Walter Hays PTA Communications Snapshot
Walter Hays uses multiple modes to keep parents up to date.
Use this guide to gain a better understanding of the different tools.

Friday Folders: Every Friday the teacher provides class/grade-specific information, forms, and student work
in a folder that is sent home with the student. Empty folders should be returned to the teacher on Monday.

WHeNews: Timely communication from the school and PTA is distributed through emails from
whenews@gmail.com. In addition, almost every Sunday evening whenews@gmail.com will send a “WH
eNews Newsletter” email with school-wide updates and upcoming events. If you are not receiving these
emails or aren’t subscribed to the WH eNews Newsletter, please email whestuff@gmail.com.

Wildcat Newsletter: Roughly once a month a newsletter (The Wildcat) is published; it contains articles,
school events recaps/photos, updates and reflections for the previous period by Mary and PTA. The
newsletter is provided electronically although printed copies are available in the office. Back copies are also
available on the Walter Hays website.

Fourleaf: Our online eDirectory, Fourleaf, is a secure, password-protected, searchable electronic directory
for individual family (children & parents) contact information. Unique feature – using the Account Settings
page, parents can also customize the data that other people can see. Note changes in Fourleaf apply only to
Fourleaf and not to PAUSD. Therefore, if you do not update PAUSD, information could be overwritten as we
do periodic updates from PAUSD. If you have lost your invitation to create your Fourleaf account, please
email whestuff@gmail.com. Access Fourleaf at www.fourleaf.cl.

Teacher Emails: Teacher emails are generally (first letter of firstname) + (last name) + (@pausd.org).
Teachers will generally send emails to the entire class using UpToUs (more on UpToUs below). To email
teachers, you can also respond to one of those UpToUs emails (make sure to “reply” instead of “reply all”).

UpToUs: UpToUs allows you to join Groups (also called “Communities”) so that you can easily communicate
amongst the Group (e.g. your classroom group or your grade level group) without having to enter everyone’s
individual email address. For example, teachers often use UpToUs to send messages to their classroom
parents as a group. Parents may also use UpToUs to send messages to an entire Group. UpToUs may also be
used for sign-ups as well as file storage so that the information is accessible to members of the Group. More
information on UpToUs is provided below.
o
If have you used UpToUs before using the same email address that you provided to the district, your
login & password are the same and before. If you have never used UpToUs before, login as follows:
Secure Login: your email address
Password: ptavolunteer
Once you have logged in you will be able to create a password of your own if you so choose.
o
UpToUs allows you to email groups of people in one shot. Please be careful that the email is
appropriate for all recipients. Also be vigilant when you receive an UpToUs email; if you would like to
send an email back only to the original sender, make sure to “reply” instead of “reply all”
o
Walter Hays PTA Volunteer or info@UpToUs.com: As part of UpToUs, often you will receive emails
from Walter Hays Volunteer Coordinators or info@upToUs.com. These emails are to alert you of
volunteer needs or to remind you of upcoming volunteer activities you have already signed up for. To
sign up for volunteer opportunities, either follow the UpToUs link if you have one or go to UpToUs.com
My Communities Walter Hays Elementary (click on this folder using the outline on the left).
If you are part of Walter Hays at the beginning of the school year, you should
automatically be subscribed to these communications tools. IF YOU JOIN WALTER HAYS
MID-YEAR, CONTACT WHESTUFF@GMAIL.COM TO GAIN ACCESS
Walter Hays has adopted UpToUs for group communications and volunteer sign-ups. UpToUs allows you to join Groups or
“Communities” as they are called in UpToUs (e.g. your classroom group or your grade level group) so that you can easily
communicate amongst the Group. Use the guide below to help you determine which Community/Group to use.
Classroom Community Group
Members
Why Use This
Group?
How To Email
This Group? **
URL
How Do I Log
In?
 Your child’s teacher and the parents of children
in your child’s class.
 Send emails to the entire Group (the teacher
and all parents of children in your child’s class)
or participate in email discussions with
members of this Group.
 Receive and see classroom-specific
announcements (e.g. fieldtrips), usually sent by
the teacher.
 Sign up for volunteer opportunities in the class.
 Access files that were sent to the Group (ie, by
the teacher).
HaysRoomX_16@uptous-groups.com
(e.g., HaysRoom17_16@uptous-groups.com)
www.uptous.com/communities/HaysRmX
(e.g., www.uptous.com/communities/HaysRm3)
Grade-Level Community Group
School-Wide Community Group
 The parents of children in your child’s
 Parents at Walter Hays
grade.
 Send emails to the entire Group (all parents  View upcoming school-wide
of children in your child’s grade) or
events.
participate in email discussions with
 Learn about and sign up for
members of this Group.
PTA and school volunteer
 Receive and see grade-specific
opportunities.
announcements, usually sent by the
teachers.
 Access files that were sent to this Group.
HaysClassXXXX@uptous-groups.com
(e.g., HaysClass2016@uptous-groups.com)
www.uptous.com/communities/HaysClassXXXX
(e.g. for 5th grade:
www.uptous.com/communities/HaysClass2016)
NA
www.uptous.com/communities/
WalterHays
1. Go to the URL for your Group (see above) or a link if you received an invite to the group.
2.Use your personal email to log on (email must match the one used in your PAUSD registration).
3. If you are new to uptous.com using this email, your default password is “ptavolunteer”; you may change this after you are
logged in. Otherwise, if you are a returning user, you may use your previously-set password.
Am I already in
this Group? ***
For the Class, Grade, and School-Wide, probably yes. UpToUs pre-populated these communities with data provided by PAUSD at the start of
the year. Unless you joined Walter Hays after the start of the school year and/or opted out of sharing your email with the PTA, the email you
provided to PAUSD has been added these Groups. IMPORTANT: You are a PART OF GROUPS ONLY USING THE EMAIL ADDRESS THAT
YOU PROVIDED TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT! If you need to update your email address for UpToUs, email whestuff@gmail.com.
Other Groups
There are various other Groups at Walter Hays depending on activities you become involved in (e.g., Yearbook, Library, etc.) You may receive
emails from UpToUs to join these groups. Your first time joining a group needs the URL. After that, you can just go to uptous.com, log in and
see your communities automatically.
**
Be cautious when using UpToUs Email – Make sure if you email the entire group that the content is appropriate for the group!
***
If you receive a message in UpToUs to “Browse Only” or “Become A Member”, you can choose either but “browsing” will not allow for additional
functions such as emailing the entire group.
More questions or joined Walter Hays in the middle of the school year? Email PTA Communications at whestuff@gmail.com.