Directions for Creating Message Center Notifications From Skyward Teacher Login Skyward Family Access is now configured to allow teachers to create notification messages from the Teacher Login Screen. This allows teachers to send messages to individual students, groups of students, an entire class, or all the classes assigned to a teacher. Only those parents who have signed up for Family Access will have access to these messages. The District has had a tremendous response to Family Access and more and more parents are enrolling in the program each day. By the middle of the 2008-2009 school year we hope to have 70% of all families enrolled in Family Access. Teachers are encouraged to use this communication tool to send reminders and other information directly to parents. Parents can view the messages sent each time they sign on to Family Access, and, if the teacher chooses, they can receive the message as an email. The following steps should be followed to create and send messages through Message Center. 1. Login to Skyward as you normally do to take attendance or access your gradebook. 2. From the list of options on the left hand side of the screen choose My Classes.
3. Identify the class to which you would like to send a message and click on Class Options to the right of your choice.
4. On the left hand side of the screen click on the option for Message Center.
5. The first screen that appears is a “filter� screen. You can select from current, unread, and expired messages and also choose the number of messages you wish to view. Click on Apply Filter on the right hand side.
6. The first time you send a message your screen will look like the one pictured below. Notice that there are no messages listed. As you begin to use Message Center, the previous messages you have submitted will show up on this screen.
7. Before you begin, decide whether you want to send a message to multiple classes or a single class. If you wish to send a message to multiple classes, click on Add Message for Multiple Classes. If you choose this option, you will be able to select the classes to which the message will be delivered. If you wish to send a message to a single class, click on Add Message for Current Class. This will send a message to the class listed at the top of the screen.
8. Type in a Message Summary which is a brief statement about the contents of the message. Also, type in the Message Detail which is the exact message that will appear on Message Center and/or the email message.
9. Choose the Priority of the message you are sending. Most messages will be of “Normal” priority, but you may also choose “High”. 10. Posting Options allow you to select how the message will be posted on Family Access. First, select the range of dates you want the message to be available for parents/guardians. Second, determine if you want parents to be able to respond to your message. If you want parents to be able to respond to your message, also select the box labeled Post my email address for parents viewing this message.
11. We recommend that you post all of your messages to the Calendar. The calendar is generally the first screen that parents will see when they login to Family Access and selecting this box will post an icon and a short description indicating that a message is available. Be sure to select the date you wish the message to be posted on the calendar and the text you wish to appear on the calendar. Your name or course name will be an indicator for parents. 12. If you choose to also send an email message to parents, select the Send as Email checkbox and select the date on which the email message should be delivered. Also, select the checkboxes labeled Email to Guardians and Primary Guardians Only.
13. At the bottom of the screen you will see a list of student names. You can check or uncheck the boxes to select or de-select the students whose parents will receive the message. This process allows you to choose to send a message to one specific family or a smaller group of families. However, all students show up in this list and not all families have signed up for Family Access at this time. As a result, your message may not be delivered to all families you wish to receive the message.
Anderson Bailey Carruthers Edwards Gaines Logan Smith
Mary Devon Sharon Sherrell Anthony Rhonda Patrick
14. When you have finished with your selections click on the Save button to save your message settings and initiate the message posting.
In the near future we would like to offer teachers the ability to attach electronic documents. However, this feature is not currently available. Skyward is continually making improvements to the functionality of Message Center and the District has requested that the ability to attach documents be added. If you have questions about how to utilize Message Center, please email your questions to: Bryan Chumbley bryan.chumbley@psd150.org Debbie Cullen debora.cullen@psd150.org or Paula Ditch paula.ditch@psd150.org