In preparation for the upcoming cold weather months, District 34 will be conducting an annual, district-wide test of its Urgent Alert system on Wednesday, October 14, at 5:00 PM. At that time, you will receive a test alert sent by the Communications Department via ParentSquare that will read “This is a test of District 34’s Urgent Alert system. This is only a test. There is NO emergency.”

As a reminder, ParentSquare has three different ways of sending out mass communications to the District: Posts, Smart Alerts, and Urgent Alerts.

• Posts are used for non-urgent, everyday communications, such as newsletters and event updates.
• Smart Alerts are used to send more prominent and timely information, such as delayed bus notifications or first responders at the building to address a medical situation.
• Urgent Alerts (the type of alert being tested on October 14) are reserved for critical updates such as weather-related closures (like a snow day) or an emergency occurring at a school.

When an Urgent Alert is sent, ParentSquare will make an effort to instantly notify all recipients by all available methods: email, SMS text message, app notification, and an automatic phone call. We encourage everyone to double-check that all their contact information is up-to-date in PowerSchool ahead of our test and the winter months ahead, as this is the contact information used by ParentSquare to send alert notifications.

By conducting this Urgent Alert test, we will be able to ensure that in the event of a weather-related closure or a real emergency in the District, all our families and staff will be quickly notified. Communications like these also help continue the work toward the goals outlined in our District’s Strategic Plan to increase connection and keep our families informed of what is happening in District 34.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Rebecca Swoboda, Executive Director of Communications and Strategic Planning, at rswoboda@glenview34.org. For information about weather-related closures, please visit the dedicated page on our website.