Using PTOManager.com to create a Student Directory

1
Using PTOManager.com to create a Student
Directory

• May 4, 2009
• L.P.S. VIPS Meeting

2
Things We Use Each Year

• PTOManager.com
• Use current data for your students/families
  updated from Permission Form (see sample)
  (VERY important)
• Student/Family list from school office for
  comparison and clarification
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Publisher

3
We use this form to obtain updates and permission
to include them in the directory
Gathering Data and Permission (Merge with Word)
This is my info Please feel free to contact me
4
Step 1 Download Student Data

• Note Be sure youre using the most updated
  information on your students/families
• After you log in, click on Reports on top row
• Then click on Students on left menu and
  Search at bottom right of screen (leaving all
  drop down menus blank so that all students will
  show)
• Once all the names appear, click Save list to my
  computer at bottom of left menu

5
Sample of Reports Students Search on
PTOManager.com
1
2
3
4
6
Step 2 Excel Spreadsheet

• File Download dialog box appears and gives you
  3 choices. Click Open
• A new Excel spreadsheet will open
• with very narrow columns
• you can widen and rename columns at your
  discretion later
• FILE SAVE AS right away to a handy folder
  for easy access ?
• We usually refer to it in the title as Working
  Copy, etc. (i.e. Student Directory 09-10
  working copy)

7
Sample of Open Excel
8
Step 3 Indicate Permission Level

• Add 1 column to the left side of your spreadsheet
• We label ours DNI/MIA
• DNI means Do Not Include (per the permission
  form)
• MIA means Missing in Action because they did
  not return the form .even after several
  attempts/prompts by us asking them for it.
• An x here means we recd the form WITH
  permission
• You will sort on this column in the Working Copy
• For DNI/MIA notations, clear all information
  except Student name, grade, teacher
• Insert Opt Out in Phone field, so thats what
  will print out

9
Step 4 Class Listings

• Save another copy of this Original Excel as is
  to use later to create class listings
• Use class listing in the title as you save it
• Example Student Directory 09-10 for class
  listings
• These records, with each student having their own
  row, is how we prepare the class listings
• Three-way sort on
• Grade
• Teacher
• Student Last Name

10
Step 5 Sort Excel Spreadsheet(Working Copy)

• Each Student has their own record/row to start
  with.
• We want all the siblings grouped together and in
  alpha order, so we do a 3-way sort by STUDENT
  LAST NAME, VOLUNTEER NAME, then STUDENT FIRST
  NAME
• This will also show us which students have
  multiple households, which well need to know
  later. ?
• There will be multiple rows for those students
• We insert new columns for Student (sibling) 2, 3
  and 4s name, grade and teacher and leave the
  columns blank for now (Student 2, Grade 2 and
  Teacher 2, etc., to mentally link them)

11
Sample of Sorting Records
12
Sample of Adding Columns
13
Step 6 Format Excel

• We move the data from the original row up and
  over into those fields for each sibling
• This way each family has one row/record
• It saves paper when printing the directory
• Delete rows with blank student names
• Since we moved the student data from the
  siblings rows, we now sort on Student First
  Name
• Highlight and delete the records that now are
  blank in that field. (i.e. Lenski goes from 600
  student rows to 450 family records, so were
  deleting about 25.)

14
Step 7 Add Second Households

• To allow for students with multiple households we
• Add matching columns at very end of report with a
  reference to second .. or Guardian
• These columns will correspond with the Parent
  information columns from main report
• Move and Paste second household info from
  Main report area to the end columns, so that
  they match up
• Delete those old rows where the second parents
  used to be

15
Sample of Parent Columnsfrom Main Report
16
Sample of Parent Columns for Second Households
17
Step 8 Merge with Word

• Using Microsoft Word, create a new merge document
  and choose Directory or Catalog as the type,
  depending upon your Word version
• Insert all the fields you want to show in the
  directory
• Dont include any dashes or parenthesis in
  Student area, or those will show for siblings
  lineseven if there arent any siblings!
• Double space after the final field is entered, so
  the end result will be double-spaced between
  records
• You can manipulate the fields so be arranged
  however you prefer
• Use a font that is easy to read (Arial, Calibri,
  etc.)

18
Sample Family Record Format
19
Sample of Extra Graphics in Blanks
20
Sample of Correct Merge
21
Step 9 Wrapping it Up

• We use Publisher to copy and paste these merged
  records into our 2-column format
• We modify, format and then insert the additional
  pages we want to include
• Class Listings
• PTO Roster of Officers and event coordinators
• School Calendar of Events
• Business Directory with paid ads (Yellow Pages)