We’re gearing towards the end of the term, what should I do to ensure I’m set for the next term?

Note: In this article, the word TERM also equates to QUARTER and SEMESTER – however you call the grading periods in your school.

The list below will help you identify if you’re ready for the next term:

• Teachers are done taking attendance for current term
• Teachers have completed entering Gradebook grades for the current term (but there’s a way for teachers to enter grades for the previous term, see below)
• Report Cards grades are correct, and teachers are pretty much done entering comments in it.
• No pending tasks on all the other modules like Homework, Class Discussions, etc.

Once you’re done with the items listed above, you’re all set to move to the next term. Click here for instructions in creating and activating a new term. After activating the new term, you’re good to go. Teachers may start entering attendance, grades, homework, and other data for the new term.

We’ve put in some FAQs that might be helpful for you:

1. When do I activate the next term?

Answer: We recommend activating the next term when the current term is about to end. This is to ensure that the latest data from the active term are copied into the next term.

In activating the next term, the system copies data from the active term into the new term. So if you added new subjects and enrollments after activating the next term, these data won’t appear in the next term; you’d have to recreate them in the next term.

2. Can we activate the next term ahead of time so we can start creating schedules, posting homework, etc.?

Answer: Yes, just take note of the things mentioned above.

3. What if I activate the term late?

Answer: Best practice would be to activate the new semester before it starts. This is to avoid possible problems it can cause to the teachers:

• Attendance entered in the wrong semester
• Grades entered in the previous semester’s Gradebook (e.g. Term-2 grades entered in Term-1 gradebook)
• Homework, Lesson Plans, Class Discussions posted in the wrong semester

4. Can teachers enter grades in the Gradebook for previous terms?

Answer: Yes, the teacher simply needs to select the previous semester in the Semester drop-down box

5. Teachers are still entering comments in the Report Cards, can I go ahead and activate the next term?

Answer: Yes, you can migrate to the next term even if the teachers are still working on the current term’s report cards. Report Cards remain unlocked and editable until you lock/publish them. For more info in publishing report cards, click here.

6. What data gets copied into the new term?

Answer: When activating a new term, you’ll have the option to copy data from the currently active term:

The system copies all data, but some modules are reset so you’ll have a fresh semester to accommodate new data. Modules like Gradebook, Homework, Class Discussions, Scheduling, etc. are blank when you start a new term.

If you activate an empty semester though, you’ll get a new semester with blank subjects, grade levels, and homerooms. So all students won’t have assigned grade levels, no homeroom enrollments, and no subject enrollments.