Welcome to SchoolStatus Connect! Use this checklist to help set up your account, classrooms, and communications for success.
1. Review and Update Your Account Settings
Open your Account Settings to:
- Confirm you have access to the correct school(s) and classroom(s)
- Review your communication and notification preferences
For more information, check out the related help article.
Need to Update Your Profile Information?
If your account information is incorrect (such as a misspelled name or incorrect email address), complete the Profile Update Request form available in your Account Settings.
Note: Some districts may not have this feature enabled. If you do not see this option, please contact your district or school leadership directly for assistance. Learn more here.
2. Link Your Guardian Account (If Applicable)
If you are both a staff member and a guardian within the same district, you can use the Linked Accounts feature to connect both accounts.
This allows you to easily switch between your staff and guardian experiences without needing to log in separately each time. Learn more here.
3. Review and Organize Your Classrooms
From the left-side navigation menu, open each classroom and review the following:
- Classroom names
- Classroom settings
- Student rosters
- Co-teachers and assigned staff members
Your district or school leadership may guide classroom naming conventions and set up expectations.
You can also open the associated Directory to view enrolled students, co-teachers, and other staff connected to the classroom.
Optional Classroom Cleanup 🧹
- Archive classrooms you no longer use
- Merge classrooms to create one unified communication audience
Note: The classroom merge feature may not be enabled for all teachers, depending on district settings.
4. Open or Create Your Smore Newsletters
Already Have a Smore Account? 🗞️
If you previously created newsletters on Smore.com, you can copy existing newsletters into Connect. Learn how here.
New to Smore?
No problem! You can start creating newsletters directly within Connect. Learn how here.
5. Send a Welcome Announcement to Families
If your district or school has enabled teacher communications and given teachers permission to send messages, consider sending a welcome Announcement to your classroom families. Many teachers use this first message to encourage families to “save this number” for future communications.
Enable SMS & Email Replies ✍🏼
When creating your announcement, be sure to enable SMS & Email replies. This allows families to reply directly to your message. The replyable phone number assigned to your Announcement will also be used for:
- Conversations
- Phone calls with those recipients
💡 Note: These phone numbers are automatically generated and unique between each sender and recipient pairing. You do not need to know or manage the number yourself. Non-replyable Announcements will use a different phone number. Learn more here.
Include Staff in Your Audience 👩🏻🏫
When selecting your announcement audience, remember to include the staff. Including staff allows:
- Administrators to view Announcements from the classroom page
- Co-teachers and additional staff members are to receive the communication
You’re Ready to Go! 🚀
Congratulations! Your account and classrooms are now ready to use in Connect.
If you need additional help, please reach out to your district leadership or contact Support.