Northwood discontinued the Integral – Digital Backpack app, which was used by students and teachers as an all-in-one platform for school information, and will be transitioning to an IUSD-wide system called ParentSquare and StudentSquare.
Northwood’s decision to stop using Integral can be attributed to a lack of cost-efficiency and versatility. StudentSquare and ParentSquare are being used to allow staff and administration to broadcast announcements such as special schedules and upcoming events, such as football games, to the community.
“We’re just supporting the district’s decision to have one central location where everyone can get their information,” activities director Jennifer Petrosian said. “Most people did not use Integral for events or even clubs. The only thing that anybody ever used it for was the bell schedule. It’s just not cost effective for us to only use that one feature.”
Replacing some of Integral’s other features is 5-Star, a widely used app among school districts that offers a club catalog and attendance check-ins, voting and a scannable digital school ID. This is currently being slowly rolled out, with the first use for freshman elections on Aug. 30. More features will be unveiled in the coming months and next year. However, digital ID cards will not replace physical ID cards, as those can still be used.
According to students, a significant downside of 5-Star is its lack of a built-in schedule like Integral’s, leading students and teachers to struggle with their transition back to school. The app provided convenient access to the bell schedules, especially during the first week of school as students were getting used to being back in classes.
“After sixth period I usually have to go to the bathroom, but I don’t know when class starts or how long the break is because the timings are always different every day,” sophomore Shruthika Kunta said. “Usually with Integral, I just open the app, and I can tell how long I have for the class and how long the break is.”
Teachers and staff have also struggled to keep track of their schedules.
“I found Integral very handy, especially if I’m not in my classroom, because sometimes we can’t hear the bells very well in the theater,” drama teacher Danyelle Bossardet said. “It was so easy to be able to just pull it up and know exactly how many minutes I had left. But I think I was so reliant on technology that maybe it’s time for me to take some responsibility for my own understanding of time.”
5-Star can be downloaded on the App Store. To keep track of passing periods, staff and administration recommend that students take a screenshot of the daily bell schedule, found on Northwood’s website. Those who have coding experience and would be interested in creating an Integral alternative for the bell schedule can reach out to Petrosian at [email protected].
