Happy 2016!
A lot can happen in a year! Would you agree? Things we anticipated and prepared for, things we predicted and planned, things we never thought possible, things that surprised and delighted, and things we hoped would happen...and did!
It was exactly a year ago that I interviewed for the SIS Coordinator position. With much excitement, I accepted the challenge and began the Skyward journey at the end of January. It is hard to believe, but shortly before Thanksgiving break, we made it through the very last training session. We have a few more large projects to do regarding our grading history, then we can officially say we have completed the conversion!
As I look back on this year, I see huge accomplishments and lots of laughs, but mostly I see people. Amazing people. Courageous people. Funny people. Generous people. Committed people...and I just want to say thank you! Thank you for your patience as we worked through using Skyward for the first time. Thank you for staying positive in the midst of change. Thank you for forging ahead into new territory. Thank you for the honest feedback. Thank you for encouraging your co-workers and thank you for encouraging me. The uplifting notes, the random candy or chocolate in an inter-office envelope, or the surprise bottle of coconut sunset lotion meant more than you will ever know!
But the journey is not over! Now is the time to evaluate and a chance to plan for next school year. What is going well? What do you need more training on? What is on your wish list? This is YOUR system and we want it to work for you and support your daily work going forward. Your feedback is needed and appreciated, so be on the lookout for some quick surveys in the coming weeks that will help us plan our Skyward future.
Through the end of the year, we will wrap up the conversion and will begin the cycle again. In the meantime, remember that your building trainers are available to help. In addition, I have listed some resources here that you may find useful:
SkyDoc - Skyward Documentation (This is the Skyward help feature.)
From any Skyward screen, click the "?" in the upper right hand corner, then SkyDoc. The system will take you to the help documentation for the screen you are on. You can also use the search feature to look for information on other specific keywords. You can access SkyDoc here (you must be logged in to Skyward to view).
skyhub (This is an internal Google site for FAQ's, quick tips and tutorials produced specifically for our district.)
Content is added regularly, so feel free to email me any documentation that you have created. I would be happy to post it to share with others! You can access skyhub here (you must be logged in to your PHASD gmail to view.)
IT Helpdesk (This is the place to go when you need help and were unable to find an answer through your building trainer or by using SkyDoc or skyhub.)
The IT Helpdesk is at RESA. There are different teams available to help depending on the issue. The Helpdesk staff primarily re-sets passwords for staff and students, creates Universal Login IDs, gmails and assigns helpdesk tickets to the appropriate team. This includes the SIS Team takes, which takes care of ALL Skyward issues (with the exception ofsecurity or setup configurations which are assigned to the district SIS Coordinator). Because there are over a dozen people available to help at RESA, this is by far the quickest way for you to get the help you need. You can contact the IT Helpdesk in several ways: http://helpdesk.phasd.us (preferred method) / [email protected] / (810) 455-1006
Again, thank you for being an amazing team. I wish you much success and many laughs in 2016!
Kelli Plater
It was exactly a year ago that I interviewed for the SIS Coordinator position. With much excitement, I accepted the challenge and began the Skyward journey at the end of January. It is hard to believe, but shortly before Thanksgiving break, we made it through the very last training session. We have a few more large projects to do regarding our grading history, then we can officially say we have completed the conversion!
As I look back on this year, I see huge accomplishments and lots of laughs, but mostly I see people. Amazing people. Courageous people. Funny people. Generous people. Committed people...and I just want to say thank you! Thank you for your patience as we worked through using Skyward for the first time. Thank you for staying positive in the midst of change. Thank you for forging ahead into new territory. Thank you for the honest feedback. Thank you for encouraging your co-workers and thank you for encouraging me. The uplifting notes, the random candy or chocolate in an inter-office envelope, or the surprise bottle of coconut sunset lotion meant more than you will ever know!
But the journey is not over! Now is the time to evaluate and a chance to plan for next school year. What is going well? What do you need more training on? What is on your wish list? This is YOUR system and we want it to work for you and support your daily work going forward. Your feedback is needed and appreciated, so be on the lookout for some quick surveys in the coming weeks that will help us plan our Skyward future.
Through the end of the year, we will wrap up the conversion and will begin the cycle again. In the meantime, remember that your building trainers are available to help. In addition, I have listed some resources here that you may find useful:
SkyDoc - Skyward Documentation (This is the Skyward help feature.)
From any Skyward screen, click the "?" in the upper right hand corner, then SkyDoc. The system will take you to the help documentation for the screen you are on. You can also use the search feature to look for information on other specific keywords. You can access SkyDoc here (you must be logged in to Skyward to view).
skyhub (This is an internal Google site for FAQ's, quick tips and tutorials produced specifically for our district.)
Content is added regularly, so feel free to email me any documentation that you have created. I would be happy to post it to share with others! You can access skyhub here (you must be logged in to your PHASD gmail to view.)
IT Helpdesk (This is the place to go when you need help and were unable to find an answer through your building trainer or by using SkyDoc or skyhub.)
The IT Helpdesk is at RESA. There are different teams available to help depending on the issue. The Helpdesk staff primarily re-sets passwords for staff and students, creates Universal Login IDs, gmails and assigns helpdesk tickets to the appropriate team. This includes the SIS Team takes, which takes care of ALL Skyward issues (with the exception ofsecurity or setup configurations which are assigned to the district SIS Coordinator). Because there are over a dozen people available to help at RESA, this is by far the quickest way for you to get the help you need. You can contact the IT Helpdesk in several ways: http://helpdesk.phasd.us (preferred method) / [email protected] / (810) 455-1006
Again, thank you for being an amazing team. I wish you much success and many laughs in 2016!
Kelli Plater