Blogs

February 10, 2014

Choosing a Strong Password

The security of your password-protected system is largely dependent upon the ‘strength’ of your password.  If the password you have selected is weak, then, easier it is for a hacker to ‘decode’ your password using sophisticated and brute force programs that that are VERY good at guessing common passwords.  Choosing a good password is difficult. The chosen password needs to be easy for a user to remember, but hard for anyone else to guess.  If it is difficult for the user to remember, it will end up on a PostIt or some readily accessible.  If it is easy to guess, then many methods will work to compromise the account. Below, we have listed five useful tips for you to consider in generating a strong password that can significantly increase the safety and security of your password-accessible-site. Make your password at least six character long, with a mix of lower-and upper-case […]
February 7, 2014

Top Five Reasons for Going Mobile with your School Directory

Are you a parent in a K-12 school?  Then you need a mobile school directory!   Whether it is to check the early dismissal time or the phone number of your child’s class teacher. Here are the top five reasons you need a mobile school directory! 1. You always misplace your paper school directory! Do you ever search for your school directory right at home? That happens to me all the time!                         2. Your Dog thinks this is a good bone to chew on. Was it better that your pet did not chew up the mail this time?  But you do need your school directory for the rest of the year!     3. The printed school directory is outdated! Wow, mistakes do happen! Have you been in a school directory you shouldn’t have been? But how are […]
January 19, 2014

LCJSMS Changes Student Directory to Online Format with MobileArq

The new web-based and mobile tool, developed by a local mom, changes district communication How are parents at Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle School taking advantage of the new PTO-provided web-based and mobile student directory since it was made available to them last September? MobileArq, the brainchild of Summit resident Niru Mallavarupu, a parent at LCJSMS, has changed the way parents contact each other. MobileArq allows parents to be better organized, and helps them become more engaged in the school community, Mallavarupu said.The mobile and online apps allow parents to communicate more easily with each other and with the school.   Gone are the days, she said, where parents have trouble locating the elusive directory that never is where it should be, and having to purchase extra copies for the car.   In September 2013, instead of receiving a traditional directory, parents were told to sign up for the online […]
August 18, 2013

PTA/PTO Directory Chair’s critical role

You care deeply about your child’s school and PTA/PTO activities. You are dedicated, have organizational skills and you want to make a difference. That is why you volunteered to become Directory Chair, taking on the responsibility of compiling this year’s school directory. Now, you have a headache, because the process is tedious, wrought with inefficiencies, and demanding. Here are a few sources of headaches for any parent involved in the directory creation process.   1. Collecting Information from Families Some parents never send in their forms. You can’t blame them, though, considering the multitude of forms they are asked to fill out every year by the school. The Directory Chair goes after each parent/family to collect the forms. 2. Typing, Formatting, Editing, Checking all the Information The pile of filled-out address forms is sitting on your desk. Now it’s time for you and your team of dedicated volunteers to type […]