Some applications aim to make life easier for parents and students in the Warren County School District during the coming school year.

ROOMS

Parents of students enrolled in the WCSD will now have a single place to check for notifications.

On Friday, the district is slated to send parents information on the Rooms app. Rooms is a single point of contact to receive information on delays, events, class assignments, sports practice and game times, and other information.

“One of the things I heard loud and clear from parents, is ‘Where do I go to find information?'” WCSD Coordinator of Technology Jennifer Dilks said. “That’s where Rooms comes in.”

“We don’t want parents to be going to four different places,” WCSD Director of Curriculum Instruction & Assessment Eric Mineweaser added. “We’re requiring teachers to use this this year.”

While the district rolled out a Warren County School District app last year, information from parents was still spread across multiple sources, such as email, ClassDojo, Teams and Facebook. That information will now be accessible through Rooms.

The app will be synced with student information systems a for grades kindergarten through 12 and also with sports systems.

“It’s a communication tool between teachers, coaches and parents,” Dilks said. “Coaches can also communicate in rooms.”

According to MIneweaser, parents should receive an email Friday morning, Aug. 18, with instructions on how to download the app. If parents have multiple students in the district, they will be able to create a single account login and toggle between students.

“So they don’t have to create multiple logins,” Minweaser said.

The district noted Teams and Facebook may still be used for some things, but for the 2023-24 school year, most important messages will be migrated to rooms.

BRAINFUSE

Continuing a partnership initiated in 2021, the WCSD will offer online tutoring services once again this year with Brainfuse.

“Brainfuse is an online platform that allows students to get online and seek help 24/7,” according to information provided by the district.

The app also offers professional development options for teachers.

When students open their school laptops, an Brainfuse will be among the apps available for use, according to Mineweaser

“If they need help at home, there’s a live tutor available 24/7 behind this,” he said.

The tutor will work with students to provide aid based on subject and grade level.

The service is free to students.

NETREF

Mineweaser also gave a warning to students regarding laptop usage in the classroom.

Through NetRef, a classroom management tool that allows teachers to guide instruction across computers in the classroom, they can monitor student activity.

“Students need to know that if I’m up there teaching, the teacher can see each student’s screen,” Mineweaser noted. “So they shouldn’t be on YouTube or anything. That’s been big for us.”

Through the program, teachers can “lockdown” specific websites, according to Mineweaser. In addition to being able to restrict access to certain sites and apps, teachers can also open and close specific tabs for individuals, groups or an entire classroom.