Using the Attendance Journal
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The Journal provides a method of tracking classroom attendance as well as other data attached to specific class meetings, such as class participation grades.

Finding the Journal
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While logged in as a teacher, there are two ways to access your Journal.  You can follow the **Journal** link in the top bar.  On your calendar view, you can follow the "Journal" link on each section meeting event.  

   .. image:: images/journal-1.png

At left you will see two or three choices under **View**: **Attendance**, **Scores** and, if this section meets in a defined homeroom period (at least once per cycle), **Homeroom**.  Changing this selection switches the type of data shown and entered in the Journal.

   .. image:: images/journal-1_5.png

The **Attendance** and **Homeroom** views are for attendance data, **Scores** is for assigning a score to students for that meeting of the section, for example to record a participation grade.

Setting Up Attendance Codes and Journal Score System
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Attendance codes are handled as a special type of score system in SchoolTool.  As a member of **Site Managers**, navigate to **School** and then **Customize: Score Systems**:

   .. image:: images/journal-1_6.png

If you click on the **Attendance** Score System, you can see the details of the default:

   .. image:: images/journal-1_7.png

You cannot edit or delete score systems (changing them after teachers had assigned scores would cause chaos), so if you want a different set of attendance codes, click **Add: Attendance System**:

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At the top of the form, give your score system a title.  Add rows to the table in the lower half of the form to define the attendance system.

  * **Value** - is what the teacher will enter in the Journal, use lowercase so the teacher will not have to use the shift key.
  * **Description** - this may be very simple, "Absent, Unexcused," or it may be used to differentiate describe different sub-types, like "Absent - Medical" or "Absent - School Activity." 
  * **Report as** - these are the three basic attendance statuses, **Present**, **Absent** and **Tardy** (that is, arrived late).  
  * **Excused** - select whether this code is considered a properly excused absence or tardy instance.

Click **Add** to create an additional code.  Click **Save** when you are finished.

   .. image:: images/journal-1_9.png

   .. image:: images/journal-1_10.png

Now click **Customize: Journal Score Systems**:

   .. image:: images/journal-1_12.png

This form sets the Score System used in the **Score** mode of Journals across the school.  By default, this is set to the "10 Points" system.  You can select a different system, either another default one or a custom one, in this form.

You can also select the Attendance Score System used in the **Attendance** and **Homeroom** mode of Journals across the school.




