Canvas communication works on an internal messaging and notification system. You can send students messages in Canvas, using the Conversations tool. This is accessed by navigating to the Inbox, located in the upper right of the screen. You can send messages by selecting names or entire classes by using the dropdown menus in the inbox.

Students will receive the message in their Canvas inbox. If they have their notication preference for Conversations turned on (which it is by default), students will also get an email containing your message.

Making a Canvas announcement will similarly send out notifications by email to the students. Announcements are a great method for communicating with the entire class.

For classes that are not published in Canvas yet, you can send an email to your students via PAWS, which includes an email function.

As for how to set notification preferences, please see the following guide:

How to set notification preferences