Blackboard System Alerts - Setup and Instructions

Mobile App Quick Start Guide

Important: When setting your delivery preferences, highlight/select email, SMS, and phone number for Emergency to ensure receipt of all emergency notifications such as school closings and delays. Specify an email address and if wanted a phone/text number for Other to ensure that you receive all school and district notifications, including school-specific messages.

Tenafly Public Schools uses a Districtwide notification system called Blackboard to personally communicate with parents/caregivers, students, and staff regarding emergency situations, attendance, school events, and other important issues impacting you and your student(s). The Blackboard Connect service allows us to send personalized voice, email, and/or text messages to your family's home, work, and/or cell phones, and also contact you through our social networks. 

We are able to reach everyone in the District within minutes based on Blackboard‘s capabilities, which improves school and Districtwide communication. Keeping parents/caregivers more informed and involved leads to higher student achievement and student safety. Please help us by ensuring we have your current contact information. 

You can specify on which phone and/or email address you receive notifications by editing your personal Blackboard notification account. We recommend providing your cell phone number so that messages come directly to you.

What Numbers Should I Provide for Blackboard Connect?

There are many instances when the school will attempt to reach you.

• General notification messages are sent typically between 9:00am and 6:00pm. These messages are non-emergency in nature and announce upcoming events or reminders.
• Emergency notification messages are of an urgent nature and are sent anytime during the day, including early morning. The number you should provide is where you are most likely to be reached during the majority of your waking hours. Blackboard will call every number stored, including the numbers for general and attendance notifications to ensure that parents/caregivers are reached. 
• School-specific and teacher-created messages are sent with classroom reminders and notifications.
  
  

Important Call Delivery Tips:

1. When listening to a message, background noise may cause the system to stop and start. Blackboard Connect is carefully tuned to determine whether a person or an answering machine/voicemail has been reached, and background noise may affect the delivery of the message. If possible, move to a quiet area, or press the mute button on your phone.
2. If you missed any part of a message, please stay on the line and press the "*” (star) key on your phone to hear the entire message again. 
3. Please be aware that the Blackboard Connect service cannot currently dial an extension, so be sure the numbers you provide are direct lines.
   
   

Should your contact information change or need to be corrected, please contact the school directly. Only the school has the ability to change your contact information stored in the Genesis system. As the notification system is used for emergency communications, the District has established a no-opt-out policy for students, parents and employees. All personal information is maintained in the strictest confidence and in compliance with the District's security policies. 


We look forward to connecting with you in the very near future.