Communications

We use SchoolMessenger's mass notifications system to send robocalls, text messages and emails. Check with your child's school office to ensure your contact information is current in the PowerSchool student information system.

We share a community-wide newsletter called SCSD News, which includes essential information, resources and celebrations.

The City of St. Charles School District is on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. 

Commenting Guidelines

The City of St. Charles School District welcomes and encourages a dialogue between community members, followers and the district. We want this to be a forum to discuss educational issues, share experiences and feelings, and provide constructive feedback.

In order to achieve this goal, SCSD will not edit comments, but reserves the right remove comments if they don't follow certain guidelines stated below.

Comments that will be removed include, but are not limited to:

• Unrelated to the District or the post itself
• Personal attacks on staff members or other users on the page
• Foul language (comments including but not limited to: profane or provocative language; hateful, racially or ethnically offensive or derogatory content; threats; obscene or sexually explicit language will be removed).
• “Trolling” (making deliberately offensive or provocative post with the aim of upsetting someone or eliciting an angry response from them)
• Spam
• Off-topic comments
• Comments containing links to external sources
• Comments with the intent to sell a product or service

Users who continually violate these guidelines will be banned from the SCSD Facebook page and possibly reported to Facebook depending upon the severity of the violation.

The Communications Department and Superintendent's Office work with not-for-profit community organizations or programs deemed useful and constructive for the growth of students (see Board Policy KI) to provide information to students and families about educational and recreational opportunities. Flyers to be distributed to students must be approved by the Superintendent's Office.

The City of St. Charles School District cooperates with community groups and organizations that sponsor activities of an educational/enrichment nature for students by distributing materials electronically via Peachjar. As part of our efforts to be more environmentally friendly, embrace innovative technology, and maintain fiscal responsibility, we have transitioned from paper to electronic flyer delivery. E-flyers are sent directly to parents’ email inboxes as well as posted online for easy access. Paper flyers from outside organizations will no longer be distributed.

Flyer Approval Process:
​To request flyer approval from SCSD, please follow the steps below. Once approved, your flyer will be emailed to all parents and posted online. Paper flyers from outside organizations will no longer be distributed. Before you move on, please read our flyer distribution guidelines (above). Then follow the directions below.

Visit www.peachjar.com 
Under "Account Type," select the appropriate category
Upload your flyer for approval

Your flyer will be automatically submitted to the District office. District staff will review the material and approve or deny based on the standards below. Peachjar charges a fee to community organizations that are not school or District-sponsored activities for this service – which is typically much less than the cost to copy and deliver paper flyers to each school.

Note: SCSD organizations such as PTOs and booster clubs should work with their building principal to upload flyers through school-based accounts at no charge.

The City of St. Charles School District approves the distribution of:

• Flyers that promote an educational experience for students or parents, a healthy use of leisure time and/or a special enrichment activity not duplicated by a SCSD school or program
• Information targeted to staff that announces job-related activities and instructional opportunities related to the SCSD curriculum
• Information from non-school sponsored youth sports and recreation activities offered in our community.
• Information from municipal, government agencies in our community that are not political in nature.
• Community organizations providing educational or enrichment services that may directly benefit student

The City of St. Charles School District does not approve the distribution of:

• Commercial advertising of any kind
• Materials for projects, activities or programs that would publicize or promote a particular political party, political organization or political viewpoint
• Materials for projects, activities or programs that would publicize or promote a particular church, religious organization or religious viewpoint
• Materials for events deemed not suitable for children
• Materials that cause disruption of the operation and discipline of the school
• Materials that are lewd, obscene, libelous or slanderous
• Materials that discriminate against employees, students or others on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age or any other characteristic protected by law
• Materials that violate copyright laws

Note: Outside organizations must add the following disclaimer to all pages of their flyer in large, legible font:

"This program and its parent organization is independent and not sponsored by, affiliated with, nor endorsed by the City of St. Charles School District, its individual schools or Board of Education."

For more information, please contact the Kelley Pendleton at kpendleton@stcharlessd.org or call (636)443-4032.

SCSD recognizes the important role the media plays in reporting news and information about its educational programs, services, students and employees. The District’s Communications Department assists the media by providing information about the City of St. Charles School District. The department is committed to working with the media and making every effort to work within media deadlines.

All requests to interview, film, or photograph district employees, students, or Board members should be made with:

Mickie Plummer-Shepheard
Communications Coordinator
Direct line: 636-443-4566
Cell phone: Please email or call to request

We will provide, when feasible and appropriate, a representative who can best address the topic of the interview. Media interviews or photographs with students require parental consent. When requests for student interviews are granted, the interview is conducted at a district-designated site to minimize the loss of instructional time and disruption to the learning environment.

Media who want to film, photograph or interview SCSD employees, students or Board members must make a request through the Communications Department. When filming (live or taped), taking a still photograph or conducting interviews while in the school district, a district representative will accompany the media at all times to minimize disruption at the school and to assist with any additional requests. As a safety and security measure, the media, like all visitors to SCSD buildings, are asked to sign in and obtain a visitor's pass. Passes are available in the front office of each of the district’s buildings.

During emergencies, we will work as cooperatively as possible to supply timely information to the media about the emergency and its impact on students, teachers, or staff members, as long as the information does not jeopardize the emergency response activities, or conflict with federal privacy laws, the well-being of our students or employees, or the concerns of their families. During an emergency, media will not be allowed inside the affected school building(s). Media will be assigned to a designated external area at the site of the emergency to allow full access to the site by emergency response teams.

During an emergency, all media calls are referred to the Communications Department to allow the crisis response team at the site to give full attention to relief efforts. The District will work as quickly as possible to provide accurate information to the media through a spokesperson, written releases, or news briefings.