New WhatsApp Community for Grade-Level Parent Communication

The PTSA is excited to announce the launch of a “Cherry Crest Elementary Parents Group” WhatsApp Community with grade-specific parent groups.

These groups are designed to help the PTSA, CE Reps and room parents connect with other parents in a specific grade.

Joining these groups is completely optional and opt-in only. The groups will not replace our other existing forms of communication. They will not be facilitated by any PTSA member and are meant to be self-serving.

We invite every parent to join and help make this a welcoming and valuable resource for our school community.

🎯 Purpose of the Groups

• Provide a space for grade-level parents to share reminders, resources, events, field trips and updates.
• Build connections among families and strengthen our school community.

📜 Group Guidelines To keep these groups useful and positive, we ask all members to follow a few simple guidelines.

1.  **Respectful Communication** – Be kind, considerate, supportive and inclusive in all discussions.
2.  **Stay School-Focused** – Share information relevant to your child’s grade level and the school.
3.  **Not a Complaint Forum** – If you have concerns about staff, teachers, or school policies, please bring them directly to the teacher, principal, or PTA leadership—not the group.
4. **No Promotions or Political Content** – These groups are not for advertising, campaigning, or unrelated discussions.
5.  **Concise Messaging** – Keep posts clear and brief. For extended or personal conversations, use direct messages.
6.  **Respect Privacy** – Do not share group content or contact information outside the group. Do not post personal information on the group.

Admins have the right to remove anyone violating the positive intent of these groups.

🔗 How to Join Click Here to join the **WhatsApp Community** and select your child’s grade-level group(s).

❓ FAQ:

1. What happens when my kid moves up to the next grade?  ✅ At the end of the school year, we will remove the 5th grade group from the community and update all group names to the next grade.
2. What if I’m a teacher and a parent in the school, can I join? ✅ Absolutely, you are welcome to join your child’s grade level group
3.  I already have too many groups for my kid’s class already, can’t I just use those? ✅ You can definitely keep using what you already have and not feel burdened to join yet another WhatsApp group. We will continue to share all school information in our Chatter newsletter.
4. Why WhatsApp? Could we not use <Insert your favorite social media platform>?  ✅We just picked something we think most people use. It may not work for everyone and we acknowledge that.
5.  What will I be missing if I choose to not join this?  ✅ Nothing in terms of important announcements that we also send in the Chatter or through flyers. We are just building an additional way to connect parents with each other
6.  Will PTSA moderate these groups? ✅ Not officially. We will have members who can volunteer to be admins and remove anyone not being respectful. Luckily we have a good spread of active PTSA members across grades already. PTSA may also do occasional announcements to the entire community the same way we send reminders via email today.