Canvas Information for Parents

Canvas is a Learning Management System (LMS) being used by P-H-M, particularly in the secondary grades (6 -12). Teachers can place class content online for students and parents to view. Parents are able to log in to Canvas using their Skyward login name and setting a password. If you do not know your Skyward/Canvas login information, email familyaccess@phm.k12.in.us (include your name, student’s name and ID number) and it will be sent to you.

Below is a list of Canvas-related topics. Click on a topic below to learn more!

The easiest way to to log into Canvas is to go to the PHM website, look for Parents,
Canvas is located under Programs & Resources.

The URL is: https://phm.instructure.com You can copy the link and paste it into your browser or click on it and the pick the link that appears below it and Canvas will automatically be opened in another tab or window.

Be sure to not use some other Canvas site. If you search the internet for Canvas, you may find these –  http://www.instructure.com/,  www.canvaslms.com/ or https://canvas.instructure.com/login/canvas. These are the company's websites and our login won't work there.

Parents log in using their Skyward username. On your first visit you will need to set your password using the “forgot password” link.  If you do not know or remember your Skyward /Canvas login information, email familyaccess@phm.k12.in.us to have it sent to you. Be sure to include your name, student’s name and ID number in your email.

As a parent, you will receive email notifications for informational purposes about your student’s courses. Notification preferences are located in your Canvas user profile.

Notifications are sent using the Canvas contact methods as specified in your account. For parents, they are sent to the email address that was given to the school for contact purposes. On Skyward you can look on the Registration tab to see if the email we have in the system is the one you prefer and is spelled correctly. This email address is used by both Skyward  and Canvas.

Each Canvas notification defaults to a specific notification type, but you can set your notification preferences at any time by following the steps below.

●       When you are logged into Canvas, open the User Settings. It is located in the upper right corner of your screen. 

●       Open Notifications – click on the word Notifications on the left menu.

●       Edit your notification preferences

To change a notification for a contact method, hover over the notification type you want to change. Select one of four options.

●      Select the Check mark icon to be notified immediately of any change for the activity.

●      Select the Clock icon to be notified daily of any change for the activity.

●      Select the Calendar icon to be notified weekly of any change for the activity.

●      Select the X icon to remove the notification preference so you won't be notified of any change for the activity.

Note: Each set notification preference will automatically apply to all of your courses. They cannot be set individually for different courses or if you have multiple students. Be aware that some notifications do not apply to parents (as observers) even if you set a preference for them.

In Canvas, parents are enrolled as observers who are linked to their student(s). Observers have limited permissions that allow them to see what is going on in a course without interrupting the flow of daily course communication.  When parents first log in, they will see recent activity and upcoming events on the right.

As a parent, you can see the grade summary pages for your student(s).  Click on the Grades tab to see the summary.

*Grades in Canvas may be different than in HAC – HAC is the location to go for accurate class grades because it is linked to the teachers’ gradebooks.*

Parents can also see the calendar that will have upcoming assignments and class information. Click on the Calendar tab.

Below is an example of a what a calendar might look like. The courses are all color coded.

Once inside a class, parents can look at the content available.  Classes may have content in modules, discussions, announcements, pages, etc.  While in the class, click on the items in the left menu to access the class content. If one of the items on this list doesn’t show, it means the teacher chose not to include it.

Parents can also see the calendar that will have upcoming assignments (if entered in Canvas) and class information. Click on the Calendar tab.

 This is the calendar that includes all of your student’s classes. The classes are color coded and you will find a legend on the right side. Below is an example of a what a calendar might look like.

The Calendar can be seen in multiple formats. By default, the calendar will show the current month. It can also be changed to show a week view or an agenda view.  Classes are color coded.

Why are my student’s grades different in Skyward ?

Grading in Canvas may not be the complete grade for your student(s). Make sure you always check Skyward  as the complete source of your student’s grades. Teachers may not grade assignments in Canvas and only enter the grade for those assignments directly in Skyward .  Any grades that are in Canvas may be transferred into Skyward  or they might be progress grades only and will not be entered into Skyward  as part of the student’s class grade.

Why are there missing scores in Canvas?

Teachers may not grade assignments in Canvas and only enter the grade for those assignments directly in Skyward .  It is also possible the assignment was created as a non-graded assignment or as requiring no submission from the student.  Other activities in Canvas like discussions and quizzes might also be graded or nongraded activities. Depending on the intent behind the assignment, scores may not appear or be entered in the Canvas.

Who should I contact about grades?

The first person to contact about grades would be your student’s teacher. Please remember that Skyward  is the place to check your student’s grades. At this time, Canvas grades are not required to be a student’s complete class grade and it is possible that grades given in Canvas may only be for progress purposes.