ParentSquare Updates for 2025-26
Back to School Information
Updated 8/19/25
ParentSquare is our primary communication platform for the Worcester Public Schools. You'll receive important announcements, emergency notifications, and school information from teachers, principals, and the district. The platform allows you to get messages via text, email, or a smartphone app, and messages are translated into your preferred language.
You control how often and through what modalities you receive notifications by registering your account and adjusting notification settings.
Registering Your Account (Includes New Parents)
Updates for All Parents and Caregivers
Updates for All Staff
"StudentSquare" for High School Students
Learn About StudentSquare! Now being used for athletic team communication
How and Why You Should Register Your Account
All WPS parents/guardians, staff members, and students in grades 9-12 are automatically part of the district's ParentSquare platform.
You are not required to register your account and download the app, but we encourage you to do so.
You need to have a registered account in order to:
Adjust your notification settings to control how often you receive messages
Sign forms and permission slips
Reply and send direct messages from your child's teachers in your preferred language
How to Register Your Account:
Go to parentsquare.com and sign in using your email address that is associated with WPS. (WPS staff can click "Google Single Sign On" to log into their staff account.) Then, follow the prompts. The process takes only a few seconds.
Activation Codes:
Additionally, some schools or the district may send you a message with an activation link if you are an unregistered user. Simply click the link and follow the prompts.
New User: What You Need to Do
Register your account: Visit https://www.parentsquare.com/signin and log in using the email address or phone number on file with the Worcester Public Schools.
Download the app: We encourage you to download the ParentSquare app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for the easiest access.
Check your settings: In your account notification settings, you can choose how and when you receive messages. Select “Digest” to receive all non-emergency notifications once daily at 6:00 PM.
Updating Your Contact Information
Parents and Guardians: The WooEdu (Infinite Campus) is a Student Information System and is used to update personal information of students and caregivers, including your contact information. This data automatically syncs to ParentSquare every 24 hours. (It cannot be manually updated directly in ParentSquare.) Please be sure to update your contact information directly in the WooEdu Parent Portal or by contacting the front desk at your child’s school when school opens.
Staff: WPS staff are to contact the WPS Human Resources Department by emailing Michelle Boothby or calling 508-799-3020.
Forms and Permission Slips
Forms and Permission Slips are a great way to digitally collect parent/caregiver permission or information for field trips and other activities. Forms cannot be used to collect medical information (more below).
Here is a slide deck with instructions on how to use Forms and Permission Slips.
Parents/caregivers must register their ParentSquare accounts to provide electronic signatures.
If you create a new Form/Slip, or edit the wording, be sure to select “translate” at the bottom.
Students with ParentSquare access (grades 9-12) are not able to provide electronic signatures on Forms or Permission Slips.
Wraparound Coordinator Updated Permissions
Every Wraparound Coordinator should automatically be assigned to the “WRAP” user role in your school’s ParentSquare. Based upon feedback, we have added permissions to this role. You can now do the following:
Post School-Wide: Can create newsletters/posts at school, and any grades, classes and public groups
View All Posts: When permitted at one or more schools, can view all school, grade, class, and public group posts. When permitted for district staff, can view all school, district, and public district group posts.
Direct Messages: Can send direct messages to all
Manage Newsletter Templates: Can create, manage and delete newsletter/post templates
Share Posts: Can share posts to social media/website
Manage Social Accounts: Can enable and link/unlink social media accounts, set up web widget and can share posts to social media/website
Can create Groups
Manage Forms and Permission Slip Templates: Can create, manage and delete forms/permission slips in the forms repository
Read All Data: Can view directory, user contact details and rostering information and Data Health Dashboard
Back to School Dates
School principals are beginning to send welcome messages to families via ParentSquare this summer, but please note teachers will not return until August 21. The first day of school is Monday, August 25, for grades 1-12, and Thursday, August 28, for preschool and kindergarten.
Notification Settings
Check your settings: In your account notification settings, you can choose how and when you receive messages. Select “Digest” to receive all non-emergency notifications once daily at 6:00 PM. Additionally, you can customize if you would like to receive messages via smartphone app, text message, email, and phone.
Important: If You Are a Staff Member and Parent
In July, ParentSquare made a change for people who are both staff and parents, or people with multiple accounts: Your accounts are now “unmerged.” Previously, you were encouraged to “merge” your accounts. This change was made by ParentSquare for security purposes for all school districts it serves nationwide.
What does this mean?
If you are both a staff member and a parent/guardian in WPS, click on your name on the top right corner (web version) or switch account (in the app). There, you will be able to add your second account.
Log in with your staff account using Google Single Sign On; and your parent/guardian account using the email address associated with your student in WooEdu.
Once both accounts are added, you can easily switch between accounts.
For more information, please view the following help articles (log-in required):
Athletic Groups
Over the summer, the Communications Department set up “Groups” in ParentSquare for all high school sports teams in the district in collaboration with the Athletics Department. Coaches can now use the Groups to send their high school student-athletes and caregivers messages via app, email, and text message. Students may not use cell phones during class time per WPS policy. A message is being sent to grade 9-12 students and caregivers about this.
Preventing Over Communication
We have received feedback about caregivers and/or staff receiving too many ParentSquare notifications from schools or departments. Please view this 7-minute video with tips on how to utilize features to prevent over-communication.
Schedule Posts in advance, especially if you are working in the evening so caregivers do not receive text messages and app notifications late at night.
Alerts should be used sparingly; Posts send text messages and you can select “Override Digest Settings” to send high-level notices immediately.
Use the Studio Editor newsletter function to combine announcements into one notification weekly.
Make greater use of additional features that are not Posts, such as “Forms and Permission Slips,” and “Calendars,” which sync to Google Calendars. Additional features in the “Add-On” section include: Volunteer Sign Ups, Appointment Sign Ups, RSVPs, Polls, and Volunteer Hours.
For a detailed walkthrough with examples, view the Tips for Communicating with Families on ParentSquare Powerpoint.
Cannot Use ParentSquare for Medical Information
The district cannot use ParentSquare to collect or share any health or medical information of students or staff because it is not a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant platform. This includes collecting information using "Forms and Permission Slips" as well as using it for direct messaging about this information. Some examples of prohibited uses are discussing medical conditions listed in an IEP while direct-messaging a parent; sending a permission slip that collects medical conditions, or having a parent fill out an athletic form that has medical information on it. (Other Athletic forms that do not require medical information may be used.)
Schools may use Forms and Permission Slips for other purposes, but you just cannot collect medical information on them. We also cannot use ParentSquare’s direct message feature to have conversations with parents/guardians about their child’s medical needs.
Archived Posts
ParentSquare automatically archives Posts and other content at the close of the school year to prevent clutter in communication feeds. Review this Help Article for more information. (Log-in required.)
Additional Support
For additional information about ParentSquare visit the WPS ParentSquare website or the WPS ParentSquare Tips for Staff page.
There are hundreds of step-by-step articles and video tutorials on the ParentSquare website that explain how to use the many different aspects of the platform.
From a desktop, click "?" at the top
From a mobile device, click "Help" on the left side navigation bar
From here, You can 1) Review Help Articles and Videos, 2) Submit a Support Ticket, 3) Chat Online, or 4) Call Customer Support at 888-496-3168.
While the WPS Communications Department is always here to support you, we encourage you to first visit the "Help Articles" as the information there is likely better than what we can provide. If you can't find the answer you are looking for, contact us.
If you have questions about your contact information or sync issues, please contact the WPS IT Help Desk.
StudentSquare for High School Students
Dear Worcester Public Schools High School Students,
Did you know that as a high school student, you have access to ParentSquare?
Every WPS student in grades 9-12 is connected to ParentSquare through their WPS email account. To register your student account, which is called “Student Square,” simply go to mystudentsquare.com/signin and use the “Sign In With Google” option to log in with your WPS email address.
If you have a smartphone, you can download the ParentSquare app from Apple or Google Play to receive communication from your teachers, principal, and athletic coaches. But be sure to keep your phone tucked away during class time! Students may not use cell phones during class time per WPS policy.
By downloading the ParentSquare app, you can receive messages and alerts from your coaches, teachers, and school administrators, similar to a text message. Beginning this fall, sports teams can use the “Group” features in ParentSquare to stay connected with one another.
You can also adjust your notification settings to control how often you receive messages. There is an option called “Digest” which combines all messages into one notification you receive at 6 PM daily, except for emergency notifications.
Visit the WPS ParentSquare website to learn more about the platform or view this StudentSquare Help Article (log-in required).
As a reminder, the first day of school is Monday, August 25, for grades 1-12. Welcome back!
Sincerely,
WPS Communications Department
