Introducing Skyward Family Access

We're rolling out a new student information system this year for our families. Skyward Family Access will replace the previous system, Infinite Campus, in 2012-13. Skyward Family Access is a web-based service that allows parents/guardians to view school-related information on their students and hopefully helps answer the question, “What did you do in school today?”

Skyward Family Access is your gateway to student information such as schedules, attendance, grades and more. Information available online includes:

• General student demographic information
• Assignment and term grades as released by the teacher
• Attendance entries
• Current and missing assignments in a custom calendar
• Schedule information
• Immunization records

The information in Family Access is real-time based on data in the District's Skyward Student Information Management System. However, please remember that grades are 'fluid' and change on a daily/weekly basis as teachers add assignments and grades to the system. Parents, you will automatically receive an email inviting you to access the new system in the next few weeks.

There is a Parent and Teacher Login page on our website (www.mansfieldisd.org/skyward.htm) that you may want to bookmark for future reference or just click to it from the homepage. Additionally, please consider adding ‘noreply@misdmail.org’ to your email contacts list to assure Skyward Family Access emails get delivered to your Inbox.

As with any new system, it is important to realize the staff receives training and then puts that learning into action. We appreciate your patience as teachers get accustomed to the work-flow in Skyward. Below are a couple of screen captures of the new Skyward Family Access gradebook and custom calendar:

Updated August 21: We appreciate your patience as we prepare the new system for the 2012-13 school year. We look forward to rolling the Skyward Family Access out to parents in the coming weeks.

Updated August 28: Over the weekend parents received emails for access to the Skyward system. We understand some families are still having some issues with their initial login process. All passwords were reset at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 26. Parents should locate the email that has the subject line ending in "updated 10 PM" for access information. If you have any questions about Skyward Family Access account or passwords, please contact your campus receptionist for assistance.

Where's my kindergartner's report card?

There seems to be some confusion as to why report cards did not go home this first six weeks period with kindergarten students. To the parents of kindergarten students, you are not alone. It's the same for first graders too.

Why?

Kindergarten and first grade are a little different from the upper grades in that the report card is very complex and teachers will take the first 12 weeks (the first two six-weeks grading periods) to evaluate the students.

The teachers spend time observing the students during their time in centers, using manipulatives, and interacting with other students. The teachers record observations and ultimately share them with parents during conferences as well as later in the year through the regular six-weeks reporting period.

The first kindergarten and first grade report cards are scheduled to go home on Thursday, November 19. If you have any additional questions, please contact your teacher.

Failing and Missing Grades Notification

We are pleased to announce a couple of new capabilities for our parents using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal regarding student failing and missing grades.

• Starting at the beginning of the 3rd Six Weeks (Monday, November 17) parents will receive e-mail notifications anytime a teacher places a failing grade (69 or below) in the electronic gradebook.
• Coming soon will be the capability for parents to receive similar e-mail notifications for missing work.

These notices will go directly to you instead of you having to log in and check for failing or missing grades.

These additions to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal are a part of our ongoing effort to provide parents with more (and more timely) information regarding student performance. We are committed to engaging parents in the academic process and hope you find these features helpful.

Parents, if you are not using Infinite Campus yet and would like to, please contact your student's school to get your Activation Key (GUID). Also, as a reminder, most of the questions and problems concerning Infinite Campus can be handled at the campus.

Welcome to Infinite Campus

We are ready to introduce to the MISD community the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. A Web page dedicated to Infinite Campus has been created to start us off by providing FAQs, Campus Contact Matrix (who to go to with issues and questions), Reference Documents, and other related information.

The Infinite Campus Parent Portal Information page will be the dedicated location for updates, announcements, and future documentation as deemed necessary by the district.

We encourage parents to be patient as our teachers learn this new system.

The attendance site will be open in the Parent Portal on the first day of school (Monday, August 25, 2008.) There may be a delay of up to a week before actual daily attendance is posted to the Portal. This will allow for class leveling and schedule changes which occur at the opening of each school year.

The grade site will also be open on the first day of school. Again, there may be a delay of a week or two as schedules finalize and assignments are made and graded.

[Update August 22] Ok, so it would appear that with the new program, comes new problems. Here's what we posted to the Infinite Campus Info page earlier today:

We are experiencing some issues with Infinite Campus related to the volume of users. This problem is being addressed by MISD, Region 10 and Infinite Campus. We expect some continued issues and delays into next week.

Thank you for your patience.

Before people start commenting about how "bad the system is" or the "see I told you it wouldn't work" let's all take a deep breath and remember that Infinite Campus is very large program and we are a comparatively large school district. Let's allow for a reasonable amount initial glitches and issues while we all adjust to the new system.

Goodbye eSembler, Hello Infinite Campus

New for 2008-2009...

MISD transitioned to a new student records program last year (Spring 2008) and we look forward to offering new features for parents and students in the upcoming school year.

The district will no longer offer eSembler for student grades and attendance. This information and much more will soon be offered through a new parent portal system through Infinite Campus. Parents and students will be able to go to one place and find student information on grades, attendance, schedules, fees, class assignments and other pertinent information.

[update July 24, 2008] The expectation is to have the Infinite Campus portal system provide Attendance and Lesson Plans (assignments) starting on Day 1. Then, as our teachers get used to the new system and start adding in grades, parents will have access near the end of Week 2.

We realize this is a major shift for teachers, parents, and students and will require heightened levels of patience as we move forward.

[update August 18, 2008] More information is now available: Welcome to Infinite Campus blog post as well as the dedicated Infinite Campus Parent Portal Information Page.

We will also send information via the district's e-newsletter, the MISD Messenger. Do you subscribe to this free e-newsletter?