FirstClass is our school intranet system. It works on Mac/Windows and other types of computer systems and can work via a web browser or through the FirstClass software.

FirstClass is able to do a range of things for you, including email, chat, conferencing/discussion, file sharing, website publishing, calendaring, blogging, podcasting and more. It is a place to share ideas, resources and thoughts with colleagues, children and parents.

Some features to be aware of include:

• You can send an email to a person or a conference in FirstClass.
• Any conference or calendar can be instantly presented on the Internet.
• You can share your newsletters or other files (eg. homework, practice sheets) in this way.
• You can have a class calendar to instantly inform parents of dates, which can be linked from your class web site.

The three main areas to be aware of:

1. Your FirstClass desktop - where you can see everything and quickly navigate to all areas.
2. Staff Intranet - only for staff, includes vital information and daily messages.
3. Fendalton Intranet - for staff/children and parents, includes daily notices to be read out at the start of every day, along with bookings of areas and equipment.

Some Essential FirstClass Skills & Timesavers…

• Replying using quote - highlight the text you want in the reply, then click Reply and that text will be in your response.
• Replying to the sender only.
• Changing your password.
• Insert a voice clip into an email.
• Linking items in your email messages, using attachments and making tables.
• Using a signature for your email.
• Making an item appear ‘read’- click once on the item(s), then press “Apple –“. This is useful in the staff intranet if you won’t want to read every item!
• Booking items correctly.
• Teaching children to use FirstClass at home - refer to “Using FirstClass @ Home” (Staff Intranet > ICT > ICT Help Files).
• Checking who is online and having a chat with them.
• Using folders to organise your mail.
• Using the View menu to change the view options of your mailbox.
• Learn to use mail rules- in the Collaborate menu.

FENDALTON INTRANET - for staff, students and parents

Absences - must be filled in and sent before 9.15 every day. The office will ring classrooms that don’t do this by 9.30 and will follow up unexplained absences by calling home.

Daily Notices - teachers and children can add any message they want all children/staff to get each day. Children may add messages to this in liaison with their teacher.

IT Resources - please book the item or room you need clearly identifying the duration that you need it. Make sure you also change the time in the “Starts at” and the “Ends at” fields so that the bookings are arranged in order on the booking calendar. The system will also show you if your booking clashes with someone elses.

Learn how to book a space and at the same time invite someone to the event, and at the same time book equipment to support the event (e.g. pod, datashow, a Tech Wizard, or a sound system). Doing this saves you lots of time!

STAFF INTRANET - only for staff

This area is only available to staff. It changes according to the needs of the school at any particular time. Areas within it that will be useful to you include:

Year Calendar - this is the overall planner showing what is happening and when. Some of these items are available to parents via the school web site. It is essential that staff enter items into this calendar correctly. The office monitors this calendar.

Curriculum - enabling skills, EOTC, planners, templates and other digital resources are kept in here.

Assessment, Planning & Reporting- this area includes:

• Report writing guidance.
• Planning templates to help you and your team.
• Guidance and examples of assessment of Key Competencies.

Teams - You can scan something from the photocopiers and it will email to these conferences as an attachment. Teams should use these conferences for their own work as they decide.

General - the term booklets, rosters for kids, induction programme, peer coaching documents, PLJ documents, and random items as required.

Sport – items in this conference are available to our parent community via the community area of the FOS web site (user ID: fendalton, Password: school).

Passwords – to the range of digital tools available to staff (Google, ARB, EPIC, eTAP, TKI, Journal Surf, FOS .Mac account).

ICT- this area has a range of items in it:

• ICT Problems for Ron: email jobs for Ron our technician. Members of the techie team monitor this conference.
• ICT Help Files: as teachers create documents that share instructions for using various pieces of software and troubleshooting tips, they could be added to this file for everyone’s use.
• Tech Wizards Roster- teachers can book in Tech Wizards to help them in their classroom.

QLCs - any information, sharing of ideas, resources and meeting minutes for QLC groups will be kept and emailed to this conference.

General - this conference contains a range of useful items such as: Staff Meeting minutes, RAMS forms/Transport forms, Class Description template, FOS Students Transfer Form, Relieving Teacher List, Attendance Register procedures, Course/Conference Information forms (for Megan), NAG Guidelines, Uniform Notices