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How to use the Playground app
General
From the parent app, click the QR code symbol at the top right corner, near the chat bubble. The next screen will have a camera (you must accept camera permissions in order to use the feature). Gan Sinai has a unique QR code for you to scan to sign in and out. The code is available on all staff devices (just ask us!) and is also printed on the front door. Place the QR code in the dotted box to scan it. Once you scan the QR code, you will be taken to the self check-in flow. You will now see the Options screen, where you can select which students you are checking in/out. If the guardian listed is not you, please select the Not you? option and select your name from the list.
There are two ways to complete documents that your center has sent to you through Playground: on your web browser, or on the Playground App. To access school forms just open the app, click on the three lines in the top left corner and choose "Documents." From here you can choose the form to complete. Those forms that are required are marked as such.
Here you can see what forms you have already submitted and complete those you haven't. To complete a form just click on it. You'll be able to fill it in right on the app or send yourself a link to open on your computer. Forms are easier to fill out on your computer as most of the necessary information will be filled in for you from your Playground profile.
To see whether a field is required or optional, hover your mouse over its red box; you must fill all required fields before you're able to click "Finish" to submit—the button will turn blue when this condition has been met. To edit a field, simply click on it. For text-based fields, a blinking cursor will appear in the box; start typing to complete it. Clicking on a checkbox switches the box between being checked and unchecked. Clicking a dropdown will open the dropdown list, from which you can select one option (the options are predetermined by your center). For a SIGNATURE field, click on the field to apply your e-signature.
When you click on a "SIGNATURE" field, if you don't already have an e-signature associated with your account, an "Adopt your signature" pop-up will appear. Read the conditions, then type your name in the "Name" field and click "Adopt signature" to save your e-signature and return to the document web form.
When you're done filling your form, the top of the form should read "0 fields remaining" and the "Finish" button will turn blue. Click this button to submit your form. You'll be brought to the submission confirmation screen. You can now close this tab on your web browser.
In the top left corner of the Playground app, click on the three lines to open the menu. Click "Paperwork" to see your center's documents.
At the bottom click on the plus button for "Self-Upload Documents". On the next page, choose the document you want to upload, the child you are uploading for, and then choose the document from your phone's media library.
In the Parent App, start on the Home screen and tap on the blue bar that says "View child's profile." You'll be brought to Student Profile screen, where you can see the information that's currently on your child's profile. To add/edit information or update their photo, tap the "Edit profile" button and then make your changes. You can edit their name, birthday, address, allergies, and medications.
Parents are able to authorize people as a guardian for their student. Guardians have varying levels of access based on whether they are considered a primary or secondary guardian.(https://help.tryplayground.com/en/articles/6221471-guardian-relationships) Once a guardian is authorized, they are able to pick up, drop off, and perform other actions based on their level of access. All guardians are able to create their own Playground account and link it to the corresponding students.
• Go into the Playground mobile app, and click on the "Menu" icon in the top left (the three lines).
• From the menu, select "Guardians", to see a list of your current Guardians and to be able to manage and add new ones.
After adding a new guardian they will receive an email to set up their account. Please let them know that the message may go to their spam folder. Anyone dropping off or picking up must have the app installed on their device and be logged in so they can check your child in and out.
Many families will carpool with others at Gan Sinai who live nearby. Let us know who is in your carpool or when your student is having a playdate by creating a carpool on the Playground app.
Start by tapping on the hamburger menu in the top left corner of your app and then click "Carpool" on the mobile app. You will then be able to see your existing carpools or create a new one. Either press the "Add carpool" button or the plus button on the top right. You will then be prompted to fill in some information about your carpool.
Enter which of your students are going to be participating in the carpool by pressing the check button next to each of their names. You can then add the other students in the carpool be pressing the "Tap to authorize family button." There is no limit to the number of students allowed in the carpool.
Finally, you can set the date preferences for the carpool by adding a start date and a repeat frequency to the carpool. If you set repeat to "never," then the carpool will only be active for that day only.
Once you create a carpool, the other families will be receive a push notification and a prompt to either accept or decline the invitation. All other families must accept the carpool on their mobile app before the carpool will be active, so make sure to coordinate with the other students' parents. If one parent in the carpool declines the invitation, a new invitation will need to be sent out.
The Chat feature lets you both send and receive messages. You can message people individually or as a group, and you can also name groups to easily label your conversations.
How to start a conversation in Chat
On the Home screen, tap the Chat icon in the upper right corner. You'll be brought to the Chat screen. If you don't have any conversations yet, you'll be prompted to start a new message—tap the "New Message" button. If you do have active conversations, tap the new message icon in the upper right corner of your screen.
The New Messages screen will open. Use the search bar to look up a teacher or parent's name. Select as many names as you like, then tap "<" in the upper left corner to begin your conversation.
A Conversation screen will open. From here, you can send messages, photos, and videos. For texts, type into the message field and send by tapping the arrow to the right of the field. For photos or videos, tap the plus sign to the left of the text field. Then tap "Take Photo" to open your mobile device's camera, or "Media Library" to open your device's photos and videos. (You'll have to give the app permission to access your camera and/or media library.)
How to add people to a conversation
To add people to an existing conversation, start on the Conversation screen. Tap the info icon on the upper right of the screen to be taken to the Chat Settings screen. From here, tap "+ Add people" to bring up the Add Members screen. Search teachers or parents by name, select as many names as you'd like, and then tap "Done." You'll return to the Chat Settings screen, now updated with the new members. To return to the Conversation screen, tap "Done" in the upper right corner of the screen.
How to name or leave a conversation
Navigate to the Chat Settings screen of the conversation you would like to name or leave.
To name a conversation, tap the "Group name" field at the top of the screen. Type in your desired name and tap "Done" in the upper right hand corner. The name is updated when you return to the Conversation screen; you'll receive a notification that says the group name has been changed. Now, on the Chat screen, the conversation appears as the group name instead of a list of members in the conversation.
To leave a conversation, navigate to the Chat Settings screen. Tap "Leave this conversation" and then "Leave Conversation" to confirm the action, or "Cancel" to remain in the conversation.
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