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HeadMasterCommunicating with Parents

HeadMaster – Communicating with Parents

Copyright

Copyright © 2012 ACS Technologies Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this publication by mechanical or electronic means, including facsimile transmission and e-mail, without the express permission of ACS Technologies Group, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

Version 11.2

Last Updated 5/5/2023 4:30 PM

Contents

ContentsIntroduction to This Guide..............................................................................................................4

Unit 1: Setting Up the School Calendar...........................................................................................5

Unit 2: Creating Announcements...................................................................................................9

Unit 3: Creating Events.................................................................................................................11

Unit 4: Creating Correspondence.................................................................................................13

Unit 5: Uploading to HeadMaster Online.....................................................................................16

Unit 6: HeadMaster Online for Parents........................................................................................18

Unit 7: HeadMaster Online for School Administration.................................................................28

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Introduction to This GuideEase of communication between parents and school is vital for a good working relationship. This guide shows how to set up and use HeadMaster features specifically designed for your communication with parents.

This guide includes the following concepts:

Setting up the School Calendar Creating Announcements Creating Events Creating Correspondence Uploading to HeadMaster Online Using HeadMaster Online for Parents Using HeadMaster Online for School Administration


Unit 1: Setting Up the School CalendarThe school calendar is designed and given to parents at the beginning of the school year. It lists items such as days when the school closes for holidays or for staff development. You can upload a school calendar to HeadMaster Online.

You will be able to:

Create a calendar that lists days off and special events

Print a calendar view of the school calendar

Print a detail view of the school calendar

To set up the school calendar:

1. On the Home screen, click Tools.2. Select School Calendar.3. Enter the Start Date.4. Enter the End Date.5. Select the Type.

Useful Information

Standard: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, FridayA/B Day: Students have one set of classes on A days and another set of classes on B days. Days alternate in the ABAB pattern.A/B Week: Students have one set of classes in an A week and another set of classes in a B week. Weeks alternate in the ABABABABAB pattern.

Figure 1: Calendar Set up

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6. Select the days the school meets.7. Click OK.

To fill in the school calendar:

Useful Information

You can list half-days, daily events, weekly events, daily closures, and weekly closures on the school calendar.

1. On the calendar, right-click a date.2. Select the appropriate calendar option.

Figure 2: Adding items to the Calendar

To add more items to the calendar, repeat steps 1-2.

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3. To save the calendar, click OK.

To print the calendar:

Useful Information

HeadMaster provides two printing options for a calendar.

Calendar View displays block calendars with various activity symbols.

Detail View lists each month and the activities occurring in that month

1. On the calendar, click Print.2. Select Calendar view or Detail view.

Calendar View

Figure 3: School Calendar - Calendar view

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Detail View

Figure 4: School Calendar - Detail View

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Unit 2: Creating AnnouncementsAll levels of HeadMaster can create announcements. However, you must use HeadMaster Online for parents to view announcements online.

An announcement can be:

School will be closed on Friday Half day of school on Monday Fund raising money due

You will be able to create school announcements.

To create an announcement:

1. On the Home screen, click Announcements.2. Click New.3. Enter the Title.4. Enter the Publish Date.5. Enter the Expiration Date.6. Check if this Announcement is Public.

Useful Information

When an Announcement is checked as Public, it means that it is available to be viewed outside of HeadMaster Online. You can display public announcements using the link found in Web Links when you log in to HM Online as an administrator.

7. Make the announcement viewable by all or for those in a specific class.8. Enter a web address if needed.9. Enter Notes.10. Click OK.

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Figure 5: Creating an Announcement

To add more announcements, repeat steps 2-9.

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Unit 3: Creating EventsYou can create an unlimited number of events to upload to your HeadMaster Online calendar.

Examples of events:

Athletic games Concerts Field trips


Create Event categories

Create Events

To create an event:

1. On the Home screen, click Events.2. Click New.3. Enter the Event.4. Select a Category or create a new one.

Useful Information

Some examples of categories are Academic, Athletics, Baseball, and Softball.

Categories filter the HeadMaster Online Calendar.

1. Enter the Date of the event.2. Check if this event can be made Public.

Useful Information

When an Event is checked as Public, it means that it is available to be viewed outside of HeadMaster Online. You can display public events using the link found in Web Links when you log in to HM Online as an administrator.

3. Enter the Event Description/Notes.4. Under Primary Contact Information, select the Name.5. Select an email address.6. Select a phone number.7. To save the event, click OK. See “Figure 6: Creating an Event” on page 12.

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Figure 6: Creating an Event

To enter more events, repeat steps 2-10.

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Unit 4: Creating CorrespondenceWith Correspondence, you can create form letters that display information directly from the HeadMaster database. Correspondence can be saved and edited for continued use from year to year.


Generate correspondence for multiple individuals Print correspondence Mass email correspondence

To create Correspondence:

1. On the Home screen, click Correspondence.2. Click New.3. Enter the Name.4. Enter the Description (not required).5. Select the Document Type.

Useful Information

When you set up Correspondence, a letter generates for all people in the selected kind of document. You can also select specific individuals or apply a search to generate a letter for a certain group. If you create a letter for all individuals in one selected kind of document type, go to step 1 on page 13.

To select specific individuals or apply a search:

1. Click the Filter/Search tab.2. Select Print only these individuals in the list.3. To choose specific individuals, click Select. To apply a previously created search, click

Search.4. Click Create.

Figure 7: Correspondence Filter/Search Tab

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To create a form letter using merged fields:

Useful Information

Clicking Edit lets you select Font, Font Size, Bold, Italics, Underline, Justifications, and Bullets.

You can also copy and paste a document created in Microsoft® Word and insert the necessary merged fields.

The chosen kind of document determines the available merge fields.

1. Select Font and Font Size.2. Double-click the merge field you want to add.

Useful Information

Merge fields display the location of your cursor.

3. When finished with the letter creation, click OK.

Figure 8: Creating a letter using merge fields

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To preview and to print or send email correspondence:

1. To preview the correspondence, click Preview.2. Click Close when finished.3. Click Print or E-mail.4. If you want to save this correspondence to the individuals’ communication log, click

Save Log.

Figure 9: Preview, Print of Email Correspondence

Useful Information

To mass email, you must set up SMTP settings. Only a user with Administrator rights can do this.

To set up SMTP settings, go to the Home screen and click Options. Then, click SMTP Settings.

Useful Information

After saving correspondence, you can edit and reuse it as often as necessary.

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Unit 5: Uploading to HeadMaster OnlineUploading information from HeadMaster software to HeadMaster Online is simple. You can upload to Headmaster Online as often as necessary.

You will be able to upload to HeadMaster Online.

To select what items you want to upload:

1. On the Home screen, click Options.2. Click HM Online.3. Under Financial Upload, select HeadMaster Billing, ACS Accounts Receivable, or None.4. Enter a Billing Contact Email if needed.5. Under Upload Options, select those items you want to upload.6. When it is time for re-enrollment, check the box for Use Online Re-enrollment.7. Enter a date range for the re-enrollment button to display on HM Online.8. Enter the New School Year.9. Under Active Period, select the grading periods you want to upload.10. Click Close.

Figure 10: HM Online Upload Options

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To upload to HeadMaster Online:

1. On the Home screen, click File.2. Select HM Online.3. Click Next.4. Click Upload.5. Click OK.6. Click Close.

Figure 11: Upload to HM Online

Useful Information

Your first upload of information to HeadMaster Online takes a few minutes. This upload populates the space provided for you on the Internet.

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Unit 6: HeadMaster Online for ParentsParents can access HeadMaster Online to view homework, assignments, attendance, grades, billing (HM Billing or ACS Accounts Receivables), schedules, and school calendars. Parents can see information only for their own children.

Parents can go directly to the HeadMaster Online Web site or they can click a link on your current school Web site. But before parents can access HeadMaster Online, you must provide them with a username and a password.

When parents are entered in HeadMaster, a HeadMaster Online username and a password is randomly generated for them.


Give usernames and passwords to each parent Show parents how to log in to and navigate Headmaster Online

To assign usernames and passwords to parents:

1. On the Home screen, click Correspondence.2. Click New.3. Enter a Name.4. Under Document Type, select Parent.5. Enter a Description. This is not required.6. Enter any Notes. This is not required.7. Click Create.8. Type the letter to the parents.

Useful Information

The Correspondence should contain login instructions for HeadMaster Online.

9. Add Online Username and Online Password merge fields to the letter. See “Figure 12: Correspondence – Parent HM Online letter” on page 19.

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Figure 12: Correspondence - Parent HM Online letter

10. When your letter is complete, click OK.11. To preview the letter, click Preview.

You can print letters or send mass email to parents.

Parent login procedure for HeadMaster Online:

Useful Information

Parents can go directly to the HeadMaster Online site or click a link on the current school Web site.

If you give the parents the direct link to HeadMaster online, provide the school's six-digit ACS site number.

https://secure.headmasteronline.com

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1. Enter the Username.2. Enter the Password.3. Click Login.

Useful Information

To view a PowerPoint presentation for parent training, go to:

www.headmasteracademy.com/parentportal

Views Available to Parents

Overview:

All class activity for each student, along with current average for that grading period

Announcements and Events Billing Attendance and Behavior

Figure 13: HM Online Overview page

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My Profile

Parents can update their primary family information.

Figure 14: HM Online - Parent Profile

Homework

Figure 15: Student Homework

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Assignments and Grades

Figure 16: Student Academics - Assignments with Grades

Attendance for both school and class

Figure 17: Student Attendance

Behavior

Figure 18: Student Behavior

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Student Schedule

Figure 19: Student Schedule

Calendar

Figure 20: HM Online Calendar

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Billing

Figure 21: Family Billing Report

Report Cards

Figure 22: HM Online - Student Report Card

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Progress Reports

Figure 23: HM Online - Student Progress Report

Skills Report

Figure 24: HM Online - Student Skills Report

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Student Directory – Administration can choose or choose not to display this.

Figure 25: HM Online - Student Directory

Staff Directory - Administration can choose or choose not to display this.

Figure 26: HM Online - Staff Directory

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Lunch Calendar – Order Lunch: these items can be display or not be displayed

Figure 27: HM Online - Lunch Menu

Lunch Calendar – Preorders

Figure 28: HM Online - Lunch Preorders

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Unit 7: HeadMaster Online for School AdministrationSchool administrators can log in to HeadMaster online to view system and upload logs. Administration can also change the look of HeadMaster Online to match colors on their school website.


View the System Log to see when individuals have logged in and out and if their logins were successful.

View the Upload Log to see dates and times of all uploads to HeadMaster Online. Locate a student quickly to view individual assignments, grades, and attendance. Change Setup Themes to adjust the color scheme of HeadMaster Online to match your

school colors and to add your school logo. Display Student and Staff Directories. Customize the email that parents receive when a new student registration is submitted.

Useful Information

To successfully upload your logo, it must be in either .jpg or .gif format.

Your logo’s size and dimensions are also important. Use a logo no larger than 300 kilobytes. Width must be no more than 960 pixels. You can use a logo of any height, but it is best limited to 100 pixels.

Administrator login for HeadMaster Online

Useful Information

Administrators can go directly to the HeadMaster Online site or click a link on the current school website.

You must have administrator rights in HeadMaster to use the administrative features of HeadMaster Online. The generic username and password: HMadmin/school does not work to access HM Online as an administrator.

1. Enter the Username.2. Enter the Password.3. Click Login.

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Administrator Overview

Figure 29: HM Online - Administrator Overview page

System Log

Figure 30: HM Online - System Log

Upload Log

Figure 31: HM Online - Upload Log

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Locate Student

Figure 32: HM Online - Locate Student

Setup Theme Part 1

Figure 33: HM Online Themes part 1

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Setup Theme Part 2

This displays when you select Customize.

Figure 34: HM Online Themes part 2

Student and Staff Directory Options

Figure 35: HM Online - Student/Staff Directory Options

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Report Options – you can choose or choose not to display these reports

Figure 36: HM Online - Admin Report Options

New Student Application Email

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