Contacts


The CONTACTS module allows you to view, add, delete, and update contact information for your children. Your physical address and/or mailing address cannot be changed in Parent Access. Your address can only be changed or updated by calling the main office of your child's school. 

 SchoolMessenger

PTHSD communicates with parents using both Genesis Parent Access MESSAGE CENTER, for student information, and SchoolMessenger, for school notifications such as inclement weather and school events. Contact information updated in Genesis will automatically be updated in the SchoolMessenger notification system nightly (i.e. Primary Phone (Legal Residence Home), Guardian1 Cell, Guardian1 Work, Guardian1 email, Guardian2 Cell, Guardian2 Work, and Guardian2 email). 

If you have created a SchoolMessenger Contact Manager account prior to September 1, 2013, you must edit your contacts in SchoolMessenger as well as in Genesis. 

Contact information updated in SchoolMessenger Contact Manager does not update Genesis. If you edit a contact in SchoolMessenger, you will also need to edit that same information in Genesis. 

What is Listed on the CONTACTS Screen?

The CONTACTS screen has an area for each of your children and within a child's area, there is a separate section for each contact.  The CONTACTS screen lists the telephone and email information for:
  1. Student:  DO NOT change the address.  Student's Home Email is actually their school email address. 
  2. Student's Guardians:  The parents or legal guardians who are allowed to view the student's confidential information.
  3. Emergency Contacts:  A neighbor or nearby relative who will assume temporary care of your child should an emergency arise and you cannot be reached.  The Emergency Contact SHOULD NOT be your doctor.
  4. Non-Emergency Contacts:  Other people in your child's life whom you wish the school to be aware of:
    • Doctor
    • Dentist (optional)
    • Other people you wish the school to be aware of
A PDF icon will appear next to the name of each of your children to allow you to print out a current contact information sheet for that child.  An icon, which looks like a man with a blue shirt, will be visible for any email address that is linked to a Parent Access Account.


Each contact represents one person in the student's life (i.e. mother, father, aunt, neighbor, etc.). Each contact has a "header" line that displays the contact's NAME, TYPE, and RELATIONSHIP to the student.  The contact's phone and email information is shown below the header.

Phone Numbers:  A contact may have an unlimited number of phone numbers listed - be sure to CHECK the PRIMARY PHONE checkbox on one phone number for each contact - the PRIMARY PHONE will be called first.  For Cell Phone numbers, if you want the contact to receive text messages from the GENESIS PARENT ACCESS MESSAGE CENTER regarding your child or SCHOOL MESSENGER for school notifications such as inclement weather and school events, you must select the name of the cell service provider (i.e. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.).

Email Addresses:  A contact may have multiple email addresses listed.  Email addresses that are linked to Parent Access accounts will have an icon that looks like a man with a blue shirt visible to the right of the email address.  When you change an email address that is linked to a Parent Access Account, you will receive a series of pop-up messages guiding you through the process.

Updating Phone Numbers and Email Addresses

You can do three things to a contact's email addresses and phone numbers:
  1. Change an existing phone number or email address:  Simply type over the information that is displayed, then click SAVE ALL CHANGES.
  2. Delete a phone number or email address:  Click the Delete Trashcan Icon for the phone number or email you wish to delete, then click OK if you are sure you would like to delete (click CANCEL to abandon the deletion and keep the information).
  3. Add a new phone number or email address:
    • Each contact has an Add Phone/Email tool as the last line of their contact information.
    • Select the type of information you want to add (the drop down contains the type of items you can add: Home Email, Cell Phone, Work Email, Work Phone).
    • In the blank text field, enter the phone number or email address.
    • Cell Phones*: 
* For Genesis to send text messages to a cell number, the cell service provider (i.e. Verizon, At&T, etc.) must be specified.  It is not possible to send text messages without the provider information completed.  If the cell service provider is wrong, the cell number will not receive the messages that are sent.

Message Alerts

Genesis has the ability to send an alert to your email addresses and text messages to your cell phone.  If you wish to receive an alert when a new message is received by the Message Center, go to the MESSAGE CENTER > MESSAGE ALERT SETUP.  The Alert Setup page will list all the Email Addresses and Cell Phones Numbers you have listed on your CONTACTS tab.  Just click the checkbox to add an alert to an email address or cell phone number. Uncheck the checkbox to remove an alert.  Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click SAVE ALERT PREFERENCES button.

Changing a Parent Access Email Address

Parent Access Accounts will have an icon (looks like man with a blue shirt) visible to the right of the email address. When you change an email address that is linked to a Parent Access Account, you will receive a series of pop-up messages guiding you through the process.  

Add a New Contact

Parent Access accounts are not permitted to add new Student or Guardian contacts. If you have any questions regarding adding a Student or Guardian, please contact the main office of your child's school. Parent Access accounts are permitted to add Emergency and Non-Emergency contacts.  To add an Emergency or Non-Emergency contact:

  1. Click on the ADD CONTACT FOR _______ button for your child.  There is an ADD CONTACT FOR _______ for each of your children - be sure to click the button for the child you would like to edit.
  2. Enter First and Last Name (Prefix is Optional)
  3. Relationship to Student:  Select the relationship (i.e. Aunt, Neighbor, etc.) from the drop down list. There are over 80 relationships listed - it is important to select the correct one.
  4. Is Emergency Contact?:  An Emergency Contact is a neighbor or nearby relative who will assume temporary care of your child should an emergency arise and you cannot be reached.  The Emergency Contact SHOULD NOT be your doctor.
    • Yes, Emergency# - The Emergency Contacts will be called in the order that you choose (i.e. Emergency1, Emergency2, etc.). 
    • Not An Emergency Contact - Other people in your child's life whom you wish the school to be aware of (i.e. Doctor).
  1. Click ADD CONTACT button.
NOTE:  If you have more than one child, and you wish the new contact to be used for all your children, you must add the contact individually to each child's contacts.

Change Contact Name/Type/Relationship and Delete a Contact

When you have permission to change the name/type/relationship of a contact or delete a contact, there will be an OPTIONS button in the header section for the contact.  Parent Access accounts are not permitted to delete Student or Guardian contacts. If you have any questions regarding changing or deleting a Guardian, contact the main office of your child's school. Parent Access accounts are permitted to change and/or delete Emergency and Non-Emergency contacts.