To think that dcs school is totally inappropriate

[Lillyrosey]

AIBU to think that's my kids school is completely an utterly inappropriate and unprofessional in assuming I will get information about dressing up days, phonics sessions times and other important information that I need to know for my kids to settle into school nicely!??

So there have been a couple of things that I have missed sincd children have been back to school and I was quite upset over one in particular Tha was my daughter's first phonics session with parents. Now I check the newsletter and my emails all the time. It wasn't on it at all.
Then there is a fancy dress thing this Thursday my son has announced to me to which I reply well no there's no fancy dress thing as I haven't been informed! Double check the newsletter yet again nope nothing on there.
I couldn't work out what I was missing??! Nows the time to add that I do not do social media.
I Merion this morning to my daughters teaching assistant how gutted I was to miss her phonics session and she turns to me and said well then you should of been checking our facebook and Twitter sites. But I'm not on Facebook or Twitter I reply. I suggest you join she replys and walks off!!
I left the school raging to say the least but didn't show it to kids.
Drive off and thing hang on a minute it surely is the school's job to inform parents of important things through the school newsletter? And not bloody Facebook!
I'm going to phone to school tomorrow as Im not dropping kids in the morning. I just want to check your opinions before I phone up about this

Can't edit. Sorry for the typos x

🤷🏼‍♀️ Just make a Facebook or twitter and just use it for school stuff. Seems a lot of fuss for nothing tbh.

I think it's quite standard to use social media these days. I've had to download all kinds of stupid apps for my kids nurseries and school.
I'd just sign up to Facebook but if you won't do that, is there a friend/other parent who can keep you informed?

YANBU. It's too easy to miss stuff even if you do use social media. Important stuff should be via a newsletter.

I'm very surprised they only use Facebook and Twitter. At my dc's school it's the other way round, they put everything in the newsletter, then they send me a text to say they're sending me an email and a link to a copy of the email , then they e mail me, then send me a letter identical to the e mail home in book bag, then they put a poster up in the classroom windows, then one of the more efficient mums takes a photo of the poster and puts it on Facebook and WhatsApp and Twitter. Then, inevitably one parent turns up and says 'I had no idea...'
YANBU, they should put key dates in the newsletter.

I'd just check Twitter no big deal. Or make a class whatsapp group and ask other parents to join so that when one of you get information you can all share it.

Schools are trying to reduce the amount of printing (I’m surprised they are still doing a newsletter-ours is online!) Facebook and Twitter is the new way. Just make a Facebook account and join...problem solved.

Social media is incredibly useful as a parent though. There are a few parents at my DC’s school who are very anti-Facebook. They never have a clue what is going on because they miss all the updates and are not in the Facebook parents groups .

The school could do better with communicating yes but the likelihood is there is a parents’ group too that could be helpful on WhatsApp or Facebook.

It's wrong. If they're going to issue a newsletter they should make sure all the dates are on it.

Unless they make it clear when you apply for the place, that having a child at the school is conditional on having a twitter of FB account, they should still be informing parents in standard ways.

I don't want to be on social media for security reasons so no @apacketofcrisps it's not a fuss over nothing. Also if I'm linked to school website or Facebook etc then it shows the world which school my children go to. I have every right in not to be on social media. The school need to put important info on the newsletter. Or else what is the actual point in having one?

Yanbu and I use Facebook and Twitter

They should stop being ridiculous and at the very least email parents. Facebook is not mandatory.

They've got a duty to share relevant information with parents. Relying on parents having social media platforms and being connected to the school is sloppy.

They should really have a platform such as parentmail, send out letters through there and then use social media as a way for reminders.

I'm surprised others are saying school are reasonable on this. I was expecting it to be unanimous that YANBU.

Thank you @iggly

They never have a clue what is going on because they miss all the updates and are not in the Facebook parents groups

Facebook is a social media website not a public information service.

Facebook is a very dubious platform that enables all sorts of shit, so plenty of reasons not to use it.

You make a twitter profile in a different name and only follow the school. You lock down your profile and never post anything. No security issues at all.

Agree, totally unreasonable. If they choose to email out or print a newsletter it should be comprehensive and include everything.

Schools are trying to reduce the amount of printing (I’m surprised they are still doing a newsletter-ours is online!) Facebook and Twitter is the new way.

If only there were other forms of electronic communication that didn’t require people to sign up to a particular social media platform. Some form of electronic mail, perhaps.

No one should be required to use social media to be informed from the school about their child. That’s requiring you to use a private companies product to access information you have a right to be sent direct from the school.
That reminds me of the Circle movie where the US Gov decided to only let people cast votes for elections via Facebook (it wasn’t called Facebook in the movie but it was obvious that is what it was ). Dystopian is what it is.
I support you 100%. They are wrong to force parents to use FB or Twitter. They have to send you information direct.

I don't think you are being U op.

Obviously your reasons for not using FB or Twitter are yours alone, but schools should not assume that all households have access in internet or can afford data etc. My school is in the middle of a sink estate, we have travelling families and we have 2 officially homeless families. Lots of our families are unable to access sites such as FB and rely on us to provide paper letters/newsletter etc. We also have a couple of families that we have to call/speak to as the adults are unable to read.

Schools and access to school events should be open to all.

Exactly @Lolasmiles and also can I just point out these schools stress the importance of safeguarding children. Well that is what I am doing by not being on social media, bit sloppy like you said

Completely disagree @tommyshaircut

People use twitter to spread lies, hate etc. I would not expect a school to use it for its standard method of communicating!

I use social media but i still think that yanbu. And he teachers response was just rude

You can make a private profile and use a fake name for Facebook. A lot of teachers do this so that children from the school can't find them.
But if you don't want to, you have to accept that this is the way this country is now so you'll miss stuff.

@tommyhaircut if I had a different name I wouldn't be accepted into the group. For security reasons. So that doesn't make sense at all.

Yanbu, that would piss me off too. It's fine for them to use social media to communicate but it should also be in the newsletter and sent by email.