Veracross Parent Portal FAQ

	Learning Instruction Community
Summary	Frequently asked questions about the Veracross Parent Portal
Author	Maintained by Jen Davenport
Help	Get help with this article
Status	Up-to-date for the 2023-2024 school year.

Q: How do I login to the parent portal?

A: Go to https://portals.veracross.com/riverdale/parent. Please do not share your credentials with anyone, including your children. Information in the Portal is confidential.

Q: What do I do if I forgot my password?

A: Click on the Can't access your account? link and follow the instructions.

Q: Where do I report an attendance change (coming in late, leaving early, or absent for illness or family matter)?

A: When you are logged into the Veracross Parent Portal, click on the yellow “View/Submit Attendance or Dismissal Change Request” button:

• Select the child and the date of the attendance change, as well as the type of change you need to make (attendance, multi-day absence).
• Choose the reason for the request, answer any other questions that pop up based on your reason for the change, and add any other pertinent information to the detailed notes box (such as the child’s symptoms if they are out with an illness).
• Finally, click the Submit button.

Click here for a video that walks you through submitting an attendance request: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rppu_XWvXOY&feature=youtu.be.

Please note that requests for late/early dismissals for medical appointments should be made as soon as possible.

Q: How do I submit a transportation change request for my Lower School student?

A: When you are logged into the Veracross Parent Portal, click on the yellow “View/Submit Attendance or Dismissal Change Request” button.

• Select the child and the date of the transportation request, as well as the “Transportation From School” button.
• Choose the reason for this request from the drop-down menu (afterschool class, medical/dental appointment, playdate with friend, other). Indicate how the child will be getting home by using the drop-down menu (car, bus, other).
  • If the child is going to be switching buses, please choose the route and the bus stop from the drop-down menus. In the box, please indicate who will be meeting the child at the bus stop.
  • If the student is having a playdate, please indicate how they will be getting there. If they will be riding the bus, please indicate what route and stop they will be using. In the box, indicate the name of the friend who is hosting the playdate.
  • If the student is leaving early for a medical/dental appointment, please indicate the time of dismissal in the box provided.
• In all instances, confirm that the changes are correct and then click on the Submit button.
• The school’s dismissal manager will review the change and you will receive an email confirming your request.

Ideally, all transportation requests should be submitted 24 hours in advance.

NOTE: All Supertrans bus changes MUST be submitted before 11am on the day of the change. Anything submitted after 11am may be rejected to ensure a smooth dismissal.

Click here for a video that walks you through submitting a LS transportation change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnotdsd62E4&feature=youtu.be

Q: How can I request a Parent-Teacher conference for my Lower School student?

A: Log onto the Veracross Parent Portal. During the times the online scheduling system is open and accepting P-T conference signups, a yellow button will appear at the top of the page that will allow you to enter the online scheduling system. Please note that the button will not be visible outside of the sign-up window. Identify the child whose teachers you would like to schedule a conference with and click View Teacher. Select an available date and time for your conference from the drop-down menu. Confirm that time by clicking the Reserve Time button. Your time will be shown in the Conference Schedule section. If you later determine that you need to change your time, you can go through the same process, choosing a different time from the drop-down menu. Your new time will show under the Conference Schedule section. If you have any questions about the process, send an e-mail to ptconferencesupport@riverdale.edu.

Q: Where do I find email messages I might have missed?

A: All emails sent using Veracross distribution lists, including those from the Parents Association, can be found in the Veracross Parent Portal. Once you are logged on, click the My Messages button on the top right.

Messages are archived, beginning with the ones most recently sent. You can also see the messages sent from specific people (such as your child’s dean) by clicking on the People tab.

Q: Where do I update my family's information, such as a change of address or emergency contacts?

A: Once you are logged on to the Veracross Parent Portal., click the Update Household Profile button on the top right (under My Messages). Here, you can review and update the following:

• Medical information (medical profiles, household doctors and dentists, medical notification recipients)
• Family information (relationship changes; address; household members’ personal info, such as cell phone numbers)
• Household contacts (emergency contacts, pickup authorizations, report card recipients)
• Please note that some changes (address, phone number, business info, name, emergency contacts, additions or deletions to information) must be approved by the Parent Database Coordinator in order for them to be uploaded into the student's record. For name changes, parents must also submit legal documents showing that change.
• You can also indicate your online directory preferences by clicking on the Directory Preferences tab in the upper right corner. Here, you can decide what information is displayed to other parents in the Parent Portal. Please note that if you choose not to display your address or email, other parents may be unable to contact you or your child for things like playdates and party invitations.

Q: How do I opt into Parent Affinity Groups?

A: While you are logged on to the Veracross Parent Portal, click on the PA Affinity Group Opt-in button in the Parents Association section.

Q: Where can I find my billing statements?

A: While you are logged on to the Veracross Parent Portal, click on the Online Billing button in the My Household section. From here, you will be able to view invoices and make online payments. Bills are posted monthly. If you have any billing issues, please contact Sonny Collado at 718-519-2708 or scollado@riverdale.edu.

Q: Where can I find a directory of families in my child's grade?

A: While you are logged on to the Veracross Parent Portal, click on either the Student Directory or the Household Directory buttons under the School Links section. Use the Student Directory to look up information for a specific student, or to get information for your child’s entire grade/homebase. Use the Household Directory to cross-reference all related people in a household. This can be useful if you know only one of the names in a household and are looking for the other, or if the parent and child have different last names. You can search the directory by first or last name. There is also a “Nearby Student Households (<1 mile)” directory that can be useful if you want to carpool, find a potential playdate within walking distance, etc.

Q: Where can I find my child's teacher's email address?

A: While you are logged on to the Veracross Parent Portal, click on the Faculty/Staff Directory under the School Links section (midway down on the right). You can search the directory by first or last name. In addition to a lovely photo of the teacher, you will find their email address and their work phone number (if they have one).

Q: How can I see my child's report cards and progress reports?

A: While you are logged on to the Veracross Parent Portal, go to the My Children section on the left-hand side, below the Upcoming Events section. For the child whose report you would like to review, click on the Links tab (to the right). From here, you can click on the current report to review and/or print it. You can also click the link to Past-Years Report Cards and Progress Reports to choose any of the earlier reports you would like to review and/or download.

Q: How can I subscribe to Riverdale calendars?

A: While you are logged onto the Parent Portal, click the purple Subscribe to School & Athletic Calendars or Subscribe to My Calendar buttons under My Household. These buttons give you the choice to subscribe to My Household Calendar, which includes events that pertain to all the children in your household. If you have a child in each division, you will see many more events than if you just have children in one division. You also have the option of subscribing to All School Events, which will put EVERYTHING that pertains to parents on your calendar. There are also calendars available for every athletics team. Clicking on any of the links will prompt you to subscribe to that calendar in your default calendar application. If you use Google Calendar, check the box at the top (Subscribe Using Google Calendar) to have all subscription links use Google Calendar automatically.

Q: Where can I learn more about school events?

A: You can click on event listings to get additional details such as a contact person, RSVP information, a live-streaming link (when applicable), etc.