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Families
Bell Schedule
Mental Health Resources
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The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. The Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 200 local crisis centers, combining custom local care and resources with national standards and best practices.
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- Crisis Text Line: text "NAMI” to 741741 to chat with a trained crisis counselor o Free 24/7 text line for those in crisis (English only)
- SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline [En Español]: call (800) 985-5990. Press 2 for Spanish-language support. Provides 24/7 crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call (800) 273-TALK (8255)
- The Trevor Project Resources: Call (866) 488-7386, instant message a counselor on their website, or text “start” to 678678 24/7 o The Trevor Project is a national organization offering support, including suicide prevention, for LGBTQ youth and their friends.
- NAMI HelpLine Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., ET (800) 950-6264
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Student Additional Resources
- Teen Mental Health
- Stress Management Tips for Kids and Teens
- Social Media and Self-Esteem
- Top Mental Health Apps
Calming Room Resources
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If you have concerns about your child please use the link below to access and complete the School Counseling Referral Form. A copy will be sent to my email address and I will contact you as soon as possible.
If you or your child are in immediate danger please call 911!
2-1-1
How We Communicate
Houston County Schools use ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically syncs with our Student Information System to generate an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.
ParentSquare is a safe, secure, and modern approach to communication and collaboration between school and home.
What is ParentSquare?
ParentSquare is a unified communication platform that offers a whole host of tools which allows district, school administrators and teachers to more effectively communicate and engage with families and students.
Some features include:
- Mass notifications and urgent alerts with two-way communication
- Mobile application for administrators and parents (iOS and Android)
- Attendance notifications
- Teacher and classroom communication
- Direct Messaging with two-way translation
- Appointment Sign Ups (parent-teacher conferences, technology pick-ups)
- Calendar and RSVP
- Volunteering and classroom supply sign-ups
- And so much more!
As a registered parent, you can:
- Receive messages from the school and district via phone, email, text, or app notification
- Choose to receive information as it comes or all at once with a daily digest at 6pm
- Communicate in your preferred language
- Comment on school postings to engage with your school community
- Direct message teachers, staff, and other parents
- Participate in group messages from schools and teachers
- Sign up for parent-teacher conferences
- Sign up to volunteer, sign up to donate school supplies, and more all from your desktop or mobile device
Frequently Asked Questions
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On the app, enter your email or cell phone number. The email and/or cell phone number should match what is in PowerSchool, the school's information system database.
On the web, click ‘Sign In’, then under ‘Register’ section, put your email or phone number and click '“Go”.
If the email or phone number is not recognized by ParentSquare, parents should contact the school and request contact information to be updated in PowerSchool.
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ParentSquare allows users to customize their notifications based on notification type and select their preferred delivery method for each school. The Instant setting will send all post notifications in real-time. The Digest setting sends direct messages, alerts, and time-sensitive posts instantly, but sends all non-time sensitive posts at the end of the day, reducing the number of notifications you receive daily. (We recommend the Digest setting.) Learn more about managing notifications.
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Parents can update their language preference for their account. Once they have done this, ParentSquare will automatically translate any communication to them in their selected language. This translation will also occur when the parent sends a message to a staff member. Learn more about ParentSquare translations and how to set the language preference.
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- Activate Your Account
Click the link in your activation email/text, or sign up on the ParentSquare website or via the ParentSquare app.
- Download App
It’s easy to stay in the loop with the ParentSquare app. Download it now. iOS | Android
- Set Preferences
Click your name in the top right to set your notification and language preferences.
- Get Photos & Files
Click ‘Photos & Files’ in sidebar to access pictures, forms, and documents that have been shared with you.
- Appreciate Posts
Click ‘Appreciate’ in your email/app or website to thank a teacher or staff member for a post.
- Comment or Reply
Click ‘Comment’ in app or website to privately ask a question about the post that your teacher or school sent.
- Participate
Click ‘Sign Ups & RSVPs’ in the sidebar to see available opportunities. Click bell on top to check your commitments.
- Join a Group
Click ‘Groups’ in the sidebar to join a group or committee at your school to participate or to stay up to-date.
- Find People
Click ‘Directory’ in the sidebar to find contact information for school staff.
- Get in Touch
Click ‘Messages’ in the sidebar to privately get in touch with staff and teachers.
- Activate Your Account
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Yes. All parents have a ParentSquare account. ParentSquare is the primary tool for district and school communication. Individuals who do not activate their account in ParentSquare will still receive an email digest at the end of each day that communication is sent out to them. In the event of emergencies, phone calls will be sent as well.
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Click “Unsubscribe” link on your email from ParentSquare or reply STOP to the SMS from ParentSquare to stop notifications to your email or phone.
**** If the email or phone number is not recognized by ParentSquare, parents can call the school office and ask them to update contact information in PowerSchool.
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Quick Links/ Enlaces Rapidos
PayPams
PayPams is the simple, safe, and secure portal to pay for school meals.
Cafeteria cash transactions at the register are time-consuming, sometimes overwhelming, and decrease the amount of time that students have to eat. Funds deposited into accounts allow for a simple debit purchase, enhancing and improving students' dining experience.
At PayPams, you can:
· Pay for student meals from the convenience of your home or office 24/7
· View your student's meal account balance;
· Schedule automatic payments based on account balance;
· Receive low balance email reminders;
· View daily spending report and cafeteria purchases;
· View your school cafeteria's menu.
To add money and pre-pay for school meals here at PayPams