FrontDesk Manager is the primary module of the SchoolLeader Child Care Center Management System. FrontDesk Manager gives you the tools to manage the day to day operations of your Child Care Center.
Within FrontDesk, you will take control and effectively manage information related to your key business functions. There are several key points to remember when using the FrontDesk Manager User Interface;
SchoolLeader allows unlimited flexibility with your data. You define all of the business rules specific to your operations from the DEFINITIONS menu and various RULES menus
Each main business "entity" in SchoolLeader is represented by its own folder (e.g. Student Folder, Guardian Folder, Classroom Folder, etc). A SchoolLeader folder is very similar to a manila folder you would keep in your filing cabinet. It's a consolidating tool for collecting and organizing common data..
There is no 'starting point' in SchoolLeader. To use SchoolLeader, simply think of what function you wish to perform and select the appropriate item from the dropdown main menu (e.g. Edit Student Folders, View Reports, Manage CheckPoint Station, etc).
SchoolLeader is truly multi-functional -- just like you. You're allowed to have multiple windows open at the same time -- and do more then one thing at a time -- simply by opening all the windows you need and 'flip flopping' between them on your screen.
Some windows are related to each other and display the same information from different perspectives. Changes made within one folder will automatically be reflected in these related folders. You only need to enter your data once within SchoolLeader, and it will be accessible throughout the system. This eliminates redundancy of data.
All folders within SchoolLeader have the same 'look and feel', so regardless of which folder you are accessing, the way you add, change, or delete data will remain the same.
Every Folder has the following buttons:
Reverses the changes made since the LAST "save" was performed. Once the data has been saved to the database it is permanent and cannot be undone with this button.
Saves any changes made to this folder since the last "save" was performed.
Note: SchoolLeader will perform automatic saves periodically during processing. You cannot prevent these "forced" saves.
Cancels any changes you made since the last "save" was performed and exits the window.
The View box is always positioned in the upper left part of the window. This box provides you with a list for selecting existing information. When an item from the list is selected, the details associated with that item are displayed.
All View Selection windows allow you to type in what you are trying to find, or you can click on the down arrow on the right side of the View Window.
This box positioned just to the right of the view box provides various filter options for limiting what is shown in that View List. In the Classroom Folder example, you can set the filter to be 'Classrooms Only', or 'All Locations'. The data displayed in 'View Location' will only contain data for the selected criteria.
By clicking the New button, you can begin adding new information into SchoolLeader. In this example, you would click the New Classroom button to start adding new classroom information This means a new ID number will be automatically assigned, default field values will be set, and the window will be placed in "add" mode for entering information about this new folder.
By clicking on the Delete button, you will be prompted for deletion of the currently displayed information for this folder. You cannot undo this action.
To ensure the integrity of your data, SchoolLeader will not always allow you to delete certain types of data. For example, if a Guardian has accounting information associated with them, SchoolLeader will not allow you to delete this data using the 'DELETE' button. It is very possible that in the future, this Guardian will require a 'Payment History' for tax purposes, so SchoolLeader will ensure that this data exists, and that the integrity of your accounting data is intact.
As your database continues to grow, you can run an 'ARCHIVE' process that will delete data from your database, and keep a snapshot of the database before it was deleted. Archive databases can then be easily accessed through FrontDesk Manager. Database archives are discussed in detail in Chapter 2, Getting Started.
Along the bottom of each folder are tabs, which look very similar to the tabs of folders you keep in your filing cabinet. These tabs separate the data into logical pieces. Each folder has tabs that are specific to that folder.
This example shows tabs from the Guardian Folder. Simply click on any tab to move to that section and view, add, change, or delete information specific to that tab.
You can 'scroll' through information on any of the SchoolLeader tabs. There is no need to return to the 'COVER' of each folder to locate a specific name.
As you enter data in SchoolLeader, system tips and reminders will pop up to assist you with your data entry. As you encounter the tips, you have the option to 'turn off' that tip. If you decide that you want to turn the 'tips' back on, click on EDIT in the main menu, and then click on 'Reactivate All Reminders'.
SchoolLeader is a highly configurable process. It has been designed to easily conform to your schools specific business needs. These next chapters will assist you with setting up FrontDesk Manager to represent your way of doing business.