The St. Clair Catholic District School Board is committed to effective, regular and timely communication with parents and guardians in relation to students’ safe arrival to school and attendance.

We are excited to introduce a more efficient student absence management system called SchoolMessenger – SafeArrival. This system enhances our existing safe arrival and absence processes, while providing quicker, more reliable and consistent notifications to parents and guardians, when unreported student absences occur.

Parents and guardians can use the SchoolMessenger app, web portal, or toll-free phone number, to simplify reporting student absences to schools and when responding to unexplained absences. These communications will now be viewable alongside other broadcast/messages when using the SchoolMessenger app.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to report student absences into SchoolMessenger, as soon as possible. A confirmation email will be sent when a student absence has been reported.

Same day absences can be reported no later than 11:00 PM daily. Future absences can be reported 24 hours/day, 7 days a week.

The automated notification system will attempt to contact parents and guardians with an email and/or phone call until a reason is submitted for the student’s absence. If the automated system is unable to reach the designated contacts, school office staff will follow up.

• We highly recommend that you setup the toll-free number (1-833-337-8070) as a contact in your phone, so you can easily recognize the number when you receive a call.

• Use the SchoolMessenger Quick Reference Guide and the SchoolMessenger Quick Reference Postcard, for simple instructions.

• We highly recommend using a secret 4-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) be entered before an absence can be reported or explained for students when using the SafeArrival phone system. This provides an additional layer of security and also prevents students from reporting their own absences. Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page, for instructions on how to set a PIN.

• We are rolling out SchoolMessenger - SafeArrival school by school. If you have students attending other schools, please continue to report absences using the existing procedures for those schools, until further notice.

• Have a question? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions page, to review commonly asked questions.