ATT - Absentee Letter Merge

Absentee Letter Merge Overview

This program allows you to produce Absentee Letters to send to parents to notify of a student absence.

Absentee Letters can be produced in one of two ways:

Using a template set up in Student Admin > Attendance > Setup Information > Attendance Setup on the 'Absentee Letter Text' tab.
Using a .txt file (Word Merge File) suitable for merging with a Word® letter template.
Click here to learn more about Word Merge Files.
Word Merge
Word Merge export files are produced from various TASS.web or Staff Kiosk programs to extract a set of merge field codes and students/parents/employees details in a format required to insert into a Word Merge document.
Word Merge documents can be used for two purposes:
1. To produce a personalised document for each recipient containing the recipient's own details in place of the merge fields.
  Example: School enrolment letters are printed for all incoming families. Each letter includes data extracted from TASS.web and is personalised for each recipient, such as the student and parent names and addresses, entry year group etc.
2. To attach to an Email Template A PDF is attached as each email is sent containing the recipient's own details in place of the merge fields.
  Example: Attendance emails to parents regarding their child's attendance. A PDF attachment is generated and attached at the time of sending the emails, personalised for each recipient.
The PDF Conversion API is required to attach Word Merge Files to Email Templates.
Word Merge documents can be attached to the following Email Template categories: Attendance, Enrolment, Immunisation Register, Parent Accounts, Parent Lounge Licences, Pastoral Care, Student Immunisations, Student Records, and Transfer Notes (WA).
Create a Word Merge document:
1. Generate the Word Merge export file.
  Use the selection criteria from the appropriate program to produce a file that includes the desired merge fields headings and recipient details.
  Select the 'Word Merge file' export button, usually found on the Print tab. If no word merge button exists, use the Excel export option and save as a csv file.
A PDF report entitled 'Students with no Communication Rules' will display if there are issues with your selection. These must be fixed before the export can be processed.
1. Create your Word Merge document.
  Follow the steps in Word using the Mailings > Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard. Select the word merge export file generated above, and insert merge fields into the document wherever the personalised data will be populated. Preview the document but do not select 'Complete the merge'.
  Save the document. Print if desired.
2. To attach the Word Merge file to an Email Template:
  Create an email template and attach the Word Merge document created above.
  TASS.web program System Admin > Utilities > Email Settings

By default, Absentee Letters/Merges will be generated where a student's absence record meets the following conditions:

The 'Absent Reason' has an 'Acceptable' flag of 'N' or is blank.
The parent has not been previously notified of the absence.

If required, these defaults can be changed at runtime by:

Un-ticking the 'Exclude Absentees with Acceptable Reason' box, and/or
Changing the 'Parent Notified' flag to 'Yes'.

'Acceptable' flags for 'Absence Reasons' are set up in TASS.web program Student Admin > Attendance > Setup Information > Attendance Setup on the 'Absentee Reasons' tab.

General Tab

Student Attendance Report Criteria

Report criteria can be entered here to filter the number of absentee letters that are produced.

A 'Student Code' or 'Year Group' must be entered for the merge to generate.

The 'Year Group field in the 'General' tab allows multiple selections. Holding down the 'Shift' key while clicking on your options permits a range selection, holding down the 'Ctrl' key enables selection of discrete (individual) criterion.

Letters can also be generated for attendance records that fall on the current day or for a date range by entering a 'Start Date' and 'End Date'.

Print Tab

Sort By

This will determine the order in which the letters will be printed or the data order for the merge files.

Formatting Options

Choose the 'destination' of the absentee letters. This can be to Adobe® PDF viewer or Microsoft Word®.

Update Parent Notified to Yes

Tick this option to update the 'Parent Notified' field to 'Yes' on the Attendance record, for each student included in this letter merge.

Additional Fields (Word Merge Only)

If you are producing a Word Merge File, you can select additional fields to include by highlighting them with a mouse click.

Time Departed.
Time Arrived.
Period.
Doctor's Certificate.
Source Reference.
Parent Acknowledgement.
Parent Acknowledgement Date.
Parent Notification Sent.
Notification Date.
Comment.

The 'Attendance Type', 'Attendance Date', 'Attendance Reason', Parent Address Details and Student Details are automatically included and are not available for selection.

Holding down the 'Shift' key while clicking on your options permits a range selection, holding down the 'Ctrl' key enables selection of discrete (individual) criterion.

Address Options

Use this section to define the addresses to use for your labels/merge.

Option 1 - Use Communication Rules

'Communication Rules' provide a 'student-centric' way of defining precisely how different areas of your school communicate with parents. They are especially useful for communication with split families and for families with students who have multiple parenting arrangements.

For more information, refer to 'How to Handle Split Family Arrangements'.

Click here to view an Administrator Note.

If your school is going to enable 'Communication Rules' you should refer to the 'How to' guide 'Setting Up Parent Addresses in TASS.web'.

If your school has not enabled 'Communication Rules' this radio button will not be active.

Communication Types

Choose the appropriate 'Communication Rule' to use for this letter merge.

The program will default to the 'Attendance' rule.

For further information on the rules available click here.

Option 2 - Select Addresses

This methodology for communicating with parents can be used as an alternative to 'Communication Rules'. However, it is strongly recommended that your school investigate implementing 'Communication Rules' as a more precise method of communicating with parents.

Select an Address

This will use the default address. You can change this to any of the other address blocks on the parent record.

If you use an address other than the school default address, the system will look at the address that you enter here first and if it doesn't find any detail, it will then revert to using the default address. The school default address will be highlighted with an '*'.

Click 'GO' to generate letters using the school's predefined template or the 'Word Merge File' button to generate a *.txt file suitable for merging with a Word® letter template.