August 23, 2022
Dear New CWS Families,
I am so excited to welcome you to Bloomz. For years our school has been trying to find additional ways to share with you what your children are doing in school as well as keep you updated on things like field trips and classroom celebrations. Last year we started using Bloomz which allows teachers to share updates and classroom activities with families in an easy, real-time, secure manner and families can view information posted in their preferred languages.
We will also share all-school reminders and updates via the CWS page in Bloomz (you will automatically see those posts too). We want you to think of Bloomz as another resource for you to feel connected to our school community.
This is our second year using Bloomz, so this year we’ll be utilizing the basic Bloomz features of teachers posting to their classroom sites, which are only viewable to families in that particular class for privacy reasons. We may explore other functions in the future.
If you have issues with your Bloomz account, you can email cws.bloomz@gmail.com and one of our parent administrator volunteers will help you.
Sincerely,
Maria
What is Bloomz?
Bloomz is a digital platform that CWS will be using to communicate directly with families.
What does it cost?
Nothing. It’s entirely free to families. We recommend you download the Bloomz app for free on your smartphone, but the site can also be accessed via the web at bloomz.net
Do I really have to download the app?
No, but the platform works much better on your smartphone. It is completely free to download and at no time will you be asked for any kind of payment information.
I have multiple children at CWS. Do I need to setup multiple accounts?
No! After you create your account by inputting your first and last name as well as creating a Bloomz password of your choice, you will automatically be added to all of your children’s classrooms. If you’re not seeing all of your children’s classrooms, emails cws.bloomz@gmail.com for support.
Can I share my account with my partner/child’s other guardian?
No. Each adult should have their own account with a separate email address and password. You will both have access to the same information. If another adult in your family needs access and didn’t receive an invitation email, please email cws.bloomz@gmail.com for assistance.
Whose information can I see? Who can see my information?
You will be able to see all-school updates sent by the office, as well as posts by your child’s classroom teacher. For privacy reasons, you will only have access to view your child(ren)’s classroom page. Your information is entirely private and teachers will just be able to see your name and email address. This information will not be shared with anyone else.
English is not my primary language. Can I still use Bloomz?
Yes! When you download the app to your phone, you can choose your preferred language and all text sent within Bloomz will translate to your preferred language.
Is Bloomz part of social media? I don’t want to use social media or want my child on it.
No. Bloomz is a closed network and has nothing to do with any other social media platforms. Any information or photos shared from your child’s teacher are private and can only be seen by other guardians in your child’s class. While you can save photos for private use to your devices, we ask that you do not post photos of other children to any social media platforms out of respect for all families.
Will Bloomz replace emails and notes home in my child’s backpack?
No. Bloomz is another tool we will use to communicate with families. Information will still be sent home in backpacks for those attending school in person.
I can’t figure this out. Can someone please help me?
Yes! Email cws.bloomz@gmail.com and we’ll work with you individually to get you setup!
Do not share your account. Each adult parent/guardian should have their own account. This will make your Bloomz management and teacher communication easier. If you have multiple children at CWS, just create one account and then you will be added to each class page via your one account (it is one account per adult, not one account per child). Step two: Enter in your name, preferred language, and create a password.
Step three: Select your child’s name from the class list
Step four: Click “Done” when you see this screen. If you child’s other guardian(s) haven’t yet received their own separate email invitation, please email cws.bloomz@gmail.com to have a new invitation sent. For security, teachers will need to manually approve any requests added this way. *Do not click the “add spouse” button here.*
Step five: This is your main feed page. Here you will see all-school updates as well as classroom-specific posts.
Step six: STOP! Before you do anything else upload a picture of your face so the teachers can associate you with your account. Click on the grey circle silhouette and then choose “Change Profile Photo.” Your photo should just have your face in it since it will appear small on the screen. 
Step seven: If you click on the menu option you can filter by community. Here is the all-school Children’s Workshop community.
Step eight: Here is a classroom example. You will only see classes that your children are enrolled in. The class feed will have posts from teachers with classroom updates.
Having trouble with Bloomz? Email our CWS parent volunteers at cws.bloomz@gmail.com for help. 
