Minute Trick Monday: PowerGrade Parent Email

This week, all Emerson parents and students will be given access to the Parent Portal.  The great part about this tool is that it creates transparency for the parents and students to know where they stand in any given class on any given day.

However, we know that there is a lot about what is going on in our class that a Gradebook snapshot can't show.  Sending an email message out to an individual parent or all your parents is a great way to keep them feel more connected to what is really happening.

Fortunately, PowerSchool makes it easy to send an email to an individual parent, a group of parents, or even every parent on your caseload right from inside your Gradebook!  It is as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Launch your Gradebook.

2. From the "Tools" menu, select "Email Students and Parents."

3. Follow the directions on the screen. *

  

Hint: You may want to compose the message in Word or Google first. Once you have edited it, copy and paste the message into the appropriate window. Selecting the email addresses last will prevent accidentally sending the message before you are ready.

To learn more, check out the PowerSchool page on my ITC site.

CHALLENGE: For those of you who have been asking how to access these email addresses through Gmail:

1. Follow the Powerschool Startup Directions to export student names and guardian emails from your Gradebook.
2. On the CSV file, delete the entire Section Name row.  In the new header row, change "Student Name" to "Name" and "Guardian Email" to "Email."
3.  Follow the Google directions to import contacts from the CSV file you created.