Attendance Reporting Procedures - SchoolMessenger
In September 2018, Elk Island Catholic Schools moved to a new enhanced version of Safe Arrival. Your child’s safety is of paramount importance to us - this new version of Safe Arrival is more streamlined than ever, using a new back-end connected directly to our SchoolMessenger communication service.
To set up your new account, go to https://go.schoolmessenger.com/#/account/signup or download the SchoolMessenger App using Google Play or the App Store. (Select Canada as Location)
There are multiple ways to report an absence:
- Calling 1-877-246-9970 option 3
- Using the SchoolMessenger App
- Using the “SchoolMessenger” link in the EICS App (requires SchoolMessenger App installed on the phone)
- Using https://go.schoolmessenger.com
There are some important features to note:
- You will receive an authentication email to verify your login. Click on the link, and update user settings by entering the information requested. Once complete you will be able to access your children in the App with the account credentials you created.
- This functionality is also being added to the EICS App (available on both Android and IOS) , so you can access everything in one place, but it will still require that you have the School Messenger App installed on the phone to function.
- This system will automatically update attendance at the school. On days where our office staff may be away, the system automatically overrides those students marked unverified, which will prevent attendance calls from going home at the end of the day.
- We experience a high volume of late students every morning. If your child is going to arrive after attendance is taken, please make sure you are reporting it as a late/absence using the new system. If your child is late, and we are not aware, you will receive the automated calls until the late/absence is verified. All students that are late or returning from appointments need to check in at the office.
- If you receive one of these phone calls, it is important to follow the prompts to report the absence. If at any point you try to circumvent the system (i.e. hanging up before you receive your confirmation number), the system will still view the absence as unverified, and you will continue to receive phone calls until you complete the process on the phone.
We understand that these automated calls may be frustrating, but we hope that you understand that it is our first priority every morning to ensure that all students are accounted for. Using this new tool helps us to expedite this process to ensure the safe arrival of all of our students.
If you have any changes to your contact information (ie. new phone numbers, cell phone numbers) please call or email the school so we can update the records for you.