COMING UP THIS MONTH... For the schools who are approaching mid-quarter reports, here are some FastDirect functions that may need to be addressed:: Closing input for 1st quarter reports Opening up teacher input for 2nd mid-quarter reports Closing input for 2nd mid-quarter reports when teachers have finished importing grades The winter season can sometimes mean changes in school schedules and closings because of weather. If your school closes due to inclement weather, you will need to change the Master School Calendar to reflect that those days are non-attendance days. To notify your staff and parents of any closings, late starts or early dismissals, use the FDbroadcast feature. These broadcasts can go directly from the school to the parents’ cell phones and email accounts, keeping everyone informed instantly! Additionally, you can also post updates, messages or announcements on the login page.     ...Read more FOR TRIMESTER SCHOOLS... If your schools is on trimesters, December may be too soon to be preparing for mid-trimester reports. The winter season can sometimes mean changes in school schedules and closings because of weather. If your school closes due to inclement weather, you will need to change the Master School Calendar to reflect that those days are non-attendance days. To notify your staff and parents of any closings, late starts or early dismissals, use the FDbroadcast feature. These broadcasts can go directly from the school to the parents’ cell phones and email accounts, keeping everyone informed instantly! Additionally, you can also post updates, messages or announcements on the login page.     ...Read more DID YOU KNOW... ADMINISTRATORS: FDmail settings for Students allow you to control who students are able to initiate messages to (staff, parents, students). Please review these settings and make any necessary changes by check marking the options you feel are best suited for your school.   ...Read more TEACHERS: If your school's report cards have columns for Semester grades, then it will be important to know how the system calculates that semester grade.   ...Read more PARENTS: When viewing a ReportCard online, you can click the words ‘Comments’ and ‘Attendance’ to see all of the comments and attendance from the beginning of the year up to the current date.   ...Read more HELPFUL FAQs FOR THE MONTH... +  How do I notify parents that they have a negative balance in their financial account? +  Can I transfer/reassign a course (with all students and their grades) to a new teacher? +  Why can't I see a message that I sent?                  Last Year's Helpful FAQs for the Month VIDEO TUTORIAL OF THE MONTH... Watch this video tutorial to find out how to set up Email Forwarding for staff.  Watch now in MP4 format or in YouTube!  If you would like to receive Monthly Mentions as an email, click here to subscribe. www.fastdirectsis.com   |   helpdesk@fastdir.com   |   (866) 805-3116