Youth Activities

Welcome to ParentSquare!

Our district is transitioning to ParentSquare as our primary communication platform, effectively replacing the Peachjar Digital Backpack alongside our older mass-notification systems.

ParentSquare unifies all district, school, classroom, and community communication into one easy-to-use app and desktop interface. Think of it as your new, streamlined home for everything school-related.

Why the Switch to ParentSquare?

Based on direct feedback from our recent district survey and guided by our strategic plan, we are tackling "digital fatigue" by bringing our school community together in a single central hub.

ParentSquare will streamline all daily communication by completely replacing Peachjar, Remind, ClassDojo, and various other scattered apps across the district.

• What Changes: All school announcements, classroom updates, activities, and community flyers will now live in ParentSquare.

• What Stays the Same: Infinite Campus remains our official "source of truth" for student records, grades, attendance, and schedules.

Please bear with us as we work closely with our administrative assistants, principals, parents, coaches, and students to build and customize this platform. Our goal is a single, less overwhelming, and more connected experience for every family!

 

📋 General Overview & Transition FAQs

What is ParentSquare?

ParentSquare is a secure, all-in-one communication platform designed to keep families informed and connected. It combines mass notifications (like weather delays), classroom updates from teachers, permission slips, and community flyer distribution into a single ecosystem.

Why are we replacing Peachjar with ParentSquare?

To simplify your digital footprint! Previously, families had to jump between Peachjar for community flyers, other platforms for classroom messaging, and emails or texts for district alerts. By bringing everything under ParentSquare, you only have one central hub to check.

What are the main differences between the two systems?

Feature	Old System (Peachjar)	New System (ParentSquare)
Location	Separate website or email blast	Integrated directly into your main app feed
Classroom Updates	Not supported	Fully supported (messages, photos, files)
Community Flyers	Disconnected emails	Streamlined posts alongside regular school news
Notification Control	Limited options	Highly customizable (Instant vs. Daily Digest)

 

🏢 FAQs for Community Groups & Outside Organizations

(e.g., Little League, Scouts, Local Non-Profits, Parks & Rec)

How do we distribute flyers to families now that Peachjar is gone?

Community organizations will no longer use the Peachjar platform to submit or pay for flyer distribution. Instead, the district will utilize ParentSquare’s internal approval workflow.

• Important:  If you had an active PeachJar Account, or are an active poster on PeachJar, you will receive an invitation to our Community Bulletin Board in PeachJar.  

• If you do not have an active account you can submit a community flyer request for review, please email your digital flyer and distribution details directly to Michelle.skadal@north-scott.k12.ia.us.

• Once approved, your flyer will be posted directly to the appropriate family feeds inside ParentSquare.

When will the notice be distributed?  

Just like Peachjar - we will distribute notices every Thursday afternoon at 5:30 pm.  

Is there a fee for community groups to distribute flyers?

No! ParentSquare allows the district to share community flyers with our families free of charge for approved local non-profit and community youth groups.

Can community members without school-aged children still see these notices?

Yes. Local community members, grandparents, and neighbors can sign up as Community Subscribers on our public ParentSquare landing page. This allows them to stay in the loop with district-wide community notices, sports registrations, and public events without needing a student enrolled in the district.

🙋‍♂️ Still Have Questions or Need Help?

If you are a parent having trouble logging in, or a community group looking to partner with us, we are here to help! Please reach out via email to Michelle.skadal@north-scott.k12.ia.us for assistance with the ParentSquare platform.