How are you recording extra-curricular activities?

[pete]

We have a need to record extra-curricular activities initiated/organised by the school that our students take part in. Ideally linked into SIMS so we can pull a "65% of our kids went stilt-walking on 2008-09" report (or whatever).

How are these things recorded where you are?

[BatchFile]

easiest way: SIMS, Assesment manager (as there's no bulk update available for UDFs)

Make an aspect for each activity
stick em all on a template
make a marksheet for each registration group
get the form tutors to fill em in.

how you go about getting the data out depends on what you want to do with it

[superfletch]

Thanks Tony,

As always I'm a big fan of SIMS (has anyone noticed yet) and its capabilities but sometimes it is really nice to see lateral thinking applied in order to make SIMS capable of being used for 'something else' on top of what it already does.

If the teacher already uses AM and has good access- then it is easy for them to deal with this.

@Pete - Do it... make them use SIMS more

[vikpaw]

Tony has the workaround that is best at the moment.

Come October 09, a new module is in the pipeline called Extended Services designed to handle exactly what you want with regard to managing extra curricular activities, including staffing, finance etc.

This will however, no doubt come at a cost, though it will also remove a lot of the hassle of setting up and maintenance required compared with doing it manually using AM.

[superfletch]

Do I get the impression someone went to the CCS SIMS Conference last week (I think extended services was promoted)?
Anything else to think about for the future?

I've heard we should start installing Silverlight on all the SIMs PCs - Anyone care to answer that??

[vikpaw]

Do I get the impression someone went to the CCS SIMS Conference last week (I think extended services was promoted)?
Anything else to think about for the future?

Unfortunately, NO. Funds for flying to conferences are severely limited. I'll be lucky to make the independent schools one in February at this rate....

This issue has come up on Capita SupportNet a few times though and a friend of mine is involved in testing the module out.

I have used the marksheet method, and am actually going to timetable the primary school clubs for next year, as they start on a sunday before school even closes. I'd like to use the new module for the Upper School from next year, which in practise will really be next year (january....).

Other things i'm aware of on the horizon are the tabbed style interface c.f. Internet Explorer 7, firefox etc, around July/Aug and the relatively imminent move of SIMS onto SQL 2008 to take advantage of advanced reporting (also Oct 2009(?)).

Hopefully, the SQL is not an obligatory upgrade, and there's plenty of time to make the change.

Anyone else have any goss'?

[Sivadam]

Silverlight was mentioned at the Software consultation Groups on SIMS Reporting (SQL Server 2008), as one of the options to be used. Not sure how far it has gone at the moment - but the base release is due out in March.

And I hope you are all ready with IE8 for the June Release - this is needed for the new Cover7 Reports.

[BatchFile]

I've heard we should start installing Silverlight on all the SIMs PCs - Anyone care to answer that??

I'll answer that:

[Geoff]

We have a need to record extra-curricular activities initiated/organised by the school that our students take part in. Ideally linked into SIMS so we can pull a "65% of our kids went stilt-walking on 2008-09" report (or whatever).

How are these things recorded where you are?

If you have PARS you can use the 'Extra Classes' functionality to record this.

Category:Extra classes - TASCWiki

[matt40k]

Silverlight was mentioned at the Software consultation Groups on SIMS Reporting (SQL Server 2008), as one of the options to be used. Not sure how far it has gone at the moment - but the base release is due out in March.

Silverlight will be used in the future releases (part of the new homepage), we're told to install it, like we're told to install .NET framework 3.5. We won't need Silverlight for a long time, but knowing of schools who still only have XP SP1, it's best to be told now rather then, the next release requires xyz.

Heard of Extended Services ages ago, I though it got canned? Has it been revived?

EDIT:
Yes, it's now called Extra Curricular

[Sivadam]

Extended Services base release is due in October and SQL 2008 Reporting base release in March (together with System7).
It ain't that long!

[matt40k]

@Sivadam
:S
You mean Extra Curricular (see SupportNet resource ID 15279 / roadmap), and Silverlight won't be used for a long while, unlike Extra Curricular.

[Sivadam]

Sorry Matt,
I took it from the previous Roadmap - senility has set in! I knew there was a new version but had not as yet downloaded it.
Have you heard for definite that Silverlight will not be used in new Reporting Engine then?

[matt40k]

I though so!!! hehehe

To quote Phil Neal from a undisclosed location.

At some point SIMS will need Silverlight - it won't be as early as October.

Just re-read that, (Reports > March), I think your senility is spreading!!

[Sivadam]

At least I can blame onset of old age (or maybe I have reached it already!). Not sure if you can!

I didn't get to SIMS Conference this year - had a special invite last year for running a presentation - but I bet something came up there.