Tips for Dealing with Clunky Interface for Synergy/ParentVue/MyMCPS

[Anonymous]

I'm a newbie to MCPS, and struggling with the parent communication systems. I keep getting these emails that my kid's assignments have been graded and to review them by clicking a button provided in the email. I click the button and it takes me to MyMCPS where I see a link that says "click here if you're a parent" where I get a link to a PDF explaining how to activate ParentVue. And then there's Synergy.

Why are there all these different systems? Is there a way to link them? Or should I just log into ParentVue as a general rule and ignore the links in the automatic emails that don't seem to lead to the right place?

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Synergy is the grading and scheduling system, and ParentVue is the website/app for parents to see some of the info within Synergy.

You may be getting emails from Canvas (branded as MyMCPS Classroom), which is a course management system. This is where each teacher may put their syllabus, assignments, announcements, etc.

[Anonymous]

If you're getting emails from Canvas which you don't want, you can go to your account settings and go to Notifications to update which notices you're sent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're getting emails from Canvas which you don't want, you can go to your account settings and go to Notifications to update which notices you're sent.

Thanks! It's not that I don't want the emails, but rather than when I click on the links where it says to "review" they go to MyMCPS and I get a PDF doc that says to login elsewhere in ParentVue, so I was wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

[Anonymous]

Go on your students account.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're getting emails from Canvas which you don't want, you can go to your account settings and go to Notifications to update which notices you're sent.

Thanks! It's not that I don't want the emails, but rather than when I click on the links where it says to "review" they go to MyMCPS and I get a PDF doc that says to login elsewhere in ParentVue, so I was wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

You'll need to have a ParentVue account activated if you don't already. Try this link:
https://md-mcps-psv.edupoint.com/PXP2_Request_Activation.aspx

Once you are logged in there, you'll be able to click into MyMCPS Classroom/Canvas from the main menu, and then you can see the course content being referenced in the emails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're getting emails from Canvas which you don't want, you can go to your account settings and go to Notifications to update which notices you're sent.

Thanks! It's not that I don't want the emails, but rather than when I click on the links where it says to "review" they go to MyMCPS and I get a PDF doc that says to login elsewhere in ParentVue, so I was wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

It’s needlessly complicated to work this out yourself. When you get one of those emails, go to ParentVue (ideally on a computer) and click on MYMCPS classroom and select view in a browser. Once you’ve done that when you block the link in the email it takes you to the correct place.

Or you can sign in using the link and your child’s sign in details. If you are looking on your phone you’ll need both the ParentVue app and the canvas app.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a newbie to MCPS, and struggling with the parent communication systems. I keep getting these emails that my kid's assignments have been graded and to review them by clicking a button provided in the email. I click the button and it takes me to MyMCPS where I see a link that says "click here if you're a parent" where I get a link to a PDF explaining how to activate ParentVue. And then there's Synergy.

Why are there all these different systems? Is there a way to link them? Or should I just log into ParentVue as a general rule and ignore the links in the automatic emails that don't seem to lead to the right place?

Thanks in advance!

This is the boondoogle created during Jack Smith's time. He got a few free lunches and signed up MCPS for all these overlapping systems. Email your frustrations to the new superintendent, maybe when these contracts are up, a streamlined system can be established.

[Anonymous]

It should not be this hard!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're getting emails from Canvas which you don't want, you can go to your account settings and go to Notifications to update which notices you're sent.

Thanks! It's not that I don't want the emails, but rather than when I click on the links where it says to "review" they go to MyMCPS and I get a PDF doc that says to login elsewhere in ParentVue, so I was wondering if I'm doing something wrong.

It’s needlessly complicated to work this out yourself. When you get one of those emails, go to ParentVue (ideally on a computer) and click on MYMCPS classroom and select view in a browser. Once you’ve done that when you block the link in the email it takes you to the correct place.

Or you can sign in using the link and your child’s sign in details. If you are looking on your phone you’ll need both the ParentVue app and the canvas app.

Im the PP above and it should say CLICK the link not “block” it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It should not be this hard!!

Op here-Thanks for all the tips! Yeah not too impressed with Mcps tech so far but I will get there. Had to wait 3 weeks for them to merge my two accounts on Parentvue because they created separate accounts for me for my MS kid and ES kid. We had PowerSchool when we were in our previous school and it was far less clunky.

[Anonymous]

I can never access the grades when they send me Canvas notifications. I just log on to ParentVue every once in a while, where there are large buttons for Synergy emails and Gradebook.

[Anonymous]

It is a disgrace that they created such a complicated system that is central to parents being involved in their kids education.

[Anonymous]

There’s lots of things to blame McPS for but this isn’t really one of them. Synergy (aka parentvue) and canvas (aka McPS) are both private companies that are sadly market dominant for what they do, even though they don’t do it well. And apparently neither one is functional for what the other one does, and they don’t speak to each other at all. It’s one of those places where a monopoly might be a better solution.

If you only want to see grades, you should look only at parentvue as the canvas grades sometimes auto populate incorrectly (eg only part of the assignment is graded by the computer and the computer fills in the grade based on that section). If you want to see work that has not yet been graded (eg what your kid needs to have done for tomorrow) you need to go to canvas as most teachers won’t input all the assignments into parentvue until they are graded. The teachers would absolutely love it if the two companies figured out a way for canvas to auto load into synergy.

It all sounds inane, and it is, but you do figure it out eventually. I personally would be happier if all the teachers put assignments on the canvas calendar but most don’t. You have to look under “modules” on canvas for each class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can never access the grades when they send me Canvas notifications. I just log on to ParentVue every once in a while, where there are large buttons for Synergy emails and Gradebook.

You can change the setting in canvas so they email the grades and not just the notification that something has been graded.