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Getting PTA calendar events to appear in Apple Calendar

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We’ve been made aware of a couple instances of the shared TPES/PBES calendar not appearing/updating correctly in the native Apple Calendar app on iPhones.

If anybody else seems to be having this issue, these instructions fixed the issue!

Google Calendar automatically limits which calendars sync to external mobile apps via CalDAV. Subscribed calendars, secondary calendars, and shared calendars are disabled by default on Apple devices until you explicitly check them in Google’s sync settings.

Follow these steps to enable the subscribed calendar on your iPhone:

Authorize the Calendar in Google Sync Settings (browser step)

  1. Open Safari or Chrome (on your phone or computer) and go to: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/syncselect
  2. Log in to the same Google Account you use on your iPhone. Under Shared Calendars, check the box next to the subscribed calendar you want to see, then tap Save in the bottom right.
  3. Verification: The page will reload and show a confirmation that your preferences were saved.

Ensure the Calendar is Checked in Apple Calendar (iPhone app)

  1. Open the native Calendar app on your iPhone. Tap Calendars at the bottom center of the screen. Scroll to your Google account section and verify that a checkmark appears next to the newly enabled calendar.
  2. Verification: If unchecked, tap it so a colored checkmark appears.

Force a Refresh (iPhone app)

  1. While still in the Calendars list in the Apple Calendar app, pull down from the top of the list until the spinning loading indicator appears, then let go.
  2. Verification: The spinner disappears and your subscribed events populate on the calendar grid.

If you still don’t see the calendar listed under your account in Step 2…

  • Go to iPhone Settings > Apps (or Calendar on older iOS versions) > Calendar > Calendar Accounts. Tap your Google account and verify the Calendars toggle is green.
  • Under Settings > Calendar > Accounts > Fetch New Data, ensure the Google account is set to Fetch rather than Manual.
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How the PTA communicates

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We’ve gotten feedback from multiple people so far this year that so many PTA communications coming through WhatsApp is overwhelming.

We hear you!

So the team got together and put together a more explicit communication plan to get everybody what they need without blowing up your phones.

How the PTA will communicate moving forward

  • WhatsApp Announcements channel: immediate, actionable information + school-wide updates (only mission-critical stuff)
  • WhatsApp Grade-specific chats (All K, All 1st, All 2nd): immediate, actionable information + grade-specific updates, connect with families in your grade.
  • WhatsApp Classroom-specific chats: No updates (Room Parents may reshare updates), connect with families in your classroom
  • WhatsApp Volunteer chat: volunteer-specific updates only
  • WhatsApp Spanish- and Amharic-chats: language-specific updates only
  • Dolphin Dispatch email group: important (but don’t require immediate action) school-wide and grade-specific updates
  • Independent email: important topics (that don’t require immediate action) the PTA believes need unique attention

Opting out of notifications

I cannot stress enough how much we encourage everybody to set up notifications in the way that serves you best!

1. Mute chats

For any chat, you can Swipe Left > Click “More…” > Mute to silence notifications for a specific chat.

This is a great way to still have access to a chat group but not receive all the notifications.

2. Update WhatsApp profile notifications

In the bottom of the app, go to You > Notifications and make any adjustments here you’d like to minimize interruptions.

3. Update phone-specific notifications

If you go to Device Settings > Notifications > WhatsApp in your phone, you can also customize notifications for your device.

4. Leave groups as you see fit

If you’re in the WhatsApp Community, you’ll receive all mission-critical updates via the Announcement channels.

But if you don’t find the All K, All 1st grade or All 2nd grade chats useful, leaving those chats is always an option. No hard feelings!

Give us more feedback

The PTA Team is super open to feedback and constructive criticism!

You asked for PTA Meeting changes. We did that.

You told us about issues with drivers near the school. We addressed that.

You asked for lots of extra support for incoming Kindergarten families. We assisted.

If there’s anything we’re doing that’s actively making your experience with us or the school worse, please respectfully tell us so we can address it.

You’re always welcome to discuss things in WhatsApp. And if you’d like to reach us directly, you can contact us, contact us anonymously, give us event feedback or give us direct PTA Meeting feedback.

P.S. There’s a lot the PTA will do to help our students, families, school and community. But we’re most definitely going to keep having fun while we do it! 🤪

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