Jul. 19, 2021
If your child is new to the CBE or if you have recently changed your phone number, you may get a text (SMS) message from 978338 asking if you would like to receive Calgary Board of Education alerts. This message is safe, is from the CBE, and is for your protection.
Your school may choose to communicate with you through phone calls, email, or text (SMS) messages. If you would like to be able to get SMS messages from your school or the CBE you need to opt in by responding to this message with “Y” or “Yes”. After you opt in, you’ll get a confirmation message saying that you’re registered with SchoolMessenger (the provider who delivers our text messages to you).
If you don’t want to get any SMS messages from your school, you don’t need to take any action.
Frequently Asked Questions
I already deleted the message (or opted out) – can I still opt in?
Yes, you can opt in for SMS messages at any time. Just text the word “Yes” (or “Y”) to the number 978338.
Can I just ask my school to opt me in?
No, your school can’t opt in on your behalf. The only way to opt in is to send “Y” or “Yes” to 978338.
I don’t want to receive SMS messages – what do I need to do?
If you haven’t opted in, you don’t need to do anything. You won’t receive SMS messages from us. Remember, though, that if your school is only sending through SMS (and not by email or phone call as well) you will miss out on those messages.
If you have already opted in and no longer want to receive SMS messages, you can opt out at any time by sending the word “STOP” to 978338. If you are receiving too many messages, please let your school know before you opt out. We want to make it easy for you to get the information you need, but don’t want to overload you. We need your help to find the right balance.
Why does this message come from 978338 instead of from my school’s phone number?
We have more than 200,000 parents and guardians in our system. To be able to send messages quickly and consistently to everyone, we send our messages through SchoolMessenger, and this is their special “short code” phone number. After you opt in, any SMS messages that you get from your school will come from this number.
Why do you send this message at all? It looks like spam!
We follow the practices developed by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA), and industry group protecting the rights and interests of Canadians. This opt-in process ensures that we only send SMS messages to parents who want to get them. Any organization or business using a short code (like 978338) to send large numbers of messages in Canada sends the same type of message before including a new phone number in their list.
Why did I get this message now?
We update SchoolMessenger with the information for the new school year on August 1, including the phone numbers for any parents who are new to a CBE school. When SchoolMessenger gets a new number that is capable of getting SMS messages, it sends this invitation automatically. The only other time you’ll get this message is if you register a new phone number with your school.
I’m a parent and I’d like to get SMS messages. Why didn’t I get this?
This confirmation message is only sent when a new phone number is added to our system. If your child has attended a CBE school in the past and your phone number has not changed, you won’t get this message again. If you did not opt in previously, or if you have opted out but would like to get SMS messages, you can still opt in at any time by texting “Yes” or “Y” to 978338.
I opted in but I still don’t get SMS messages from my school. Why not?
Opting in gives us permission to send SMS messages to your phone number, but not all schools send SMS messages (most communicate by email). If you’re concerned that you may be missing messages, talk to your school to make sure that they have your phone number on file and ask if they’re sending SMS messages.
Is there anything else I need to do?
If you haven’t subscribed for commercial messages (including important information about picture days, fun lunches, fundraisers or fees), make sure you go to cbe.ab.ca/subscribe and enter the email address that you have registered with your school.
Do you charge me for SMS messages if I opt in?
No, we provide this service at no cost to you. Standard message and data rates from your provider still apply.
