IMS tech coach previews district iPad program and Schooly parent access

The district’s instructional technology coach at IMS outlined how students and parents will use district-issued iPads and the Schooly learning management system during a parent presentation.

Why it matters: Parents will get a closer, day-to-day window into class activities through Schooly while Cumulative and Skyward will continue to hold gradebook and official student records. The presenter also described device support, content filtering and the steps parents should take if work appears missing.

The presenter said students who participated in the district’s take-home iPad program will continue to use those devices, and new middle-school students will receive their iPad at the school’s back-to-school day or on day one of classes if they miss that event. "They will receive their iPad at the back to school day," the instructional technology coach said, noting teachers and the business center staff will help with device setup.

The district uses an app hub and single sign-on to simplify access. The presenter described ClassLink as the district portal for apps and links and said students authenticate primarily through their district Google account (referred to as MISC400). Once signed into ClassLink and Google single sign-on, students should be able to access most resources without separate logins.

On daily classroom work, the coach said Schooly is the main platform where teachers post assignments, activities and feedback. "Schooly is our learning management system," the presenter said, describing it as the day-to-day "story of learning" that shows what students did in class, upcoming prompts and teacher feedback. Parents will receive emailed instructions in late August or September on how to access their parent Schooly accounts; the presenter advised that first-time users may need to click the "forgot password" link to generate credentials.

The presenter distinguished Schooly from Cumulative and Skyward: Schooly is used for daily updates and materials, Cumulative is the gradebook that shows final grades and missing-work indicators, and Skyward houses student information, forms and lunch accounts. The presenter cautioned that Cumulative may lag behind Schooly for day-to-day updates and recommended contacting teachers when missing work appears in Cumulative.

On device care and support, the presenter noted the school’s business center (located in the classic building) handles repairs and that two full-time onsite technicians, named Mike and Logan, are available. Eighth-grade business center TAs also help students. The presenter also urged families to use protective cases that cover all four corners and to establish nightly charging routines so iPads are ready for class.

Regarding safety and content controls, the presenter said the district’s content-filtering system limits inappropriate content on school devices and noted parents can add further restrictions at home via their home Wi‑Fi settings. For e‑books, the presenter explained Sora is the school-facing ebook platform (the district allows students to also use Libby for public-library content).

If a parent sees an overdue item, the presenter recommended these steps: check the student’s submission in Schooly, message the teacher, or have the student photograph paper work and submit it through Schooly to clear the overdue flag. The presenter demonstrated the Schooly calendar view and said teachers typically post only a few days ahead; Schooly is an access point tied to classroom activity, not a replacement for in-person instruction.

The session materials and short recorded slide commentary are available via a shared link the presenter provided, and parents were encouraged to email ims.ex.org to open a help ticket for technical questions. The presenter spelled a contact name aloud during closing remarks.

The district did not propose any policy changes or votes in this session; it was an informational presentation and Q&A opportunity. For follow-up, parents were directed to the shared slide link and the district help email for device or login issues.