Slew of functions available on new WLCS phone app

An article by Angela Niemi    No Comments

Although the days of snatching your report card out of the mail before your parents could see it are over, as many school districts now distribute grades online, in the Walled Lake Consolidated School District it’s not just grades that parents can now follow on the Internet.

The Skyward Family Access application allows parents and students to review grades, class schedules, daily assignments, and attendance records via the Web.

And with the new mobile app for smart phones, getting away with playing hooky will not be as easy as before, now that parents will have access to real-time classroom information anywhere there’s a wireless Internet service available.

“Parents today can’t say they don’t know what’s happening with their child’s academic progress or what’s happening with other aspects of the child’s education, such as food services, transportation, and attendance,” said Walled Lake Schools Director of Community Relations Judy Evola.

For example, parents can now see what their child is eating for lunch — whether he or she is getting a healthy salad, or fries and ice cream.

While all this information is available online, Skyward brings even more convenience to busy parents looking to keep track of their child’s academics.

“In a matter of minutes, a parent can access the student’s daily schedule, attendance record, and see if assignments have been handed in. It’s strengthening the partnership between the schools and parents to make sure the child is successful,” said Mark Hess, executive director of instruction, technology, and assessment for the district.

“There needs to be a partnership between the school and the parents and ways to communicate regularly, rather than quarterly or a few times a month,” Evola said. “This app gives parents contact with the district and teachers on a daily basis.”

Skyward is also available for students in sixth-grade through 12th-grade, as well, to help them keep track of their academic progress.

“Gone are the days when students can’t have devices,” Evola said. “We want them to have them for educational purposes and to be able to keep on top of everything academically.”

Skyward is available by accessing the district’s website, wlcsd.org, on your phone. Use your regular log-in information as you would on the computer.

If you don’t have a Family Access ID, e-mail FamilyAccess@wlcsd.org or call 248-956-2190 to request a user name and password. Student user names and passwords are available for all sixth-grade through 12th-grade students by checking with your school office.