CGPS to roll out new parent-teacher chat option on district's mobile app

Cape Girardeau Public Schools is introducing a new way for parents to stay in touch with their children's educators, allowing them to easily keep up with their student's progress throughout the school year with a single smartphone app.

On Tuesday, June 11, the district announced a new addition to the Cape Girardeau Public Schools app known as "Rooms" that will allow parents to view their child's class schedule and assignments, and chat directly with teachers. CGPS communications director Kristin Tallent said the idea behind "Rooms" is to streamline communication between the families and the schools.

"Right now, if families have students in multiple buildings, they're having to download a few different apps to communicate and keep up with sports, the classroom and all the things their kids might be involved in," Tallent said. "This is sending families to just one place, one app, which is something that families with more than one child in the district will appreciate."

Tallent said discussions about adding "Rooms" to the CGPS app began approximately a year ago, and the district's Family Engagement Committee "loved it" when it was presented for feedback.

"(We were) thinking specifically of our families with more than one kid. One family in particular has five students in the district," Tallent said. "When you're going to just to one place for information, it definitely is a little bit of a relief for families."

The app, according to Tallent, will also automatically translate text to other languages, allowing families who prefer to communicate through their native language to do so.

"We're a very diverse school district, and we have a number of families who prefer to have their information in a different language. It just makes it easier, again, to stay connected," Tallent said. "The great thing about this tool is that whatever settings their cellphone is set to, it'll automatically translate into that language."

An instructional video is available on the district's website, to help "walk parents through the process." Additionally, Tallent said parents can call whatever school their child attends if more assistance is needed.

"Our teachers in many of the buildings have already trained on it or had an intro to it this past spring," Tallent said, "so we've got the ball rolling."

Tallent said the district will begin "sending (families) information very soon," by email and text messaging on how to create a login and access "Rooms". The Cape Girardeau Public Schools app is currently available for Android on Google Play and the Apple App Store for iPhone.

"They can start to download that app and get ready for the new school year," Tallent said.

Instructional video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l2DZRDUuwQ

Android link: www.bit.ly/3urh32X

Apple link: www.apple.co/3yilKgL