How do you send an email to a parent who is not listed as an observer?

[swittie]

How do you email a parent when you only have their email address and they are not listed in the course or in Canvas?

[JeffCampbell · Accepted solution]

I would hope that your district/institution has an email system set up (like Gmail, Outlook, etc) that could be used to email the parent. Without them listed in Canvas, you will not be able to use Canvas to email them.

[Chris_Hofer]

@swittie ...

To add to what @JeffCampbell has stated, Canvas does not really have e-mail.  There is a Canvas Inbox within the user interface, but it's not the same as e-mail.  The Inbox is a place where students and instructors can send messages to each other as long as they are enrolled in the same class(es).  The Canvas Inbox is not e-mail...in that students cannot e-mail their friends and family from within the Canvas environment because they are, most likely, not enrolled in those same class(es).  By the same token, friends and family cannot e-mail people inside of Canvas.  It's really a messaging tool within Canvas for instructors and students to communicate with each other.  Hopefully there are other ways (such as Outlook) that can be used to contact the parent.  Good luck to you!