As the saying goes, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” And as parents of school-aged children know, you need a lot of information to be ready for a new school year.
Whether you’re enrolling your kids in school for the first time or signing them up for after-school programs – like sports, band, or theater – you’ll likely need some of the following documents to complete the process:
- Proof of age, identity, and residency
- Transcripts
- School ID and bus / transit pass
- Medical records, waivers, and emergency contact information
- Accommodation plans
Even for parents who know where all these documents are, each moment spent collecting them is one you don’t spend enjoying time with your kids by the pool or at a ballgame. A cloud-based vault helps streamline administrative tasks and makes it easy to keep your mind where your heart is – with your family.
Here, we’ll highlight three times when you can use a cloud-based vault for a hassle-free experience as you enroll in school and extracurricular activities.
Keep your child’s proof of age and residency – and their previous school records – all in one place
Proof of your child’s age and residency status are commonly required at the start of each school year. Even if your child is a returning student, you may have to resubmit forms – especially if your school has changed registration system providers or upgraded to a new portal.
And if you moved or your student is leveling up from one school to another – like from middle school to high school – it may mean enrolling in a new district entirely. In that case, you’ll likely need previous school records to prove your child is enrolling in the right grade.
To start the school year off on the right foot, store digital copies of these documents in your cloud-based vault:
- Proof of age and identity, such as your child’s birth certificate
- Proof of residency, like a utility bill or driver’s license
- Proof of previous schooling, such as transcripts and report cards
- School ID and bus pass
- Proof of legal guardianship for children raised by guardians other than their parents
Certain schools may also require an application form. These forms often ask for additional documentation, including entrance exam scores, proof of any specialized student experience – such as high-school vocational training like HVAC or religious study – and, at some private schools, your employment details or tax records.
With a digital vault, you can centrally organize and access all this information. So when it's registration time and you need to submit items to your child's school, you bypass the whole documentation hunt —instead, simply tap…click, and your vault is where you find it all.
Streamline access to your child’s medical records
Sharing your child’s medical records – including health exams and current immunizations – is a standard part of the new school year for many parents.
Storing that information in your cloud-based vault makes it faster to access. With everything in one place, you won’t have to toggle between multiple paper files and online places – like your phone’s contacts and the pediatrician’s patient portal – to get the information you’re looking for.
To make sure the right records are within easy reach, note in your vault whether your child:
- Received any new vaccinations.
- Is under treatment for a newly diagnosed illness, like asthma.
- Was diagnosed with any new allergies, such as those to tree nuts or ibuprofen.
- Has a 504 plan or Individualized Education Plan, such as those developed for any students with specialized support or accommodation needs.
Then, secure these documents in your cloud-based vault. This can be especially helpful for students with educational or social / emotional accommodations. Digital access to medication authorization forms or physicians’ notes, for example, can make for smoother plan-of-care discussions with school staff.
The new school year is also an opportunity to update contact information for authorized caretakers, emergency contacts, and your child’s pediatrician. Open the People section of your Prisidio vault, and it’s easy to find and share this information no matter where you are.
Store and easily access your child’s permission slips and activity waivers
Field trips and after-school activities usually require additional permissions and insurance documentation. This is especially true if these extracurriculars require travel or chaperones.
Depending on the school, your child may also ask you to sign an electronics-waiver form so they can use their cell phone, tablet, or computer as a learning aid or during after-school care. Alternatively, the school may let all students use electronic devices, and ask you to sign an acceptable use policy.
Storing documents like these in a single cloud-based vault can make it easier for parents to share information no matter where they are. And you can designate trusted contacts to access that info when you’re unavailable, if needed.
Another benefit: cloud-based vaults can also help parents keep track of activity fee payment receipts and fee assistance application forms: simply scan from the app and upload it to your vault so you never lose track.
