HUNTINGTON BEACH UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT Protocol and Script Guide

							HUNTINGTON BEACH UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
           Protocol and Script Guide for
        the Connect-ED Notification System

Purpose

The purpose of these guidelines is to define the appropriate use of the Connect-ED
telecommunications technology. The Connect-ED system facilitates the sending of
uniform, automatic messages to targeted audiences large and small through telephone,
email and text messaging in a very short period of time. The use of this notification
system will focus on the communication to parents and staff regarding emergency
situations, general announcements and reminders, and attendance calling.

General Guidelines

The Superintendent or district office designee is responsible for making the district-wide
messages recorded in his/her own voice. There will be no district-wide notifications
through the Connect-ED system without the Superintendent’s approval. The Principal of
the school is responsible for making the school-wide notifications in his/her own voice.
There will be no school-wide notifications without the Principal’s approval. In the
absence of the Principal, an administrator designee from the school may make the school
notification with approval from the Superintendent or district designee.

In emergency situations, the content of the messages and time of dissemination to school-
wide audiences shall not be made without the approval of the Superintendent or district
designee.

General school-wide announcements and reminders should be given by the Principal, and
delivered after regular school hours. Messages sent during the school day are restricted to
emergency notifications only. Care should be taken to eliminate duplicate messages sent
to the same recipients containing the same or similar information (sibling delete).

This system is for school and district communication only and is not to be used to
disseminate information on behalf of political candidates or organizations, religious or
community organizations or to advertise commercial events or products.

Emergency Messages

Below are guidelines for sending emergency messages using Connect-ED. However, any
message sent out to parents and/or staff related to emergency or crisis situations must be
coordinated with the Superintendent or district designee before generating the calls
through Connect-ED.
Emergency Message Situations

Situation                    Time                          Person Authorized to Send

Evacuation                   send immediately              Principal
Lockdown                     send immediately              Principal
Fire                         send immediately              Principal
Bus Accident                 send immediately              Principal or Superintendent
Injury or death              end of the day                Principal or Superintendent
Weather/School Closures      varies                        Superintendent


District Generated Messages

   District Office generated messages may include:

   •   General District Announcements
   •   District-wide Emergency Situations

   Sample Message from District:

   “This is     (name and title)                 with an important message concerning
   all of the Huntington Beach Union High School District Schools. Due to the
   closeness of the fires and the heavy amount of smoke, all schools will be closed for
   students and staff on (day and date). Schools will open again on Monday for all staff
   and students.”


School Generated Messages

   School Generated Messages may address any of the following school-specific
   occurrences:

   •   Back-to-School Welcome
   •   Back-to-School Night reminder
   •   Testing Reminders (CAHSEE, STAR)
   •   Calendar Reminders
   •   Cancellation of events
   •   School-wide Fundraisers

   School-Wide Announcements and Reminders

   •   Limit calls to one per month, if possible
   •   Limit your calls to 45 seconds or less
   •   Please remember that Connect-Ed is a powerful communication tool for our
       district and we must not over use it.
Sample School-Wide Announcements and Reminders:

“Hello, this is (Principal name) from (school name). I am calling to welcome all
students and parents to a wonderful school year! The staff at (school name) looks
forward to seeing your child on the first day of school (date) and working with you to
make this a successful year. As always, thank you for your continued support in
helping us provide a quality education for your child.”

“Hello, this is (Principal name) from (school name) calling to remind you of our
back-to-school night on (date) from (times). This is an excellent opportunity for you
to meet your child’s teachers and visit the classrooms. We hope you make plans to
join us! As always, thank you for your continued support in helping us provide a
quality education for your child.”

“Hello, this is (Principal name) from (school name) calling to remind parents that
this upcoming Monday (date) is a student free day. Staff will be working on ( topic of
the day) and will not be available to return calls during the day or to work with
students. School will resume Tuesday (date) with our (type) schedule. As always,
thank you for your continued support.”


Targeted School Announcements and Reminders:

•   Principals may use discretion as to how often targeted messages are sent.
•   Care should be taken to eliminate duplicate messages sent to the same recipients
    containing the same or similar information (sibling delete).

Sample Targeted School Announcements and Reminders

“Hello, this is (Principal name) from (school name) calling to remind all parents of
senior students that there is no such thing as a senior ditch day. If a student misses
school, the student will be marked absent and will be required to bring a note from a
parent to clear the absence. Students who are absent because of a “ditch” day will
be given a truancy and required to attend a Saturday School. Let’s work together to
get our seniors to school every day and end their experience at (name of school) in a
positive way. Thank you for your support.”

“Hello, this is (Principal’s name) from (name of school) calling to remind you that
your 10th grade student will be taking the California High School Exit Exam
tomorrow (date) and (day and date). Tenth grade students are to report to (location)
at (time) to take this very important test. A student must pass both the Language Arts
and the Math portions of the CAHSEE in order to graduate and receive a high school
diploma. Please encourage your child to take these tests seriously and to be on time
in the morning. Thank you for your continued support.”