- Fauquier County Public Schools
- Notification Systems
- Mass Notification
Mass Notification System
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This automated notification system is for the Fauquier County Public Schools students, families, community and staff. Notices such as school closings and delays, attendance, and other division and school information will be communicated via phone, email, and text messaging.
Mass Notify also allows the division and schools to post notifications to the new FCPS mobile App where any user can download and enable notifications from the division or specific school. The FCPS mobile app can be downloaded from the Apple and Android store. See news release.
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Parent/Guardian Data in Mass Notify
The Mass Notification System uses data from the student information system (SIS) Infinite Campus. Any person marked as a guardian to an FCPS student will have their household phone number, cell phone number and email address used. It is important that parents/guardians verify and update their contact information through Campus Portal and/or contact the school(s) their children attend.
School Cancellations or Delays
When a decision is made before or after school hours, an emergency-broadcast will be sent as a phone call, an email, and a text message will be sent.
An emergency text message will come from short-code 549-68.
Contact information can be updated during Annual Online Registration that opens in July and anytime throughout the school year using your Campus Parent Portal Account.
For example, if you have disconnected your home phone line and use your cell as the main contact number for your household, then you must contact your student's school to request a change to your household phone number or use Campus Portal to request an update.
Early Dismissals
When students are in school and a decision is made to dismiss early, a "School Hours Emergency" message is sent.
Please note that in the case of an early dismissal, all phone numbers are used. This includes a household phone, guardian's cell, guardian's work, emails and a SMS/text message will be sent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I not getting a phone call?
You may not be marked as having a guardian relationship with an FCPS student in Campus. You may have unsubscribed your phone number.Why am I getting emails?
You are specified as having a guardian relationship with an FCPS student.Why am I not getting emails?
Your email may not be in our SIS. You can check by logging into your Campus Portal account.
To ensure delivery, please make sure that donotreply@fcps1.org has been whitelisted. For instructions see whitelist.Why is email going to JUNK or SPAM folder?
Email providers have increased security and you may need to whitelist our email address donotreply@fcps1.org. Google mail allows you to filter emails to prevent mail from going to SPAM. See instructions from Google to mark messages not SPAM, add to contacts, and create google filters.
How do I subscribe to receive an email?
Please log in to your Campus Portal account to review and update your contact information or contact your child's school to make sure your email is current in the Campus SIS.
Please contact your child's school if you do not have a Campus portal account. Also, whitelist email donotreply@fcps1.org.Why did I get a text message?
Your cell phone number is associated with a student at FCPS and you are specified as a guardian.Why didn’t I get a text message?
Your cell phone number may not be associated with a student at FCPS. You may provide your cell phone number to your student’s school or log in to your Campus portal account and request to add one.Why am I being contacted?
Your phone number or email address is associated with either a staff member or with a guardian of a student at FCPS.How do I STOP receiving text messages?
To immediately stop receiving text messages, either Reply to the undesired message with the word STOP or text STOP to 549-68 for emergency or 606-80 for general notices.
What if I opted-out of phone, email, or text messages by accident?
You will need to contact your child's school to opt back in to school messages. If you opted out at the district level, you will need to contact the district to opt back in to district messages.
You can opt back in by texting' Opt in' to any of the Blackboard text message short codes 549-68 for emergency and 606-80 for general notices.Why am I not being contacted?
- Your phone number may have been deactivated by your carrier. If the number is still valid, you may need to call school to reactivate it.
- Your information is not up to date in the student information system. Please update your contact information using your Campus Portal account or contact your student's school to confirm the accuracy of your contact information.
- You are not designated as a guardian within a student's household. Contact your student's school to confirm the accuracy of your guardian status.
- The message was sent by a school in which your student is not registered. Individual schools may send messages to their membership; students in all schools will not get all messages. District messages may send to all and/or certain grades and/or schools as well.
Please notes that Fauquier County sends message that are not school related. These messages are from another alert system, such as Fauquier County Emergency Notification System.
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Employee/Staff Data in Mass Notify
The Mass Notify System uses data from Fauquier County e-Portal for employee contact information (email addresses and phone numbers).
It is important that employees verify and update their contact information through Fauquier ePortal to avoid the risk of not receiving notifications.
To review your information or to make changes, log in to your Fauquier ePortal account. Please remember that your username is your first initial, last name and last four digits of your social security number (jsmithXXXX). After logging in, follow the steps below to review your contact information:
- Select Employee Self Service
- Select Personal Information
From here you may review the home address, email address, phone number(s) and emergency contact(s) currently on file for you. Please verify and update, if necessary, the following information:
Address/E-MailE-Mail Address – this should be your FCPS email address. Please do not enter another employees FCPS1.org email.
Alternate E-Mail Address – this should be a personal email account, if you have one.
Telephone NumbersPrimary – this should be your home phone or primary phone number. This may also be a cell number. We strongly suggest you add your cell number again as a type of 'mobile' to be assured you get a text message.
If you do not have any other phone number listed, you may wish to add your mobile phone number.
- Select Add Telephone Number
- For Type select MOBILE
- Enter the phone number and a description.
Frequently Asked Questions
Phone/Voice Calls
Why am I not getting phone calls?Your Primary number (home phone) needs to be updated in e-Portal or a cell or mobile number needs to be added.
Why am I getting two phone calls or multiple calls?
Primary numbers and cell numbers are being called for staff.
You may be a staff member as well as a parent, and if so, you will get two calls since the messages are slightly different.
What contact preferences are used and how?
We have the following default settings.
- Home Phone or Primary Number
- Cell Mobile phone
- Primary email
- Secondary email
Text Messaging for Emergency School Closings and Delays and General Notifications
Why did I get a text message?
Your cell phone number was in Munis e-portal when we pulled data for import into Blackboard Mass Notify.
Why didn’t I get a text message?
Your cell phone number was not in Munis e-portal when we pulled data for import into Blackboard Mass Notify. Please add it to e-Portal by following the instructions above.
You may also text "opt-in" to short code 54968 for emergency and or 60680 for general notifications.
Some carriers turn short code ability off by default. Please check with your carrier.
How do I stop text messaging?
Simply reply with "STOP" and a confirmation will be sent back.
Employees/Staff
If you are still experiencing some issues, please enter a SysAid ticket for Assistance with Mass Notify or contact system admin Patty Allen or call at 540-422-7007.