Several weeks ago, we had a great post from Kevin Dubenion on some of the capabilities of Moodle. We had lots of nice feedback on that post and it got me thinking about another electronic portal that we have going on at CA: My BackPack.
Honestly, as a Lower School mom, I don't have a whole lot of scoop on My BackPack. Yes, I remember the emails introducing the program, but umm, honestly, I don't think it has ever occurred to me to log in. My bad.
First challenge, how to log in. If you're like me, you'll just head straight to "I Forgot My User Name and Password" link. It just took a second to receive the email and reset the password, which I may have remembered to write down. You should then be greeted with cute school pictures of your child(ren) on your home screen.
First capability of note for My BackPack is the access to directory information. My CA directory usually rolls with me in the van, but the thing that is nice about this, is that you can not only access the directory, but you can EDIT it. It's a living, breathing document, which can be used to update your addy from a new move, new email addresses and all that other stuff. You can also set the privacy settings if you are not interested in other parents being able to view your personal intel.
My BackPack is also available to access your child's grades and comments; however, please note that currently, Middle and Upper division are using this program differently than Lower School. US and MS parents can get information straight from a drop-down option under the Academic tab, while LS parents can access progress reports under the "My Profile" tab and then selecting "My Documents."
Other features of note (I have linked to instructions on how to make these things happen)
- Being able to print homeroom lists, versus just a grade-wide directory
- Search for families who live near you, by zip code; great car pool potential here
- Find your child's letter day schedule (maybe need to find the best time to get those orthodontics appointments scheduled?)
As with anything new, it will take a while for many of us to get comfortable with this portal (namely me!), but with a short time investment, this program can be super helpful and easy to navigate for all of us!
To learn more about My BackPack, check out this training module. If you have questions or suggestions for My BackPack, you can email or if you need a human, just call the school at 614-475-2311.
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