Welcome to eChalk

Welcome to the eChalk community, your Web-based communication and resource network. Using eChalk, you can connect with any and all of the students, teachers, parents, and administrators within your school and in the larger academic community. You'll be able to:

• Send and receive email
• Store and share files
• Organize and post bookmarks
• Sign up for email alerts about school and class activities
• Subscribe to receive an RSS feed of various school news and events
• View class work and events
• Submit and receive submissions electronically
• Search for members of the school community
• View school events and daily announcements

Click one of these links to see more information about:

• Moving around eChalk
• How do I get help?
• Printing online help
• How do I get to the homepage?
• What's on the homepage?
• Daily announcement, site message, and your local weather
• Directory
• Resources
• Upcoming events and the calendar
• Printing the school calendar
• School address and map
• Contact Us
• Class email alerts (Parents only)
• Subscribing for class email alerts
• Setting up your class email alerts
• Editing class email alerts
• RSS feeds
• Subscribing to RSS feeds
• Logging in for the first time
• Setting the My Profile page
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Staff
• Students
• Alumni
• Parents
• Self-registered parents
• I've used eChalk before. Where do I go?
• I forgot my password. What do I do?

Moving around eChalk

As you move around from screen to screen within eChalk, you may have to use the scroll bar and arrows on the right and bottom borders of the window to view another part of a screen. Keep this in mind if you can't find a button or feature. For example, if you're following a procedure and the instructions say: "Press OK to continue", you may have to scroll to the bottom of the screen to see the OK button.

To scroll up and down:

• Place the mouse pointer on the downward pointing arrow at the bottom right corner of the window and click to move downward on the screen, or
• Place the mouse pointer on the scroll bar on the right edge of the window, and then click and drag it down.
• Click the upward pointing arrow or drag the scroll bar up to move up the screen.

To scroll across:

• Place the mouse pointer on the right or left pointing arrows at the bottom corners of the window and click, or
• Place the mouse cursor on the scroll bar along the bottom of the screen and drag across.

To move between text entry boxes:

• Press the TAB key on the keyboard to move from field to field.

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How do I get help?

In addition to this guide, eChalk provides several different kinds of help for different situations:

• On-screen directions and tips appear on most pages.
• Your Site Manager can help with forgotten passwords, usernames, or any other eChalk questions.
• You can send an email to eChalk customer support at [email protected].

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Printing online help

If you find it easier to read the online help in print, here are the directions:

1. Click the Help icon on any page to open the online Help file.
    
2. Select Print from the File menu on the new browser's menu bar. The print dialog box appears.
    
3. Click OK to print.

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How do I get to the homepage?

1. Launch your browser.
    
2. Enter your school or district's eChalk Web site address in your browser's location bar.
    
3. Press the Enter key.
    
4. Your School or District homepage appears.

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What's on the homepage?

Let's look at a few features of the homepage you can view and use before you even log in.

Note: Not all of the features and content areas listed below will necessarily appear on your school or district homepage. The Site Manager and Site Administrators for your site have determined which content areas will display.

Daily Announcements, Site Message, and Local Weather

Daily Announcements are posted by the Site Manager or other officials at your school. In some schools, they may be used to announce important information such as school closings or class cancellations. In others, they might simply display the school motto or mascot.

A Site Message may display after the announcements. The Site Manager can use the message to highlight an individual (e.g. principal, teacher, or student) at your school/district on the homepage.

Your Local Weather may also be posted on the homepage and automatically displays under the reference calendar to show both the current and next day�s forecast.

Directory

Located in the side toolbar, the Directory provides the ability to search for and view a directory of faculty & staff and find out more information about classes taught at your school. The Directory may include:

• District Listing - a list of all the schools within your district
• Faculty and Staff - a list of the faculty and staff of your school categorized by department
• Class Pages - links to pages that show class work and events, resources, and an announcement
• Group Pages � links to pages that show group events, resources, and an announcement

Resources

The Resources section of the homepage includes links of interest that your school/district's site manager has created. These links are shortcuts to other Web pages, school news, information, and surveys. To view these resources:

1. Click the Resources link in the side toolbar.
    
2. Click one of the links located in the Resources section.
    
3. Click the Home button on the top toolbar to return to the homepage.

Upcoming Events and Calendar

A list of upcoming events and a calendar are displayed on the homepage and are maintained by the Site Manager or other officials at your school.

This is a public calendar because it can be viewed before you log in to eChalk. This means anyone who accesses your eChalk homepage, even if they aren't members of your community, can view it. Therefore, for the safety and security of students, and everyone else in a school, only events deemed appropriate for viewing by the general public will be displayed on this calendar. Once you've logged in to your school site, a more detailed calendar can be accessed from the side toolbar. Since only students, parents, teachers, and administrators can log in to eChalk, the information on the private calendar may be more specific.

To view the events on the calendar:

• Click the View Monthly Calendar link at the bottom of the Upcoming Events section of the homepage.
  
  Note: Both school and district-level events can be listed on this calendar.

To view the next or previous month's calendar:

• Click the red arrow to the right of the month to move forward a month.
• Click the red arrow to the left of the month to move back a month.

Printing the school calendar

To print the school calendar:

1. From the monthly calendar view, click the printer icon at the top of the calendar. A printable view of the calendar will open in a new window.
    
2. Click OK to print the calendar, or choose Print from the File menu in the browser�s menu bar.

Tip: If you're using the MS Internet Explorer browser follow these steps to make the printed calendar look the same as the screen version:

1. Click Tools/Internet Options on the main menu bar of your browser.
    
2. Click the Advanced tab.
    
3. Scroll down to the Printing Options section.
    
4. Check the Print background colors and images box.
    
5. Click the OK button at the bottom to close this window.
    
6. Once you've saved your settings follow the instructions listed above to print the school calendar.

School Address and Map

The school address, fax and phone number appear at the bottom of the homepage. To view a map of your school's neighborhood, click the Locate School icon under the school address.

Contact Us

To send email to eChalk, your Site Manager, or school administrator, click the Contact Us link at the bottom of the homepage.

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Class Email Alerts

Subscribing to class email alerts

By registering to receive class email alerts, parents can keep up to date on announcements, upcoming events, homework submissions, and other class information on a daily or weekly basis, or only when relevant new content is added.

1. To subscribe to receive automated class email alerts, you must complete a Parent Registration Form that will be set up by your school or district and linked to somewhere on the homepage. It will ask you to submit some of the following information (as established by your Site Manager):
    
   • First and Last Name (required)
   • Email Address (required)
   • Mailing Address (if required by Site Manager)
   • Phone Number (if required by Site Manager)
   • Student Name (if required by Site Manager)
   • Student ID (if required by Site Manager)
   • Last 4 Digits of the Student�s SS# (if required by Site Manager)
      
   Each required field is marked with a red asterisk (*). If a field does not appear with an asterisk, the site you are registering on does not require this information to subscribe.
    
2. In the field provided, enter the verification code exactly as it appears in the box above that field.
    
3. Click the Register button at the bottom of the screen. Once you�ve registered, you will receive an automated email message from eChalk with your username (your email address) and password. Once you log in, you can change this password to something you can easily remember. For more information on logging in to eChalk for the first time, see Logging in for the first time.

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Setting up your class email alerts

To set up your class email alert schedule:

1. On the My Profile page, click the Edit Email Alerts button. The Edit Email Alerts page will appear.
    
2. On the Edit Email Alerts page, you must identify the child(ren) and class(es) for which you wish to receive email alerts and the frequency with which you would like to receive the alerts. To add a child, click the Select Children button.
    
3. Click the Add Student button to add a child to your list. In the Student Details box that appears, enter the necessary information, which may include the student�s School, Grade, First Name, Last Name, Student ID, or the Last 4 Digits of SS#, according to the requirements that have been set by the Site Manager. Each required field is marked with a red asterisk (*). When you are finished, click the Save button to add the student. The page will refresh and the new student�s information will appear in the Student Information listing.
   
   Note: If the system cannot locate the student, you will be prompted to enter the name manually.
    
4. Once you�re finished adding students, click Next to return to the Edit Email Alerts page.
    
5. The classes with which each student is associated with should display automatically in the Select Classes section of the page when you select the desired student from the drop-down menu. Check off the classes you would like to receive email alerts for. If you would like to receive class email alerts for an additional class, click the Add Classes button. Note: If the system could not locate the student and you entered his/her name manually, you must also select his/her classes manually.
    
6. The classes that have already been selected (if any) will appear in the Assigned Classes section of the screen. To add more classes, click on the Add Classes button and browse the listing of classes that display under Available Sites. Click on the folder icon to the left of the subject name to see and select from the classes within a specific subject area. Select the checkbox next to the class name to add that class to the Assigned Classes for which you receive email alerts. You may also click the Select Sites button to get access to classes offered at other schools within your district.
    
7. Once you�re finished adding classes, click Save to return to the Edit Email Alerts page.
    
8. In the Schedule Email Alerts section of the Edit Email Alerts page, choose the day(s) of the week on which you would like to receive an email alert for the selected class(es). If you would like to receive class email alerts only when the content related to these classes has changed, also check the box for Only send me an email when content has changed.
   
   Note: If you are signing up to receive class email alerts relating to multiple children, you must receive all class email alerts on the same schedule; it is not possible to specify a different schedule for the alerts relating to each student.
    
9. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to schedule your class email alerts. You will be returned to the My Account > Profile page, where the information regarding the selected child(ren), class(es), and email alert schedule will display.

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Editing class email alerts

To edit your class email alerts:

1. On the My Account > Profile page, click the Edit Email Alerts button.
    
2. To add or delete a child from your list, or to edit a child�s information, click the Select Children button. Click the Add Student button to add a child to your list. In the Student Details box that appears, enter the necessary information, which may include the student�s School, Grade, First Name, Last Name, Student ID, or the Last 4 Digits of SS#, according to the requirements that have been set by the Site Manager. Each required field is marked with a red asterisk (*). When you are finished, click the Save button to add the student. The page will refresh and the new student�s information will appear in the Student Information listing. Click Save to return to the Edit Email Alerts page.
   
   Note: If the system cannot locate the student, you will be prompted to enter the name manually.
   
   To delete a child from the list, click the Trash icon link next to the child�s name. You will be asked to confirm the deletion. Click Yes to remove all scheduled class email alerts associated with this student or No to cancel the deletion.
    
3. The classes with which each student is associated with should display automatically in the Select Classes section of the page when you select the desired student from the drop-down menu. If you would like to receive class email alerts for an additional class, click the Add Classes button. Note: If the system could not locate the student and you entered his/her name manually, you must also select his/her classes manually.
    
4. The classes that have already been selected (if any) will appear in the Assigned Classes section of the screen. To add more classes, click on the Add Classes button and browse the listing of classes that display under Available Sites. Click on the folder icon to the left of the subject name to see and select from the classes within a specific subject area. Select the checkbox next to the class name to add that class to the Assigned Classes for which you receive email alerts. You may also click on the Select Sites button to get access to classes offered at other schools within your district.
    
5. Once you�re finished adding classes, click Save to return to the Edit Email Alerts page.
    
6. In the Schedule Email Alerts section of the Edit Email Alerts page, choose the day(s) of the week on which you would like to receive an email alert for the selected class(es). If you would like to receive class email alerts only when the content related to these classes has changed, also check the box for Only send me an email when content has changed.
   
   Note: If you are signing up to receive class email alerts relating to multiple children, you must receive all class email alerts on the same schedule; it is not possible to specify a different schedule for the alerts relating to each student.
    
7. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page to schedule your class email alerts. You will be returned to the My Account > Profile page, where the information regarding the selected child(ren), class(es), and class email alert schedule will display.

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RSS Feeds

Subscribing to RSS Feeds

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS is used to publish frequently updated content such as, calendar events, announcements, and news headlines. An RSS document, which is called a �feed,� �web feed,� or �channel,� contains either a summary of content from an associated Web site or the full text. Subscribing to RSS feeds is a convenient way of keeping up with the new content on the eChalk Web site by receiving automated updates, as opposed to checking the relevant sections manually.

You can sign up to receive an RSS feed for any of the sections of content on the homepage where an orange RSS feed icon appears.

How to subscribe to an RSS feed:

1. On the school or district homepage you�re viewing, click on the square orange icon next to the heading of the content area (e.g. Daily Announcements, Upcoming Events) for which you wish to subscribe to receive an RSS feed.
    
2. Choose one of the listed providers (e.g. Google, My Yahoo, or My MSN) to host your RSS feed for this eChalk content area. To search for other providers, click the Subscribe button on the far right.
    
3. Your selected provider will take you through the necessary process to add the new RSS feed. Note: Alternatively, cut and paste the URL provided on the Subscribe to RSS Feed page to add this RSS feed manually.
    
4. Once you�ve completed the subscription process, click the Back to Homepage link to return to the school or district homepage.

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Logging in for the first time

The first time you log in to eChalk, you'll choose a new password and set up your personal profile. This is a one-time process; the next time you use eChalk, you'll only have to log in with your username and password to go directly to your Account page.

1. Enter your eChalk username.
    
2. Enter your temporary password.
    
3. Click the Login button. Your school's Acceptable Use Policy page will display.
    
4. Read the terms of the Acceptable Use Policy and click the Accept button to continue. (If you click the Do Not Accept button, you will not be able to continue setting up your account.) The My Profile > Change Password page will display.
    
5. Type a new password and retype it to confirm it. Your new password can be any combination of numbers or letters. (Choose wisely; your password should be easy for you to remember, but impossible for others to guess!)
    
6. Click the Submit button when finished. The My Profile > Edit page appears. For more information about how to proceed from here, see Setting the My Profile page.

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Setting the My Profile page

Part of logging in to eChalk for the first time is reviewing and setting your profile. The information displayed on your Profile page depends on the type of account you have: student, parent, teacher, or administrator. But regardless of what type of account you have, you must verify that your name and account type are correct. If not, please stop and contact your Site Manager.

Note: If you are logging in for the first time, you will be taken directly to the My Profile > Edit page after accepting your site's Acceptable Use Policy. To learn how to work with this page, skip to Step #4 in the workflows described below.

Teachers:

1. Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.
    
2. Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.
    
3. Click the Edit Profile button.
    
4. In the Position in School box, scroll through the options in the drop-down menu provided and choose your position. If you hold several positions within the school, choose one which most accurately describes your main responsibilities.
    
5. If desired, select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.
    
6. Designate (by selecting or deselecting the checkbox provided) whether your profile will be Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.
    
7. In the Grades and Class Information section, place a check next to the Grade(s) you teach.
    
8. You must also indicate which courses you teach. This is VERY important because this is one of the ways other members will find you in a search.
   
   To select your courses:
    
• In the Subjects and Courses section, scroll through the Choose Subject listing and select the desired subject. For example, select English to see all the courses offered by the English department at your school.
• Once you've selected this broad category, chosee the specific course you teach from the Add Course(s) listing.
• The selected course will now display in the Your Subject/Course listing to the right.
• Continue to highlight courses until all the courses that you teach appear in the list. To remove a course from the Your Subject/Course listing, highlight that course and click the Remove Subject/Course button.
• Once all the courses for a particular subject are selected, you may have to repeat this process for a different subject. 
   
9. In the Personal Information section of the page (which you can expand by clicking the light gray Personal Information header bar), you may include information such as your phone number, biography, office hours, room number, and even a message on your profile by typing this information in the appropriate boxes. This information is optional for completing the first time login. If you want to add this information later, you may do so by editing your profile. See My Profile for more information.
    
10. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile > Edit page to complete the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using eChalk.

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Administrators:

1. Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.
    
2. Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.
    
3. Click the Edit Profile button.
    
4. Designate (by clicking one of the buttons) whether your profile will be Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.
    
5. In the Position in School box, scroll through the drop-down menu provided and choose your position. If you hold several positions within the school, choose one which most accurately describes your main responsibilities.
    
6. If desired, select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.
    
7. Designate (by selecting or deselecting the checkbox provided) whether your profile will be Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.
   
   
8. In the Personal Information section of the page (which you can expand by clicking the light gray Personal Information header bar), you may also include information such as your phone number, biography, office hours, room number, and even a message on your profile by typing them in the appropriate boxes. This information is optional for completing the first time login. If you want to add this information later, you may do so by editing your profile. See My Profile for more information.
   
   Note: If your site has decided to enable users to enter a secret question and answer then teachers and administrators will also be able to select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field.
    
9. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile > Edit page to complete the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using eChalk.

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Staff:

1. Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.
    
2. Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.
    
3. Click the Edit Profile button.
    
4. Designate (by clicking one of the buttons) whether your profile will be Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.
    
5. In the Position in School box, scroll through the drop-down menu provided and choose your position. If you hold several positions within the school, choose one which most accurately describes your main responsibilities.
    
6. If desired, select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.
    
7. Designate (by selecting or deselecting the checkbox provided) whether your profile will be Publicly Visible to the Internet or not.
   
   
8. In the Personal Information section of the page (which you can expand by clicking the light gray Personal Information header bar), you may also include information such as your phone number, biography, office hours, room number, and even a message on your profile by typing them in the appropriate boxes. This information is optional for completing the first time login. If you want to add this information later, you may do so by editing your profile. See My Profile for more information.
   
   Note: If your site has decided to enable users to enter a secret question and answer then teachers and administrators will also be able to select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field.
    
9. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile > Edit page to complete the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using eChalk.

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Students:

1. Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.
    
2. Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.
    
3. Click the Edit Profile button.
    
4. If you want to add a Photo to your profile page, click the Browse button to upload a photo from your local computer. Note: This photo will be visible to the public only if your site has enabled this feature; otherwise only you will be able to see it.
   
   
5. If you wish to add your Biography to your profile page, enter the desired information in the text box provided. Note: This text will be visible to the public only if your site has enabled this feature; otherwise only you will be able to see it.
    
6. If desired, select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.
    
7. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile > Edit page to complete the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using eChalk.

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Alumni:

1. Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.
    
2. Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.
    
3. Click the Edit Profile button.
   
   
4. If desired, select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.
   
   
5. If you want to add a Photo to your profile page, click the Browse button to upload a photo from your local computer.
   
   
6. Add or edit your contact information (including phone number, alternate email address, and mailing address) and/or add a personal message using the fields provided.
   
   
7. If you wish to add your Biography to your profile page, enter the desired information in the text box provided.
    
8. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile > Edit page to complete the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using eChalk.

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Parents:

1. Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.
    
2. Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.
    
3. Click the Edit Profile button.
   
4. If desired, select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.
   
5. Add or edit your contact information (including phone number, email address, and mailing address) using the fields provided.
   
6. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile > Edit page to complete the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk username, user type, and email address. Click Continue to begin using eChalk.

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Self-registered parents:

1. Click the My Account button in the side toolbar.
    
2. Click the Profile button in the side toolbar under My Account.
    
3. Click the Edit Profile button.
    
4. If desired, select a question from the Forgot Password Question drop-down menu, and enter the answer in the Forgot Password Answer field provided.
   
5. Add or edit your contact information (including phone number, alternate email address, and mailing address) using the fields provided. Note: If you change the external email address that appears, remember that you�ll need to use this new email address as your username the next time you log in.
6. The page will display the wireless settings that have been entered for you to receive your emergency alerts. To make changes to these settings, choose a Mobile Carrier from the drop-down menu and enter a Mobile Phone Number in the field provided.
    
7. Click the Submit button at the bottom of the My Profile > Edit page to complete the login process. You will see a Welcome message reminding you of your eChalk username (the email address you entered). Click Continue to begin using eChalk.

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I've used eChalk before. Where do I go?

The first time you used eChalk, you created a new password for your account. Now you're ready to log in and try some other features.

1. Launch your browser.
    
2. Enter your school or district's eChalk Web site address in your browser's location bar.
    
3. Press the Enter key. Your School or District Homepage appears.
    
4. Enter your username in the box provided in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
    
5. Enter your password.
    
6. Click the Login button.

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I forgot my password. What do I do?

If you forget your password (or need your temporary password to log in for the first time), follow these steps:

1. Click the Forgot your password? link in the login area on the Homepage.
    
2. Follow the instructions on this page for contacting your Site Manager. Your Site Manager will be able to provide another password for you.
    
3. If you are a teacher, administrator or parent, answer the Forgot Password Question, and if you answer this correctly you will be logged into the site. Note: If your site has not implemented this feature, this option will not display.

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