Whilst there is no direct way for SIMS and Tapestry to communicate with each other, it is possible to get data from SIMS to be imported into Tapestry. We will first look at creating a report containing the children’s personal information in SIMS that can be then imported into Tapestry.
Exporting data from SIMS
From SIMS, go to Reports > Student List > General Student List.
This will open a list with all students showing. Use the filter to select the group that you want to add to Tapestry.
You can remove any columns that you don’t want to import by right clicking on the column heading (1) and selecting remove column (2).
From the menu on the right-hand side of the page, you can drag in all the headings you want to include in your import.
Once you are happy with the columns that you have selected, you can now select Export (1). Choose the option to save it as an Excel file.
When the file opens, it is important that you delete any rows along the top that appear above the titles, so that the top row contains the headings for each column.
Check through the rest of the document to ensure all lines are complete and that the last line contains relevant data.
Once you are happy that the document contains the correct data, save the file as a CSV making sure that you select a folder that you can find easily. You will now need to close the document so that you can upload it to Tapestry.
Importing to Tapestry
Next, you will need to sign into Tapestry and go to Configuration > Children > Manage Children.
On the Manage Children page, click on the Import CSV button.
This will take you to the bottom of the page where you will see a section called Import Children.
Firstly you will need to click on the Choose File button to select your CSV file. Then, click on the Upload button to proceed.
Import Stages
You will then be taken through the upload process in stages.
The first step is for you to ensure the headings in your CSV file will match the ones in Tapestry.
You can change any if needs be by clicking on the drop-downs. If it all looks good, click Next Step.
In stage 2 you’ll need to check the input values for the headings with binary data answers e.g. yes/no match what will be entered into Tapestry.
Again, if you’re happy with all the fields, click Next Step.
On the final stage of the import process you can see a list of all the children included in the CSV file. To add them all, click Select all.
You can then add them as Active or Enrolling.
Children that are added as Active will contribute towards the number of children in your package. You will also be able to use the full functionality of Tapestry with them, such as add observations, memos and activities.
The Enrolling child status was designed so you can add new children to your package who haven’t started with you yet. Children that are enrolling will not contribute to your number of active children.
You can complete the following actions with enrolling children:
- Add them to groups
- Link them to relatives and link them as a key child for staff
- Complete their About Me
- Add name labels for them, but most features are not available for them until they become active.
After selecting to import the children as active or enrolling, you’ll be taken back to the Manage Children page, the children will then be added to your account and you’ll see a message confirming this at the top of the page.
And that’s it! You can now add relatives to Tapestry if you haven’t already, or if you already have relatives on your account, you can link them and their children together.