Compose Communications
The second step of sending communications is to enter the message details. The Community Reach - Send Communication Step 1 of 3 page is displayed labelled according to the type of message being sent.
For each type of communication (message, email, or letter) it is possible to create preset templates that can be used when required.
If a preset template has been selected, the content is automatically displayed in The Message, The Email, or The Letter and can be edited.
Select an option from one of the following presets drop-down lists.
My Presets... — templates you have created.
Department Presets... — templates created by another user for your department.
All Other Presets... - templates created by any user.
Alternatively, you can create a new preset. Select Create New Message Preset A list of template messages either provided by IRIS Absence Call or created by your organisation.. For more information, go to Manage Parent Reach Communication Templates.
(Email Only) Enter a Subject (mandatory), which is displayed to recipients.
(Letters Only) Letterhead is selected by default. If you do not want a Letterhead displayed, select Blank Header from the drop-down list, then enter a Letter Title (mandatory).
Select a Letterhead and Enter a Title (Letters Only)
For letters, you can have your letterhead displayed on the letter or if you prefer a blank header. Select the required option from the Letterhead drop-down list, then enter a title in Send Reference (this is mandatory).
Enter Message Details
Messages can only be sent out by IRIS Reach between the hours of 06:00 am and 23:00 pm.
If a preset template has been selected, the content is automatically displayed in The Message, The Email, or The Letter and can be edited.
If you are creating a message without a template:
Text Messages
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In The Message, enter the details of the message. We recommend you use Plain Text when composing a message as special characters, e.g., &, £, !, @, etc. may not be supported by all devices.
Text messages can be a maximum of 3 credits (a total of 405 characters, 135 characters per credit). Message Credits and Characters Left are automatically updated as you enter the message details.
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Select Yes or No from Enable Reply if you want a person A parent, legal guardian, carer, or someone responsible for a student. to be able to respond to the message.
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Enter the Subject for the email, which is displayed to the person to which the email is being sent.
- In The Email, enter the details of the message.
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Select Choose File from the Upload An Attachment section, then select the required attachment.
When sending emails, it is possible to attach up to 5 files to the email with no single file larger than 2 MB. To remove an attachment, select Choose File, then select Cancel.
Letters
- Select a Letterhead from the drop-down list, then enter a title for the letter in Send Reference.
- In The Letter, enter the details of the message.
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To add a digital signature, select a Signature from the drop-down list.
Digital signatures When sending letters, it is possible to add a digital signature (a graphic of an applicable signatory). You will need to provide the image file and email it to our Support Team so that we can make it available to you.
Insert Dynamic Text
Dynamic Text A token that is replaced by text when a message is sent. For example, adding [Title], would be replaced with Miss, Mr, Mrs, depending on the title recorded in a database for the recipient. is used in IRIS Reach to include details from your Management Information System (MIS) in messages. For example, [REACHNAME] is replaced by the full name of person when the message is sent. For more information, go to Use Dynamic Text in Communications.
Select the required dynamic text option from Insert Dynamic Text drop-down section, e.g. [REACHNAME]. For a full list of available Dynamic Text options, go to List of Dynamic Text for Communications.
Review Selected Recipients
When the message has been entered and applicable settings applied, any person the message is being sent to is listed in Group Members.
If you do not want to send this type of message (e.g., text message, email, or letter) to the person, select the check box next to the Name. Alternatively, select all or none, or Add All or Remove All. A confirmation message is displayed, select OK to confirm you want to remove the person.
When you have reviewed the selected recipients, select Go to send the messages. For more information, go to Send Communications.