This 2023-2024 school year, the ParentSquare and 5-Star applications have been introduced for parents to stay updated with school events and to streamline the Flex sign-up process.
Teachers have been quick to utilize ParentSquare as some have already started informing parents of what material they have covered and what material they are planning on covering in the upcoming week. This process is more effective than the previous emails that teachers had to send as the emails often were sent into a spam folder or lost between the vast amount of emails parents receive.
Not only has ParentSquare allowed teachers to communicate with the parents more effectively, but it has also given a platform for the admin to send out announcements to the teachers. Members of the administration such as Principal Stan Hicks and Assistant Principal Mei-Feng Howell have given out teacher-specific announcements to inform them of changes and keep them updated on school news. Recently, the admin also communicated with the parents by posting an update on the PSAT/SAT registration on ParentSquare, giving the parents an easy and accessible platform to receive school updates.
The parents have seemingly responded positively to the implementation of ParentSquare. “The parents really appreciate receiving [their] updates,” noted Mx. Cal Garret. “Most of [their] positive interactions have been on ParentSquare”.
However, there seems to be an issue with the publication of the app. Students around campus are not aware of the ParentSquare app. Rishabh Sen (11) said that he had never heard of the app before, which may be the case for parents as well.
The 5-Star application has also been introduced to the complete student body this 2023-2024 year. It has replaced the FlexTime application that was used in the 2022-2023 school year, and so far, it has had a positive impact. Since its implementation, Mx. Cal Garrett has seen a rise in attendance during flex due to several features. From the teachers’ end, the application not only shows “which students are not signing up for a flex”, which was not shown in FlexTime, but also shows a “continuous circle around the picture of the person” if they are logged in to the application. The continuous circle stops people from impersonating other students and checking them in as it is visible whether they are in the application or not.
The 5-Star application also has financial benefits. Although the administration has only introduced the student body to the 5-Star application this year, it is not new. Mr. Ryan Willer explains that Irvington’s Associate Student Government has actually “had it for 10 years” and “used [it] in the background” for counting different metrics such as tickets sold or club attendance. By switching from Flextime to 5-Star, the school saved the money they spent on FlexTime since they were already paying for 5-Star.
Mr. Ryan Willer states that there are plans for this application to be used as “a central hub for information” for important dates for clubs, points for going to events, and club attendance. This process has already begun as there is a clubs page on 5-Star where upcoming dates and information on clubs are available and some clubs have already started checking students in through 5-Star.
The introduction of 5-Star and ParentSquare brought various advantages compared to prior applications. Although ParentSquare isn’t as well publicized as it could be, there has been positive activity on it and parents have been reacting appreciatively to the updates they are receiving. 5-Star has been received well by teachers, who can now regulate flex attendance more effectively, and students, who can find all the information on clubs that they need in one central place. Both applications seem to be making an immediate impact and improving the overall student experience.
