Send a direct message
Start a private one-on-one conversation with another parent or a staff member — and tidy it away again when it's done.
Channels are rooms; sometimes you need a hallway. A direct message is a private conversation between you and one other person — the carpool logistics, the “did Josie leave her jacket at your house?” that the whole grade doesn’t need.
Start a direct message
- Open Messages and tap the New message (pencil) button at the top of your conversation list.
- Search by name. You’ll find people you share a group with right away; to reach someone else at the school, type their exact full name as it appears on the roster.
- Pick the person and write your message.
Your direct messages collect in their own Direct messages section of the list, separate from channels. Starting a conversation with someone you’ve messaged before just reopens the same thread.
Inside the conversation
Messaging works like it does in a channel — send, react, attach. Two differences worth knowing:
- It’s just the two of you. Nobody else can see or join a direct message — see Understand direct message privacy.
- Real names only. Channel nicknames don’t apply in direct messages.
If the other person sends read receipts, you’ll see “Seen” under your last message once they’ve read it.
Leave a conversation
Done with a thread? Open Conversation details (the ⋯ menu) and choose Leave conversation. This removes the conversation from your list — the other person keeps theirs, and a new message from them brings it back. It’s tidying, not blocking; for blocking, see Control who can message you directly.
If you can’t find someone
The search only offers people who can be messaged. If someone doesn’t come up, they may have turned off new direct messages, or your school may limit who can start them. School staff can always be reached — and can always reach you.