ASB to implement scanning system for ‘16-‘17 school year

During Junior Prom in 2015, a teacher chaperoning the dance struggled to find the name of a student who was supposed to be on the bus. Students eager to board waited impatiently as the teacher frantically rifled through pages of names.

This situation is unlikely to happen again due to a scanning system the school is now using. 

Next year, with the new 5-Star scanning system, school officials will be able to use a scanner to register every student’s ID card, which will then process the student’s information. It is system that can automatically register attendance at events.

The system has been been tested at a recent rally, the Sadie Hawkins Dance and Junior Prom. 

According to senior ASB board representative Kanaai Shah, the system will allow staff members to track student involvement in activities. The paperless system will not only make event check-ins more efficient but also provide new information such as students’ time of arrival. 

One of the most useful aspects of the system will be its compatibility with a new points system that aims to encourage class participation in events, Shah said. 

For example, the scanner was used at the Spring Fling rally to track how many students from each grade went to the event. The classes were awarded points based on the number of students attending, but not punished for not attending.

“Something that we’ve always wanted to be able to do is recognize students for stepping up and actually going to these events and being a part of these activities that we know are really important to our school culture,” principal Paul Robinson said. 

ASB has already purchased the scanning system and trained staff members on how to use it.

“The scanning system seemed really effective at prom and a much quicker way to keep track of students,” junior Kirthana Ramesh said. “For the most part, everything ran smoothly.” 

There are some possible downsides to the system, especially for students who do not usually carry their IDs.

“Many people simply don’t see a need for their IDs, so they do not bring them to school, but with this new system, they will see a need for it now,” Ramesh said.

While the ASB and staff look forward to implementing the system, they anticipate a learning curve and the need for modification. 

“That’s part of the learning process of any time you go through a system, just like we did with Canvas,” Robinson said. “We knew there were some [really] good possibilities, and we discovered even more things it could do than what we originally thought.”

With systems like Canvas and 5-Star, the school can work with developers to make routine processes more efficient. According to Robinson, companies are able to “grow and improve” as they work hand in hand with the school. The director of the 5-Star system, Greg Houh, is close friends with Robinson, and Robinson is confident the company will be responsive to feedback. 

“His idea is to focus on [aspects] necessary to make a good product that helps students gauge their involvement,” Robinson said. “The goal is to get students involved, engaged in school and connected so that they really feel a part of this school.”