# Parent Messaging
URL: https://guide.whitepenguin.co/docs/communication/parent-messaging/
> Learn how to send messages to parents, share documents or images, and reply to their responses.
## Overview [#overview]
**Parent Messaging** lets your school hold private, one-to-one conversations with parents and guardians directly inside WhitePenguin — no email or outside chat app needed.
Everything happens in the **Communication** section, which has two tabs:
| Tab | What It Shows |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Messages** | All one-to-one conversations with parents and staff, most recent first. |
| **Announcements** | Broadcast announcements sent to a group — separate from private messages. |
Each row in the **Messages** list shows:
* The person's **name** with a **role badge** — **Parent** or **Staff**
* For parents, the **child's name and class** underneath (for example, *Jules Mandie • grade 2*)
* A preview of the last message, or **Attachment** if the last message was a file
* The **date or time** of the most recent activity
## How to Access [#how-to-access]
* **Admins**
1. Click **Communication** in the left sidebar.
2. The **Messages** tab opens by default, showing every conversation in the school.
3. Click **+ New Message** (top right) to start a conversation, or click any row to open an existing thread.
* **Teachers**
1. Click **Communication** in the left sidebar.
2. The **Messages** tab shows the conversations they are part of.
3. Teachers can always reply to messages they receive — starting new conversations depends on their custom role.
* **Parents**
1. Sign in to the **Parent Dashboard**.
2. Open the **Communication** section.
3. Parents can start a new message and reply to anything they receive from the school.
## Roles & Access [#roles--access]
**Access is based on custom roles.** Your **school admin** creates **custom roles** for all users and controls exactly which permissions each role has — **View**, **Edit**, **Create**, and **Delete** — for every section of the system, including Communication.
What you can do in Parent Messaging depends on the **custom role** assigned to you:
* Roles with **View** permission for Communication can open the **Messages** tab and read conversations.
* Roles with **Create** permission can start new conversations and send replies.
* Roles with **Edit** or **Delete** permission can update or remove messages.
* **Admins** with full Communication access can message **any parent** and **any teacher** in the school.
* **Teachers** can always reply to messages they receive, even if their role does not allow starting new conversations.
**Where to manage roles:** Go to **Settings → Roles & Permissions**, then click **+ Create Role** to build a new custom role, or select an existing role to toggle its permissions. **Super Admin** permissions are fixed and cannot be edited.
## How to Create a New Message to a Parent [#how-to-create-a-new-message-to-a-parent]
Click **+ New Message** at the top right of the Communication page, then complete the **New Message** window:
1. **Send To**
* Open the **Select recipient type** dropdown.
* Choose **Parent** to message a parent or guardian.
2. **Parent**
* A second dropdown appears once the recipient type is selected.
* Pick the parent you want to message (for example, *Adaeze Okafor*).
* Admins can select **any parent** in the school.
3. **Message**
* Type your message in the **Type your message…** box.
4. **Attach image or video (max 3)** — optional
* Click the attachment link to add files — up to **3** per message.
* Each file appears as a chip below the box. Click the **×** on a chip to remove it before sending.
5. Click **Send Message** to send it, or **Cancel** to discard.
Recipient types available in the **Send To** dropdown:
| Recipient type | Who you can select |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| **Parent** | Any parent or guardian in the school |
| **Teacher** | Any teacher or staff member |
## Replying to a Parent [#replying-to-a-parent]
1. Open the conversation from the **Messages** tab.
2. The thread header shows the parent's **name**, their **Parent** badge, and their **child and class**.
3. Messages are grouped by day (**Today**, and so on). Messages you send appear on the right with a **✓** once they are delivered.
4. Type your reply in the **Type a message…** box at the bottom of the thread.
5. Use the attachment icon to add a file, then click **Send**.
## Sharing Images, Videos & Documents [#sharing-images-videos--documents]
* You can attach up to **3 files per message**.
* Files can be attached from the **New Message** window or from inside an open conversation.
* Attachments appear in the thread as a preview card, with your message text shown underneath as a caption.
* In the Messages list, a message that contains only a file is previewed as **Attachment**.
## Tips [#tips]
* Use the **search bar** at the top of the Messages tab to find a conversation by name or class instead of scrolling.
* The **role badge** next to each name tells you instantly whether you are replying to a **Parent** or a member of **Staff**.
* Keep one topic per conversation — the full history stays with the parent, so it is easy to look back on what was agreed.
* Look for the **✓** to confirm your message was delivered.
* Attach a photo or PDF instead of retyping long details, such as forms, reports, or permission slips.
* Use **Announcements** when the same information needs to reach many parents at once.
* If a teammate cannot see or send messages, update their custom role in **Settings → Roles & Permissions**.
## FAQs [#faqs]
Admins with full Communication access can message any parent in the school. Any other user can send messages if their **custom role** includes **Create** permission for Communication.
Yes. Parents can create a new message from their dashboard and choose who to send it to, and they can reply to any message they receive.
Up to **3** images or videos per message. You can attach them from the **New Message** window or from inside an open conversation.
It confirms the message was delivered to the recipient.
Your custom role may not include **View** permission for Communication. Ask your school admin to update it in **Settings → Roles & Permissions**.
Your role may not include **Create** permission for Communication. Teachers can still reply to messages they receive.
**Messages** are private one-to-one conversations. **Announcements** are sent to a group of recipients at once and live on their own tab.
It shows which child and class the parent is linked to. If a parent has more than one child, the list shows the first child plus a counter, such as *+2*.