The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique challenges for school districts across the country. In response, we’ve created a suite of new features that complement previously existing functionality to support you through these difficult times. Whether you’ve instituted in-person, hybrid, or 100% remote instruction, we have a tool to help. These features are included in your base Synergy® package unless otherwise noted.

Video Conference Integration

Video conferencing enables Synergy users to easily conduct secure virtual conferences and meetings with real-time video, audio, screen sharing, file sharing, breakout groups, and chat – all without leaving the Synergy interface. Virtual conferences can be initiated from the Student, Staff, Parent, and Synergy Mail screens in Synergy SIS. Conferences can be joined from the StudentVUE®, ParentVUE®, and TeacherVUE® web portals and all role-based mobile apps: StudentVUE®, ParentVUE®, TeacherVUE®, AdminVUE®, SE VUE®, HealthVUE®, and CounselVUE®. (Virtual Conference Integration is included with Synergy LMS and can be licensed separately for nominal fee.)

Daily Survey

A daily survey can be defined to screen students for COVID-19 symptoms selected for inclusion by the district. Typically, elementary schools require parents to complete the survey for the student, while at secondary schools both the parent and student may be allowed to complete the survey. School staff may also complete the survey for students upon arrival at school each day. Synergy captures the responses and can run queries and reports to see which students have not completed the survey each day. The survey can also trigger certain procedures to begin, such as a Synergy workflow or nurse referral based on positive responses. The Daily Survey can be accessed via the ParentVUE® web portal and mobile app, the StudentVUE® web portal and mobile app, and the AdminVUE® mobile app.

Students wearing masks in class

Contact Tracing

If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, Synergy can help to identify and notify students, parents, and staff who may have been exposed, while protecting the privacy of all involved. The contact tracing tool uses the school schedule in combination with district-defined parameters such as attendance, classes, bus route, locker number, and nurse office visits to determine possible exposure.

Time Tracking

The Time Tracking feature allows students or parents to self-report the amount of time students spend on a task or topic. Typically, secondary schools allow students to self-report, while elementary schools require parents to report on behalf of the student.

Student Check-In

In districts following a remote or hybrid learning model without video conferencing, teachers can record contact made with student via phone, email, chat, etc.

Core Synergy Features

The Contact Tracing and Daily Survey features can be paired with core Synergy features for deeper functionality. Positive results identified by the Contact Tracing or Daily Survey tools can be fed to the Synergy Actions menu to run a report or form letter or create an interactive checklist to share with staff members who can then take a pre-determined action. Workflows can also be combined with Contact Tracing to automatically turn on a workflow that is compliant with district COVID-19 policies, such as a nurse referral or letter generation, that can be modified as district policies evolve.

Other core Synergy features commonly used for COVID-19 needs are User-Defined Fields and Workflows. For example, a user-defined drop-down list can be created to select a remote, hybrid, or in-person instructional setting for each student. This field can then generate an icon on the TeacherVUE® seating chart and trigger a workflow for letters, questionnaires, or permission slips that are required when the student moves from one instructional setting to another. 

Contactless Registration & Enrollment Verification

Synergy Online Registration enables families to submit all required registration and verification information and documents online, including birth verification, address verification, immunization verification, authorizations, and policy acknowledgements. (Synergy Online Registration is licensed separately.)

Support for Remote & Blended Learning

Synergy LMS makes it easy to build and share courses, sequence curriculum items and map them to the district calendar, provide secure virtual classrooms with integrated Zoom video conferencing, and more – all fully integrated by design. (Synergy LMS is licensed separately.)