KiNVO

To get started with sending messages to parents using KiNVO, you will want to set up a password for your account. Go to https://kinvo.kinvolved.com/create-password and enter your @spsmail.org email address, then check that inbox to get the password set up link. This email can take up to 15 minutes to arrive, so give it some time if you don't receive it immediately.

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KiNVO has a handy feature that allows you to leave some of the message customizing up to KiNVO, automatically. Whenever you write a message, you can use {{student}} to have KiNVO automatically replace that part of the message with the name of the student whose parents the message is addressed to. Which means, if you use a {{student}} tag when sending a message to a whole class section, each parent will see their own child's name in that spot.

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If you are not using the mail merge feature, then ONLY the {{student}} and {{teacher}} tags will work in your message. If you use a pre-made template from the drop down, and if you see something in square brackets, like [insert text here], then you will need to manually replace that text in your message. KiNVO only recognizes tags in double curly braces.

If you would like to use custom template tags, such as inserting a student's grade automatically into the message when messaging an entire class, then you will have to make use of the Mail Merge feature. When you click the blue "Mail Merge" button, the following dialogue box will appear, which has all of the instructions you need to send a successful mail merge.

When you download the sample template, you will receive a file that looks like this:

Fill out column A with the Student ID numbers of the students you wish to send a message to. Then, use the first row to define the template tags you want to use in your message. The "names" of the columns you write here must match exactly the name you put in curly braces into your message. Let's imagine that this is the message I want to send to parents:

Based on this message I have drafted, I will need a "grade" column that has each student's respective current grade, a "quiz" column that has the students' latest quiz score, and a "comment" column that contains a comment for each student. I don't need a column called student, because KiNVO knows how to fill out that one on its own. Also, the column titles cannot contain spaces. I will now open the sample template I downloaded from that pop up box and fill in the file with that information. Here's what it looks like now:

Notice how the message has words in between the double curly braces that match the title of each column? That's how KiNVO will know what to put in each message-- The "names" of the columns you write here must match exactly the name you put in curly braces into your message.

Click the save button on that file, and you can now go back to KiNVO and upload it with the blue "Mail Merge" button. The file must be saved in a .csv format, so make sure if you create the file manually or use a different template, you select the "CSV (Comma Delimited)" format in the "Save As" window.

Your message is now ready to send, but before you send it, let's check one last spot to make sure everything is correct-- See that when you upload a Mail Merge file, a small note appears that tells you approximately how many parents KiNVO thinks will receive this message. Don't worry too much about the specific number, just make sure it doesn't say zero! If KiNVO indicates 0 recipients total, that may mean there is an issue with your Mail Merge file and you might want to check it again for formatting errors.

Here are some quick tips for troubleshooting a mail merge file that doesn't seem to be working:

• If you are nervous a mail merge might not work, try uploading a file with only 1 student ID in it, so if it messes up it only sends a message to one student instead of the entire class.

• Make sure there are at least two columns (StudentId, and one more) with titles.

• Use the exact text you used for the title column between the curly braces. Don't use spaces or curly braces in the title column.

• Make sure you are using a student's Launch ID number and not any other type of ID number.

• Ensure that there are no invisible spaces on the end of a column's title. The easiest way to check for this is to select the title in the mail merge file and hit CTRL+'A' to see if it highlights a space.

If you need assistance with using KiNVO, or verifying your mail merge file is formatted properly, please call the Launch Help Desk at (417) 523-0417 or send us an email (attach the mail merge file!) at support@fueledbylaunch.com with the details of your issue, and we will be happy to help troubleshoot.

If all of this text was a little too much at once, here are two tutorial videos that cover mostly the same information. The Mail Merge tutorial video covers turning a Canvas gradebook file into a Mail Merge compatible file. However, if all else fails, I always recommend just using the sample template provided by KiNVO and filling in the columns you wish to use manually.

Introduction to KiNVO Video ||  KiNVO Mail Merge Video Tutorial