Microsoft Teams Classroom

If you missed a deadline

• Do not panic — open the assignment and submit it as soon as possible.
• Teams will mark it as ‘Late’ but you can still turn it in unless the teacher has closed submissions.
• Send a private chat message or email to your teacher to explain the situation.

Late submission policies vary by teacher and subject. Always communicate with your teacher as early as possible.

After clicking ‘Turn in’, you will see a confirmation message on screen that says
your work has been submitted. You can also verify by:

• Going back to the Assignments tab — the assignment will show ‘Turned in’ status.
• Looking for a confirmation banner at the top of the assignment page.
  If you are unsure, take a screenshot of the confirmation as proof of submission.

As a parent, you will use your own personal email address (Gmail, Yahoo, or any email you own). The school will send a Teams invitation to that email. If you have not received it:

• Check your Spam or Junk mail folder — the invitation may have been filtered automatically.
• Make sure the school has your correct personal email address on file.
• Contact your child’s homeroom teacher and give them your personal email so they can resend the invitation.
• Once you receive the invitation, follow the steps in the Guide for Parents PDF to join the chat.

Yes! As a parent, you use your one personal email address for everything. If you have multiple children:

• The school will add your same personal email to each child’s parent group chat.
• All group chats will appear in your one Teams account — no need to create separate accounts.
• Each class group will appear as a separate chat in your Teams inbox.

Contact your school admin if you are not added to all of your children’s parent
groups.

Once you are in the parent group chat, you can:

• Type your message in the text box at the bottom of the chat and press Enter or click the Send button.
• For private messages to the teacher: click the teacher’s name in the chat and select ‘Chat’ to open a private conversation.
• You can also attach files, images, or documents to your messages using the attachment icon.

Please be respectful and professional in all school communications.

If you accidentally left the group chat, you cannot rejoin on your own. To get back: 

• Contact your child’s homeroom teacher or class adviser.
• Ask them to re-add your email address to the group.
• You will receive a new invitation notification — accept it to rejoin the group.

To avoid this in the future, be careful when clicking options inside the chat menu.

To enable notifications in Microsoft Teams:

• On Desktop/Web: Click your profile picture, go to Settings, then Notifications. Turn on Chat and Mentions.
• On Mobile (iOS/Android): Go to your phone Settings, find Microsoft Teams, and enable notifications.
• In Teams, you can also right-click a specific chat and select ‘Mute’ or ‘Unmute’ to control alerts per group.

We recommend keeping notifications enabled so you never miss important school
updates.

If Teams is slow or unstable, try these steps:

• Close the Teams app completely and reopen it.
• Restart your device (phone, tablet, or computer).
• Check that your device has enough free storage space — Teams needs space to run properly.
• Make sure the Teams app is updated to the latest version from the App Store or Google Play.
• If using a browser, clear your cache and cookies, then reload the Teams page.
• Try switching to the Teams web version at teams.microsoft.com if the app is not working.

Keeping Teams updated ensures the best performance and latest features:

• iPhone/iPad: Open the App Store, search ‘Microsoft Teams’, and tap ‘Update’ if available.
• Android: Open Google Play Store, search ‘Microsoft Teams’, and tap ‘Update’.
• Windows/Mac: Open Teams, click your profile picture, and select ‘Check for updates’. Teams may also update automatically.

We recommend enabling automatic updates on your device so Teams always stays current.

Yes! You can be signed in to Teams on multiple devices simultaneously — for example, your phone and laptop. Teams will:

• Show the same chats, assignments, and class groups on all devices.
• Sync your messages and notifications across all signed-in devices in real time.
• Allow you to join a meeting from one device while monitoring chat on another.

Simply sign in with the same school email and password on each device.

Yes — you should allow Teams to access your camera and microphone to fully
participate in live classes. These permissions are required for:

• Turning on your camera during meetings so the teacher and classmates can see you.
• Using your microphone to speak during class or ask questions verbally.

Microsoft Teams does not record your camera or microphone outside of scheduled meetings. You are always in control — you can turn them off at any time during a meeting using the in-meeting controls.

Yes! Microsoft Teams for Education is completely free for everyone at HFSE
International School.

• Students: Your school email and password are provided by HFSE at no cost — no sign-up needed.
• Parents: You use your own personal email address (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.). The school sends you a free invitation link — no subscription or purchase required.
• The Teams app is also free to download on all devices — Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.

These are two different ways to communicate in Teams

• Teams (Classes): A structured space for a class group. Contains Posts, Files, Assignments, and Channels. This is where your teacher shares lessons and tasks.
• Chat: A private or group messaging area for direct conversations. Parents use Chat to join the school parent group. Students can also use Chat to message classmates or
  teachers privately.

Think of Teams as your classroom and Chat as a messaging app inside Teams.

Access to Microsoft Teams is managed by the school. Generally:

• Student accounts remain active during the current school year.
• At the end of the school year, your access may be updated or transferred to your next class.
• Important files and assignments should be saved or downloaded before the school year ends.

Contact HFSE IT Support or school administration for specific policies regarding
account access.