Remind is a messaging system that helps educators reach students and parents wherever they are on the go. Remind allows Sweetwater ISD to deliver targeted messages to those that need the information. Messages are sent in real time to an entire class, a small group, or just a single person and photos and other files can be attached.  Text messages can be sent straight to any phone. Messages can be translated into more than 90 languages before they are sent, or the recipient can read/translate the message to their preferred language. The Remind app is simple to use, allows for two-way communication, and gives control of how notifications are received by using the App or setting notification preferences.

Remind is available to use via mobile app, text message, web, and email.  For the best experience, from a mobile device go to https://www.remind.com/apps and download the app. You can control your notifications as well as use advanced features such as translation. Contact each campus you have a student enrolled in or go to https://www.sweetwaterisd.net/page/enrollment and update your information in our Parent Portal to include your email address and cell phone number. This will ensure you are added to your students' contacts and added to their classes in Remind. Follow this link to see additional setup and basic tips Remind setup and basic tips. Follow this link to review the expectations of Remind usage Remind Communication Policy.

Remind has been certified by iKeepSafe for privacy practices related to COPPA and FERPA. Personal contact information stays private. Phone numbers, email address, social media accounts are not exchanged between teachers, students, and parents. Messages cannot be edited or deleted, so a complete message history is always available to access and download. Students under the age of 13 need to enter a parent or guardian’s email address before using Remind. This is enforced because it is connected with our Student Information System. Students can only receive messages from their teachers. 

Remind Campus Codes

All required documents, policy, procedures, handbooks, forms, calendar events, services, how to contact, how to be contacted, everything that we want, need, and are required to provide information about is posted on our website.  Please check it regularly for updates. 

On the main page, the pop-up alerts with the bell icon (if a notification is active) will be the first thing you notice, it requires you to acknowledge the message; this is where the most important updates will live.  Under "District" you will find information about District wide related items, Superintendent, Board of trustees, who and how to contact, how to receive communication, news, and more.  The "News & Announcements" section on the main page scrolling down is the most recent items that are posted.  To see all or additional news posts in the past go to the menu item "District" then "News", you will be able to go month by month. The "Information" menu is going to be your main place to navigate after you are on board.  Here you will find pages about Online Registration for new and returning students, contacting and communication pages, communication tools, calendars, schedules/bad weather, school supply list, and other systems or sites specific to your needs.  The "Departments" menu will help you locate organizations or departments that you may need to get in contact or find information about.

Facebook has shown to be one of the best ways for us to get information communicated in real time out to the entire community or public quickly and effectively. Facebook allows Sweetwater ISD to announce upcoming events, current or recent happenings, things that impact the community, and information less specific to just parents or guardians. Facebook also functions as our Newsletters giving us a good platform to give recognition for awards and accomplishments or to welcome new individuals or highlight organizations or groups. 

Social Media has shown to be one of the best ways for us to get information communicated in real time out to the entire community or public quickly and effectively. Facebook allows Sweetwater ISD to announce upcoming events, current or recent happenings, things that impact the community, and information less specific to just parents or guardians. Facebook also functions as our Newsletters giving us a good platform to give recognition for awards and accomplishments or to welcome new individuals or highlight organizations or groups. 

Remind is used to efficiently reinforce communication or information that may also be available or possibly should be on the website if campus or district level that allows a more targeted approach.  Classroom Teacher communication should flow through Remind or ClassDojo.  Remind will be used for communication that should be directed to Students, Parents/Guardians specifically about important due dates, upcoming tests and quizzes, schedule changes, field trips, or other pertinent information that is critical.  Also, teachers can highlight what they are doing specifically in the classroom. 

Facebook will be used to connect with and communicate to the community and public audience, therefore should not be used for specific directed information, which then should be sent out via Remind. Examples would be, positive stories, photos and videos of events, highlighting staff or student achievements, District wide accomplishments and directions, and community wide announcements.

A certified or licensed employee, or any other employee designated in writing by the superintendent or a campus principal, may use electronic communications with students who are currently enrolled in the district. The employee must comply with the provisions outlined below. Electronic communications between all other employees and students who are enrolled in the district are prohibited. Employees are not required to provide students with their personal phone number or email address.

An employee is not subject to the provisions regarding electronic communications with a student to the extent the employee has a social or family relationship with a student. For example, an employee may have a relationship with a niece or nephew, a student who is the child of an adult friend, a student who is a friend of the employee’s child, or a member or participant in the same civic, social, recreational, or religious organization. An employee who claims an exception based on a social relationship shall provide written consent from the student’s parent. The written consent shall include an acknowledgement by the parent that:

• The employee has provided the parent with a copy of this protocol;

• The employee and the student have a social relationship outside of school;

• The parent understands that the employee’s communications with the student are excepted from district regulation; and

• The parent is solely responsible for monitoring electronic communications between the employee and the student.

The following definitions apply for the use of electronic media with students:

• Electronic communications means any communication facilitated by the use of any electronic device, including a telephone, cellular telephone, computer, computer network, personal data assistant, or pager. The term includes email, text messages, instant messages, and any communication made through an Internet website, including a social media website or a social networking website.

• Communicate means to convey information and includes a one-way communication as well as a dialogue between two or more people. A public communication by an employee that is not targeted at students (e.g., a posting on the employee’s personal social network page or a blog) is not a communication:  however, the employee may be subject to district regulations on personal electronic communications. Unsolicited contact from a student through electronic means is not a communication.

• Certified or licensed employee means a person employed in a position requiring SBEC certification or a professional license, and whose job duties may require the employee to communicate electronically with students. The term includes classroom teachers, counselors, principals, librarians, paraprofessionals, nurses, educational diagnosticians, licensed therapists, and athletic trainers.

An employee who communicates electronically with students shall observe the following:

• The employee is prohibited from knowingly communicating with students using any form of electronic communications, including mobile and web applications, that are not provided or accessible by the district unless a specific exception is noted below.

• Only a teacher, trainer, or other employee who has an extracurricular duty may use text messaging, and then only to communicate with students who participate in the extracurricular activity over which the employee has responsibility. An employee who communicates with a student using text messaging shall comply with the following protocol:

•  The employee shall include at least one of the student’s parents or guardians as a recipient on each text message to the student so that the student and parent receive the same message.

• The employee shall limit communications to matters within the scope of the employee’s professional responsibilities (e.g., for classroom teachers, matters relating to class work, homework, and tests; for an employee with an extracurricular duty, matters relating to the extracurricular activity).

• The employee is prohibited from knowingly communicating with students through a personal social network page; the employee must create a separate social network page (“professional page”) for the purpose of communicating with students. The employee must enable administration and parents to access the employee’s professional page.

• The employee shall not communicate directly with any student between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. An employee may, however, make public posts to a social network site, blog, or similar application at any time.

• The employee does not have a right to privacy with respect to communications with students and parents.

• The employee continues to be subject to applicable state and federal laws, local policies, administrative regulations, and the Texas Educators’ Code of Ethics including:

• Compliance with the Public Information Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), including retention and confidentiality of student records. 

• Copyright law.

• Prohibitions against soliciting or engaging in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student. 

• Upon request from administration, an employee will provide the phone number(s), social network site(s), or other information regarding the method(s) of electronic media the employee uses to communicate with one or more currently-enrolled students.

• Upon written request from a parent or student, the employee shall discontinue communicating with the student through email, text messaging, instant messaging, or any other form of one-to-one communication.

• An employee may request an exception from one or more of the limitations above by submitting a written request to his or her immediate supervisor.

• All staff are required to use school email accounts for all electronic communications with parents. Communication about school issues through personal email accounts or text messages are not allowed as they cannot be preserved in accordance with the district’s record retention policy.

• An employee shall notify his or supervisor in writing within one business day if a student engages in an improper electronic communication with the employee. The employee should describe the form and content of the electronic communication.

A parent is legally required to provide in writing the parent’s contact information, including address, phone number, and email address. A parent must provide the contact information to the district upon enrollment and again within two weeks after the beginning of each following school year while the student is enrolled in the district. If the parent’s contact information changes during the school year, the parent must update the information in writing no more than two weeks after the date the information changes. A parent may update contact information by contacting the campus registrar.

Your child’s school periodically sends information by automated or pre-recorded messages, text messages, or real-time phone or email communications that are closely related to the school’s mission and specific to your child, your child’s school, or the district. Standard messaging rates of your wireless phone carrier may apply. If you do not wish to receive such communications, please contact your child’s principal.