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

Don’t sign up to Facebook. They are deeply unreasonable.

I am primary school governor, and we are proud of our communication with parents.
We would never consider it appropriate ot only inform people of events via social media.

The school used to have a parent text system, where we received a text about events. Now they belong to a system specifically for schools which sends out an information text, or even the newsletter.

It is brilliant, of our parents, over 90% are on it, and it is paperless.
It does not show any other users and there is no place for comments/reply

We have an app called parent hub with different channels for general school information, year information or specific information about your child. There is a school Facebook page, but all official information, newsletters etc are done via the app. We aren't inundated with information and it ensures you get what you need and it sends reminders for events they might have to dress up, take someone thing in.etc.

@coconuttelegraph this should be the school Secretary's job surely? But then if I'm to check emails, texts, Twitter all day every day and Facebook just incase I miss something important regarding my children then she's not doing her job is she? I am! Parents do enough as it bloody is! The school have a duty to inform me of any important information and my duty is to support them by turning up and dressing my kids up, making sure they have money in charity days/bake sales.. The list goes on. The least the school can do is give me some dates and times direct to parent not through social bloody media!

Social media would be OK for a reminder but not the primary source of information.

Our school communication is mainly email based. Paper copies tend to be mainly for reply slips or the individual class newsletter. Texts for short notice things like headlice Individual classes use dojo for less formal updates. Things do seem to be more joined up these days; when my oldest started, it all seemed to be a right hotch potch. I missed a non-uniform day as the email went out on the Friday afternoon while I was on a long weekend out of phone signal. Monday morning, I wondered why DS looked conspicuous in his usual uniform.

th eoddest thing about your school OP is that they still do a paper newsletter, but don't put the events on it!

Yes @steppemum exactly! Very odd

Can’t see how it can be inappropriate.
If you open a fb account you can set it to private so only “ friends “ can see that you have an acct. if you only friend the school you should be fine.

@Ohyesiam why should I? Why should I breach my security and my children's? There are reasons I do not want to be on social media. I cannot do a fake name as I will not be accepted. And I would feel like a nut case also.

I agree, the important info should be on the newsletter, but having social media is a sign of the times whether we like it or not.

To get the information you clearly want?
No breach of security needed as explained above.

just to add, I don't do social media either and the 3 schools my kids are at have all managed to communicate very effectively with me without it!

my kids school uses Parentmail, Class Dojo and FB. They haven't sent out newsletters in a couple of years, partly to save money, and partly because some parents (like me) rarely actually get the paper letters from their kids and miss out on vital information.. but we do use our phones/computers so can get emails.

Relying on social media alone though is just stupid, so YANBU.

But you must have missed an initial communication that said to check Twitter and Facebook for updates. Otherwise, how would everyone else have known to check social media?
Newsletters are usually scheduled and designed in advance. The information on social media is usually more last minute. They won't use the text service because it would be pinging all the time and then parents would miss important emergency information which is what the text service is actually for.
I think it is reasonable to ask for emails about important info.
However, if you think it's school's job to make sure you're informed and that it will involve no effort on your part then you're going to miss stuff.
Schools are notoriously bad at communicating. There's always info sent out at the last minute. You do need a system that works but it will be a system that demands some sort of effort from you.

Not totally unreasonable of the school to use social media. Totally unreasonable though to assume all parents do without informing parents or checking.

Nobody has even suggested spending all day, every day on social media OP. Just check Twitter occasionally.

How often do the newsletters come out? If it's weekly they could put stuff on there, if it's termly I can see why they don't.

@WonderWomansSpin I've since found out only 3 parents turned up to the phonics session so no not everyone else turned up and shows face book is not working

Our school uses an app called Parent Hub to send messages to parents.
The class messenger group can be very helpful for reminders & questions; and the PTA and school now have Facebook pages for general info.
The calendar is kept up to date on the school website too but you would need to check it regularly for updates.
Newsletter calendars are often done several terms in advance and new things are slanted all the time.

Not the point you're trying to make but Twitter /Facebook will tell you if someone has updated their page so no need for constant checking.

My kids primary school uses ParentMail and there's a WhatsApp group where parents post about physical letters that the kids should have gone home with but lost between classroom and finding carer

I'm surprised that you get a paper newsletter. Most schools have stopped distributing like that for environmental and cost reasons.

In my experience school newsletters never have all the events (and between my 3 kids they've been to quite a few between them) and communication is usually pretty poor with short notice given for plenty of events.
Do you know anyone with an older child at the school? They'll know the school events to look out for like Children in Need or whatever your school celebrates.

There are reasons I do not want to have a Facebook account. Very serious ones. I am doing the right thing for myself and my children not to be on it. I was advised by the police not to put myself out there on social media. It's all very well to say get an account and just set to friends only. I don't want to have friends on Facebook! I don't want to have to Accept or reject or explain why I won't be friends with mums at school. So I eliminate myself from.the situation. Before u know it a friend tags me or my kids on something and important info like where my children go to school what they look like etc is seen. It's niave to say security won't be affected if you do not know my situation. Facebook is a risk to some people

I've just googled our school Twitter. I knew they had one, but had never been asked to sign up.

It's used exclusively for pictures of interesting things the kids have done, well done's to school leavers, interesting local info - I am utterly baffled at primary schools that use it as there primary method of communication.

We get our newsletters via email and can check for any important dates via the school app. There is also three Facebook groups, one school twitter account and several WhatsApp groups so it doesn’t really matter, the info is still there. If you don’t like Facebook, why not ask the school for their WhatsApp group?
Our school also send out messages via parent pay - maybe that’s where the info that you are missing is? Stuff about none uniform days are usually through parent pay so we can pay for them and they’re done.

A year ago after moving, my youngest was at a new primary school. For nearly two months I missed so many things. Including a back to school BBQ in the September.

All because it was on an app everyone else used to communicate with the rest of the school.

Not knowing a single other person there, and my kid having school transport, we never knew anything was happening. I cried.

Fully expected to need it where she moved to after then, where she still is now. But no, they email a newsletter and everything else is shared between everyone on a facebook page.

Ditto for my other kiddo at her secondary school - emails and a facebook page.

So I have an account purely to facilitate this.

I don't think it's right for things to only be put on a facebook page like you've had.

I can't use my real name on social media because of previous dv issues. Luckily the other parents know whose mum I am and I was added.

I don't want to be on social media and looking at Twitter all day everyday is a ridiculous idea

Nobody's saying you have to look at it all day every day! Google it and leave a browser window open with it on, no account needed. A cursory glance once a day would be perfectly sufficient.

OP The googling Twitter solution I (and others) have suggested works for tow of your problems - missing events and personal security. It doesn’t change the fact that the school should be putting the dates in newsletters (and by all means campaign for that) but it does at least solve your immediate problem.