Streamline operations, reduce admin time and cost, and increase parent engagement. Sound good?
The Self Check-in feature allows parents and students to skip the front desk and efficiently record their attendance directly in Jackrabbit. Gone are the days of paper class rolls or mobile devices on a slippery pool deck to check students in!
No special equipment is required. For Self Check-in, you only need a dedicated device, a laptop, or a desktop computer; it's mobile-friendly and supports physical and virtual keypads.
Get Set Up to Use Self Check-in
Before starting with the Self Check-in feature, there are some settings to review.
| User ID Permissions | The Self Check-in feature is controlled by two User Permissions:
To edit User Permissions, go to the Gear icon > Settings > User IDs (left menu) > Select a User ID > User Permissions (left menu). Learn more about Permissions for Jackrabbit Users. |
| Self Check-in Settings | The Self Check-in Settings are under the Gear icon > Settings > General > Self Check-in.
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| Create Staff PINs | In order to authenticate and open Self Check-in for use, a staff member must enter a unique 6-digit PIN that opens the Parent Welcome page. Decide which staff members will have a PIN. Note: The PIN does not provide access to your Jackrabbit data; Self Check-in operates outside Jackrabbit. Go to a Staff record > Summary tab and select the Email PIN Setup Link button. The staff member will be emailed with instructions on creating their 6-digit PIN. Once the staff member has created their PIN, it’s visible (but not editable) on the Summary tab of their Staff record. |
| Class / Family Settings | Class Record
Family Record
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| Browser autofill | We highly recommended disabling the Autofill/Auto-Complete browser settings on the device used for Self Check-in. Autofill is a feature used in several browsers to help prevent you from filling out fields over and over again. This could cause an issue while using Self Check-in due to autofill filling out unintended fields. |
How Self Check-in Works
The first step is to launch Self Check-in and have a staff member with a Staff PIN authenticate and open the Self Check-in Startup window.
Go to the Self Check-in Settings page (Gear icon > Settings > General > Self Check-in left menu) and click the gray Copy Link button to paste the link into a tab or send the link to a staff member who can launch the Self Check-in for the day. Or click the blue Go To Self Check-in link to open the Self Check-in Startup page in a new tab.
- Self Check-in does not time out; it will stay open unless the browser it's opened in is closed or the history is cleared.
- Multiple Self Check-in stations can be open at the same time.
Self Check-in Startup Page
Once the link copied above is pasted into a browser on the device(s) you are using for Self Check-in, enter the staff member's unique six-digit PIN and that's it! Self Check-in is ready for use.
- Any staff member with a Staff PIN can open the startup page.
- Use the link on as many devices as you need.
How a Parent/Student Checks In
The Welcome screen is where the parent/student will enter their Primary Phone Number, select the student or students, and start the Self Check-in process.
- Your organization's logo will appear on the Self Check-in pages if one has been added in your General Settings (under the Gear icon). If no logo has been uploaded, your organization's name will display.
- If only one student in the family is taking a class that day, the select students' page does not display.
- Once a parent/student has started the check-in process, it will reset to the Welcome screen after 90 seconds of no activity.
The next screen allows the parent/student to select which classes are being checked into.
| 1 | The Balance Due display is controlled by a Self Check-in setting. |
| 2 | Options for class selection: Select all classes for all students, select all classes for one student, or select individual classes. |
| 3 | Badges display helpful information. |
| 4 | A Self Check-in setting determines whether a class is available for check-in if the student has a scheduled absence. A badge displays an alert that there is a scheduled absence, and if not permitted to check in, the badge will include instructions to stop by the front desk. |
| 5 | A class passed its start time will display but will not be active for Self Check-in. |
A confirmation screen will display when the parent/student selects the Check In button.
| 1 | The confirmation text is controlled by a Self Check-in Setting. |
| 2 | When I'm Finished is selected, Self Check-in returns to the Welcome page, ready for the next parent/student. |
What Happens Next?
Here's where all the magic happens!
When a student's check-in is complete:
- When the first student is checked in, they are marked Present. Additional students will be marked Present as they check in. Any student who doesn't check in to a class will automatically be marked Absent.
- Attendance is recorded in the Class record in real-time and is immediately reflected in the Staff Portal and the Parent Portal.
- Classes that have been checked into will no longer appear on the Self Check-in screen. This also includes a student already marked Present in Jackrabbit or in the Staff Portal. If that was the only class for the student that day, a message on the Welcome page will advise that the student has already been checked in.
- Student sign-in has been expedited, and your office staff has been freed up to do what they do best - be there for whatever families need!
Introduce Self Check-in to your Families
We have created a short video tutorial and an email template to help you announce the Self Check-in feature to your families.
The email template can be found under Families > Email Families or Families > All Families > Send Message > Email. It includes a link to the video tutorial.
Replace your information in the highlighted areas, and you are good to go!
Tracking and Reporting for Self Check-in
Organizations that track Absences
Whenever an absence is created with Self Check-in, it is stamped with the UserID “Self Check-in” in the Absences tab of the Student record, the Class Absence History, and the Absences-Makeups report. The Student Attendance report properly reflects attendance/absences.
Organizations that track Attendance
When attendance is recorded with Self Check-in, it is stamped with the UserID “Self Check-in” and properly documented in the Attendance report, the Attendance tab of the Class record and the Student record, and the Student Attendance report.
Learn more about Reporting on Your Student's Attendance.
User Activity Report
All activity with Self Check-in is recorded and accessible using the User Activity report. Active links in the report for the Student and Class columns provide additional details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does every staff member need a PIN?
A. No. It’s only necessary that staff members who will authenticate and open Self Check-in have a PIN.
Q. What’s the benefit of having a unique PIN for staff members who will open Self Check-in?
A. While it isn’t a requirement, having a unique PIN makes it easy to track who authenticated the Self Check-in in your organization’s activity.
Q. Can I just have one PIN that we all share to open Self Check-in?
A. Yes. If you prefer to only have one ‘global’ PIN to open Self Check-in, consider having one staff member create the PIN and share it.
Another option is to create a staff member specifically for the PIN. First Name: SelfCheckIn / Last Name: PIN. Make sure the Self Check-in PIN staff member has an email address you have access to so you can set up the PIN via email. Once you’ve created the 6-digit PIN, you can give it to any staff member that will open your Self Check-in.
Q. Can I have more than one Self Check-in open for use at the same time?
A. More than one Self Check-in can be open and in use at the same time, so if you have 3 tablets in your lobby, they can all be used simultaneously for check-in.
Q. Can a parent or student change their class check-in status once they’ve checked in?
A. Once a parent/student has marked themselves as checked in (present) for a class, they can’t change the student’s status in that class to absent. In this instance, a Jackrabbit User (within Jackrabbit) or a staff member (via the Staff Portal) would need to make the change for the parent/student.
Q. If someone doesn’t check in using the Self Check-in are they considered absent?
A. Yes. If families are using Self Check-in, the absence of a ‘check-in’ assumes the student is absent. This can be changed using the Staff Portal or by a Jackrabbit user.
Check the All Families > Primary Phone column to see if any families don't have a Primary Phone Number and message them directly from the All Families page. We recommend you email or text your families when you start using the Self Check-in, and encourage them to check or add a Primary Phone Number in their Parent Portal (Account > Settings > Family Details > Address & Primary Phone).
