrains, which is an information portal that allows families to check children's grades, assignments, and attendance. Using this portal will help families track their progress and partner more effectively with your children's teachers.
Class Dojo, a communication platform that brings school communities together, with one place for teachers and families to connect, communicate, and share learning experiences.
Mass communication tools:
The HPS website, which includes separate home pages for each of our 12 schools, to share news, features, photos, and videos from across the district, along with helpful contact information, program descriptions, the annual school calendar, a community calendar for school and district events, and so much more. Tip: Check the website first for the most up-to-date information, including closings and delays.
A mobile app (available on both the App Store and on Google Play) that includes news, photos, and videos, along with optional push notifications delivered directly to subscribers’ mobile devices as an added convenience.
Channel 12 offers cable-access programming for Comcast subscribers, including “bulletin board” announcements, video features, interviews, and more about student pathways and success stories, assessment and accountability results, district accomplishments, educator awards, college financing, early childhood education, attendance zones, vocational and technical education and programming, graduations, drama productions, enrichment programming, athletics, HPS School Committee meetings, drop-out prevention, anti-bullying, anti-smoking, and teenage pregnancy prevention, among others.
Together for Holyoke, a twice-monthly newsletter emailed to families and staff on Monday afternoons that include stories and inspiration from our schools. Archived copies are maintained on the website as well.
HPS maintains a social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. HPS views its social media platforms as important two-way communication tools. The posted content highlights district and school achievements, events, activities, and other information intended to build connections within the Holyoke school community. HPS social media guidelines can be found here.