“Raptor” Visitor Monitoring Systems and Software for all schools will be installed January 24-26, with operators being trained during installation.  The new check-in system won’t be utilized until all training is complete. 

Below are some FAQs for the new “Raptor” software.  “Operator/user” refers to the secretary or other staff at the Raptor check- in station.

Q.  What’s the purpose of the Raptor Visitor Management System?
A.  It does several things: 

• Improves safety in our schools by identifying the visitor through a picture ID (see below for more details)
• Checks against the online sex offender registry and checks against a list of any building-entered prohibited persons (someone who has a No-Contact order; an expelled student; anyone whom the building principal has named as not being allowed to come in)
• IF there is a “match” to an unwanted person, Raptor sends an “alert” message via email, phone, and/or text to pre-designated responders (the building administrators, the SRO, for example), so that one or more can respond to the front desk and meet with the unwelcome visitor.  The secretary who is operating the check-in system does not have to confront the visitor.
• Prints a Visitor’s Badge, with name, picture, date, time, and destination
• The system also records visitors’ names, time in the building, etc, for reports that can be used for administrative purposes such as tracking volunteer hours, etc.
• The system provides a real time record of who is currently in the building in case of a building evacuation or other safety concern. 

Q.   Is an ID card scan necessary each time a person comes in the building?  How would that work? 
A.   You do not need to physically scan an ID into the system in order the check the sex offender registry, however Raptor does  recommend each visitor show an ID upon each entry.  After the first scanning, the Operator/User would simply find the visitor’s name in the system (first or last name look-up ) and use the record of the previously scanned ID to sign the visitor in and print a visitor’s badge.   This makes check-in much easier after the initial visit.   Note that you could opt to scan the ID every time if you choose.

1.  Does Raptor recommend this kind of operator entry, where the ID is not scanned after the first visit?
2. Yes, for a few reasons.  The “quick find” speeds up the sign in process, and puts less wear and tear on the scanners. 
3. When an “alert” of an unauthorized person seeking admission goes out, how much information is in it? 
4. The alert email includes name, photo, what campus, where they are headed, what Operator/user checked them in.   The alert gets sent out to those on the notification list that the school has designated.  Most schools send the alert out via email so that information is recorded; recorded voice messages can be sent via phone and text also.  We are initially programming in our building administrators, SROs, and the SRO coordinator at the Waterloo Police Department to receive alerts.  The alert list can be changed as needed.  School personnel/SROs can call the police dispatch center
5. if needed (WPD and the Dispatch coordinator advise us that a “live” caller can provide more details that police would need).  The offender never leaves the front desk area.

Q.  What is the checkout process for leaving the building?
A.   The checkout process doesn’t involve scanning the card again.  The operator/ user would simply find the name of the person who is signing out from a list of visitors in the building and click a “sign out” button.  This provides a record of entry and departure and time in the building.

Q.  What kinds of IDs will work in Raptor?
A.  Officially the scanner is able to scan all 50 state licenses, state identification cards , concealed handgun licenses, matricula counsular IDs, green cards, and some military cards.  It doesn’t officially scan the other countries’ IDs or passports.  The scanner company supports thousands of types of licenses, and samples may have been submitted for these types but we don’t know for sure. 

Q.  Also, our alert notification list (people and contact info) is likely to change each year in some cases.  Can we make those programming changes ourselves?
A.  The school settings can be changed any time by the building staff, however the district alerts ( those people that get alerted if ANY school gets an alert ) are managed by Raptor. 

1. In addition to sex offenders, I understand we can enter our own building-specific names for alerts—a person with a no contact order, expelled student, etc.  Correct? 
2. Yes, you can do private, customized alerts.
3. Does the Operator/User need to key in any info or is it all scanned in from the picture id?
4. The Operator/User doesn’t need to key in the identification information because the scanner will gather that information for you.  If the person doesn’t have an ID (see below), she can key the name and DOB in to run the name and print a visitor badge.  The visitor’s destination can be keyed in by the operator/user as an option.

Q.  How do we handle visitors who do not have a picture card ID?
A.  We are working on a standard procedure as to what would be acceptable proof of the person’s name and date of birth.  Once that name and d.o.b. is entered into a building’s Raptor system, the visitor does not have to provide that documentation again.  We are also working on a way to share this proof of identity with other schools (where siblings attend, for example).

Q. How does the system know where the visitor is headed?  Does the district operator/user key that in?
A. Yes, the visitor will need to specify where the visitor is headed during the sign in process.  It’s not a required field, but it will help you pin point and note on the badge where the visitor is supposed to be, e.g., Cafeteria, , Meeting with Sylvia, etc.  The operator/user can create a customized  list of destinations in a drop down menu also. 

Q.  Who should go through the Raptor system?
A.  Anyone who is required to sign in now should check in through Raptor—volunteers, mentors, JA volunteers, field experience students, AEA or district employees not assigned to that building, service providers going beyond the front office (repairmen, etc), and other visitors.  If the visitor is only coming as far as the front office to wait to pick up a child, or if attending an after school event, check in is not required.  Any group event during the school day, such as a parent social, would require check in.  For large, day time events such as Swing Show for Senior citizens, the principal may make exceptions as seems reasonable.

Q.  When will we start using Raptor?
A.  We want to be sure operators are well trained and that alternate identification procedures are worked out before activating the system.  We’ll know more after installation as to what questions still have to be resolved.

Q.  Will our district policy support the requirement to check in with Raptor?
A.  Yes, it is being amended to explicitly state that the visitor must comply with building check-in requirements.

Q.  What if the alert does go off when at  the elementary where we only have 1 principal and no lead teacher, and the principal is gone for the day and the SRO who is placed in another building is not available to come to our building? This has happened to me  before.
A.  As many names can be added to your alert list as desired.  Several people will receive all alerts district-wide.  The SRO coordinator at the WPD, and several staff at the Education Service Center will receive all alerts.  A way to think about this is your building is, who would come to assist if there were a problem with a visitor in the main office now?  Who else could respond? 

Q.   After Raptor is up and running, will we still use the sign in sheets that we have been using and turning in once a month?
A.   No

If you have other questions, please send them to Katrina Hemann.

The Payroll Department is preparing W2 forms.
As efforts are completed to verify information under the new payroll software, it is anticipated that the W-2 forms will be issued near the end of January.  Thank you for your patience.

The Expo Alternative Learning Center is now open for business.  EXPO, WEBC, and STAR-C students and staff started 2011 in their new location, 1410 Independence Avenue, the former McKinstry building. 
The phone numbers for each department have changed to:  Expo, 433-1930 extension #15100; WEBC, 433-1940 extension #15300; and STAR-C, 433-1950 extension #15500. 
Student artwork from Expo was photographed and will be displayed at the Expo Alternative Learning Center, including this tiger.

An hour a week can make a huge impact on a child’s life.

To become a Teammates Mentor, contact Ellen Vanderloo at #10105 or vanderlooe@waterloo.k12.ia.us.

This fourth annual event is set for Thursday, March 3, 2011 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Waterloo Center for the Arts and will showcase the changing face of our city through music, food, art and exhibitions.  This event will offer a variety of cultural encounters designed to educate, entertain and strengthen our resolve to embrace all cultures within our community.  The All-School Art Show, featuring student art in grades K-12, opens the same evening in galleries throughout the Center.

We invite your school to participate as follows:

 - Organizational fair in the Schoitz Room that could feature a student or group project (via poster, powerpoint, etc.) Students are invited to “staff” the table and explain their work or projects. Community organizations will be joining our students’ work and displays.  A table and chair will be provided.  Set-up is from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. the afternoon of the fair.

 - Provide entertainment (song, dance, instrumentation, readings, story-telling), etc. that will be scheduled throughout the evening.  Center staff will assist with arrangements (microphone, speakers, etc.) prior to the event.

For more information, please contact Crystal Buzza in the Strategic Partnerships Department at 433-1842 or email at buzzac@waterloo.k12.ia.us.

Waterloo students participated in the annual Invent Iowa Competition at the AEA267 on December 16th.  ELP 4th & 5th grade students created inventions and were judged on special criteria created specifically for this competition.

The Central Middle School staff has been collecting items for “Christmas Boxes” to send to the men and women in Afghanistan. Early fall, Esther Rohret’s husband was deployed with the 133rd to Afghanistan. Rohert is a 7th grade teacher at Central.  Since then, Central staff and Upper Iowa, a partner in education with Central, have been preparing boxes to send overseas. So far, more then 14 boxes have been sent.

The December 7, 2010 Principals Meeting Minutes can be viewed by clicking here.