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Family Access Frequently Asked Questions
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You may either click a question below to jump directly to the answer, or scroll down and browse through all of the questions and answers below.
Q ~ What is Family Access ?
A ~ Family Access is a program designed by a software company called Skyward. Ferndale School District already uses other Skyward software to keep track of student data (attendance, discipline, demographics, schedules, etc.) for internal use and reporting purposes. Family Access simply allows parents and guardians a means of viewing that data online.
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Q ~ Why should I use Family Access?
A ~ Family Access is a web based tool designed to enhance parent/guardian and school communication. Your use of the Family Access website is voluntary.
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Q - Is Family Access the same as Basmati?
A ~ No. Basmati was a separate program that was used to display a student’s grades online. It is no longer being used at Ferndale. Family Access provides much more information than was previously available through Basmati.
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Q ~ Why can I see information for some of my students but not all of them?
A ~ Currently, only Vista and Horizon middle schools have “opened up” Family Access. If you are using a guardian-level login and you have more than one student in the district you will see all of their names listed in the Student “drop-down” box, but only those students enrolled at the middle schools will have any information available.
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Q ~ Will all of my student’s classes have gradebook assignments posted online?
A ~ Not necessarily. Availability of gradebook assignments online is dependent on teachers using a particular gradebook program. Most, but not all, teachers at the participating schools are using this gradebook program.
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Q ~ How long does it take for my student’s assignments to be posted online?
A ~Assignment scores on Family Access reflect what is currently entered in the teacher’s gradebook. Please be aware that teachers are often very busy and there may be a delay of several days before the teacher can enter grades.
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Q ~ Does Family Access cost money or is there a fee that I have to pay?
A ~ Family Access is provided free as a service by the Ferndale School District.
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Q ~ Can other people see my child's personal information on Family Access?
A ~ Family Access is password protected. As long as you keep your password safe it is highly unlikely that anyone else will be able to access or view your child's personal information.
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Q ~ I can't get Family Access to work on my computer; what should I do?
A ~ Family Access is a web based product, so it should work on your computer like any other web based application. Family Access works best on a recent version of Internet Explorer (Windows Internet Explorer 5.5 and above, Mac Firefox or Safari 2.0 and above). If you can't load the Family Access login screen, you should first check to make sure you have the right web site address, or URL. You can get to the Family Access web portal by going to:
http://family.ferndale.wa-k12.net
Occasionally, the Family Access web server may be down for maintenance. This will usually take place after 9:00 p.m. on Friday night until 9:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. If you get an error message, please try again later.
If you are still having problems, you can email us at familyaccess@fsd.k12.wa.us and a staff member will get back to you as soon as possible. Please note that Ferndale School District does not support off-site technology or software applications; for computer or software problems please consult your computer dealer or software vendor.
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Q - When I log on to Family Access, I lose my connection after three to five minutes. Why?
A - Family Access has a default security setting that will terminate your connection if your computer is idle for longer than three to five minutes. This feature is designed to protect against unauthorized access and cannot be changed.
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Q ~ Are all of Ferndale's schools on Family Access?
A ~ As of the 2007-08 school year, only the families of students at Vista and Horizon Middle Schools are able to use Family Access. It may be more widely used in the future.
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Q ~ I have forgotten my user name and/or lost my password, what should I do?
A - If you've forgotten your login information, please send an email explaining your problem to familyaccess@fsd.k12.wa.us.
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Q ~ With all the talk about Internet safety and security, how do I know Family Access is secure?
A ~ Family Access uses Secured Socket Layer (SSL) encryption as the security layer for data presented on the Web. This is the same encryption system used by sites that accept credit card numbers and other personal data that must be secure. Each individual, whether student, parent, or staff member, must be given a user name and password and be designated as a member of a household linked to a student in order to view Family Access information.
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Q ~ Can I get my high school student's transcript through Family Access?
A ~ Unfortunately, transcripts are not available through Family Access. They may be requested, however, from your child's school.
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