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As principal of Lynnhaven Middle School I am pleased to announce that Virginia Beach City Public Schools is implementing a new parent notification system - AlertNow -  that is being "tested" at our school between now and the end of this school year. AlertNow is a powerful and convenient notification system that will allow the school district to send important information quickly to your phone and/or e-mail account about emergency situations such as school delays or cancellations due to inclement weather, for example. At the school level it will also be used to remind you about various events and circumstances such as report card distribution, open house, delayed buses, class field trips, and more.
As the parent of a student at Lynnhaven Middle School it is important that we share information about this new and exciting notification system and how we will communicate with you.
- For non-emergency messages, you will receive a telephone call most likely to your home phone.
- Should a school emergency occur, in addition to being called at home, you will also be notified through the various phone numbers you have included on your child's registration form.
- In addition to being notified by phone during a school emergency, you will also receive messages via e-mail.
- This new notification system has the capability of calling five of your phone numbers (home, alternate or cell, and work) and sending messages to up to five different e-mail accounts for parents/guardians identified as residing with the student or identified as receiving copies of student reports.
- Multiple phone numbers and e-mail addresses will only be used to notify you during a school emergency, closing, or cancellation.
Over the next three and a half months, our school staff will be using AlertNow to keep in touch with every parent about events taking place at Lynnhaven Middle School. Here is what you need to know about receiving calls through AlertNow:
- If you have Caller ID, for a non-emergency message, the school's main number 648-4850 will appear in the display.
- If you have Caller ID, for an emergency message, 411 will appear in the display.
- Be sure to say hello when you answer the phone. The technology must hear a voice to deliver the message.
- AlertNow will leave a message on any answering machine or voicemail.
- If the AlertNow message stops playing, press any key 1-9 and the message will replay from the beginning.
- If an e-mail is sent, the subject line will read Virginia Beach City Public Schools
Since this is a pilot program, we may encounter some "bumps" along the way.  With this in mind, we ask you for your patience and understanding. Our first non-emergency "test" of AlertNow took place on February 29, 2008. This message should have been sent to your home phone. If you did not receive a call from the AlertNow notification system on February 29, 2008 please contact our office staff at 648-4850 to ensure your home phone number is correct.
We are proud to be one of ten schools selected to pilot this new system. As a Lynnhaven Middle School parent, you will have the opportunity to test this communication system prior to being fully implemented in all 88 schools and centers in September 2008.
For your convenience, we have a list of the most frequently asked questions about the AlertNow parent notification system. These questions can be accessed on the school division's Web site vbschools.com by selecting the link AlertNow Pilot Program on the home page. Should you have any questions about AlertNow, please call 648-4850 or e-mail me at lynnms@vbschools.com.
On behalf of every member of the staff at Lynnhaven Middle School, I thank you in advance for supporting this wonderful new parent communication tool.
Sincerely, Michael D. Kelly, Ed. D. Principal