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Frequently Asked Questions#

Why does an old date appear on my news message after I update the message's
content?

News messages retain their original publication date, regardless of when/if their content is updated. If you wish to update the content of an old message, copy the old message, paste it into TextEdit or Notepad, and then copy it from TextEdit or Notepad into a new news message. Update the text as necessary and then publish the message. Today's date should now appear alongside the message.

What do I need to do to make my new news message appear on my homepage?

You will need make your news message available as a homepage highlight (one of the boxes in the middle of your homepage). Directions on how to pin news and events to your homepage can be here.

How can I change the photos on my school's homepage?

There is room for three photos at the top of all school websites. To change the photos that appear in that space, email a selection (4-6) of photos to Jennifer Rose and she will update your website with the three that work best. Horizontally oriented photos tend to work best in this space.

If you don't have a selection of recent photos to choose from, please contact Nicholas Griner, who can arrange a time to take new photos of your school.

I've lost my username and/or password. Who can help me?

Send an email to either webmaster@hcpss.org or Jennifer Rose (jennifer_rose@hcpss.org), indicating what login information you need.

Where do I go to log into my school's website?

You can log into your school's website by going to [school acronym].hcpss.org/login. For example, to log into Long Reach's website, you would go to lrhs.hcpss.org/login and enter your login credentials.

How often should I update my school's website?

There is no hard and fast rule about the frequency with which you should update your site. However, if you rarely post new information on your site, people will have little incentive to go there. To encourage them to visit your site, be sure to:

  • Keep your homepage up-to-date. Remove news and events there that are old/no longer priority items).
  • Be sure to keep your calendar up-to-date.
  • Be sure to post news/information that your community members may need to refer back to.
  • Be sure to conduct an audit of your site 6-12 months or so. Delete content and files that are outdated and/or no longer needed.
  • I have been asked to edit my school's website. How do I get access?

Have your principal send an email to either webmaster@hcpss.org or Jennifer Rose (jennifer_rose@hcpss.org), requesting that you be given access to your school's website. Once that is done, you will be sent a username and password to log into that site.

I accidentally forgot to save a news message I was working on and then closed out of the website. Is there any way to retrieve it?

Unfortunately, school sites don't back up unsaved content. So, you will likely have to start your message over again.

Can I post PTA News on my school's website?

School websites are specifically intended to communicate news and information pertaining directly to the mission of the school. Whenever possible, PTAs should use their own communications tools - including their own websites - as their primary means of communicating PTA news and information.

What is the best way to share my school's newsletter on the school website?

Ideally, your newsletter is a collection of news and events that you have already posted on your school's site. In that case, there is no need to publish the newsletter in its entirety on your site.

If you have created your newsletter as a PDF, you would want to upload the PDF to your site. You would then want to create a new news message where you provide some introductory text (i.e a list of the specific topics covered in the newsletter) and then link to the PDF.

How do I add an attachment to a news post?

To begin, save your file as a PDF. Next, upload the file to your site. Copy the file's URL. Open up your news post, highlight the text you wish to link your file to, click the link button in the tool bar, make sure the link type is URL, and paste the file URL into the field under "URL," and click "ok.

What is the source of information for the "Our Staff" page?

School staff must manually maintain the "Our Staff" page. It is not tied to Workday and does not auto-update.

Do I need to use all 9 blocks on the homepage?

No. We recommend using no less than three, but you should not feel obliged to use all nine--especially if they only way fill the nine blocks is by highlighting old/outdated information.

I can't add events to the Google calendar on my school's website. What should I do?

Find out who at your school "owns" the Google calendar and ask that they give you permission (in Google) to edit it. If you can't figure out who the owner is, please contact Jennifer Rose. In some cases, it may be necessary to delete your school's existing Google calendar and create a new one.