Getting Absence Data from SASI to AlertNow

Open SASI to export the names and phone numbers of students who are absent:

1. After entering your absences for the day into SASI, open your AlertNow query, change the date to the current day and click Do to run the query. 
2. While the students are displayed on the screen, select Data from the Menu Bar and click on Export List.
3. A Windows dialog box will open.  Select the My Documents icon on the left to save your list of absentees there.  Save in: will change to My Documents.
4. Enter a File name (for ex: AbsMonday) and click Save to save the list in My Documents.

Open Excel to modify your list of students who are absent to the format required by AlertNow:

1. In Excel, select File from the Menu bar and click Open.  Change the following:

·         Change to Look in: My Documents for Files of type: All Files (*.*)

·         Find the File name you saved and click on Open

·         The Text Import Wizard will launch.  Simply choose Finish.

2. Your Excel spreadsheet will contain 4 columns labeled  #, First Name, Last Name, Telephone Number.  These columns must be changed as follows:

·         Delete the # Column A completely

Ø       click on A to Highlight Column A

Ø       select Edit from the Menu bar and click on Delete

·         Column A will now contain First Name.  Copy Column A to Column D.  This will be the student's name that will be inserted into the message. 

Ø       click on A to Highlight Column A

Ø       select Edit from the Menu bar and click on Copy

Ø       click on D to Highlight Column D

Ø       select Edit from the Menu bar and click on Paste

3. Change the column headings to Firstname, Lastname, Phone, INS1, INS2, INS3. 

·         Change First Name and Last Name from SASI to one word

·         Change Telephone from SASI to Phone

4. Make sure all numbers contain the area code.  It may be omitted in SASI because the parent opted out of our Emergency Calling system.  AlertNow will only call 10 digit phone numbers.  You may also change Column C if you want to call a different number.
5. Change any name in Column D if you want to insert a nickname in the message instead of the legal name. 
6. Enter the absence date and a phonetic version of your school name in Columns E and F. 

·         Type the absence date in INS2 for the first student (ex. 09/22/08)

·         Type your school name in INS3 for the first student (ex. Mount Airy Elementary)

·         Copy INS2 and INS3 to every other student in the list. 

Ø       Highlight the date and school name in Row 2

Ø       Select Edit from the Menu bar and click on Copy

Ø       Highlight  the blank cells under INS2 and INS3 for all the other students listed

Ø       Select Edit from the Menu bar and click on Paste

7. Select File from the Menu bar and click on Save As.

·         Save in: My Documents

·         Change to Save as type: CSV (Comma Delimited) (*.csv)

·         Enter your file name (for ex: AbsMonday) and click Save.

Log into AlertNow at www.alertnowlogin.com. Follow the instructions from AlertNow for sending a Text-to-Speech* message.  Browse to your file to select it and upload it to AlertNow. 

Test your message to make sure the school name sounds right.  Create a small csv file with your own phone number in the Phone column.  Upload your test file to AlertNow to send the message to yourself with different student names in INS1.  Listen to how each name sounds. 

Sending a TTS Message  (PDF File)