Manage every aspect of your school's critical data.
Thanks for coming!
It was amazing to catch up with so many members of the TASS community and to share with everyone some of the exciting initiatives, products and projects that we've been working on.
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Conference Highlights Video
Whether you want to re-live the excitement of TASScon or see what you missed out on, this highlight video captures just some of the energy that was infectious throughout the two-day event.
Day One
Welcome Session
Catch up with TASS, Orbit, and TrackOne Studio
Lee, Kate and Annie welcomed everyone to TASScon with a corporate update and overview of what we've been up to, and where our strategic focus across TASS, Orbit and TrackOne Studio lies.
We also highlighted some of our recent projects and new major features that have made their way into the product over the last 12 months.
Customer Success Program
We'll be providing additional investment in this new program, which has led to over 360 customer meetings in its first 12 months.
API Program
We'll also be refreshing and expanding our API program, which added 4 new Certified Integration Partners and 5 new developer partners in the last year alone.
UI/UX
We're committing to improving UI/UX across our products, including a major project to modernise the TrackOne Studio Parent Portal.
TASS Orbit
A brand new TASS product line, the first Orbit app was launched this year to great feedback from parents, and we're expanding the mobile app lineup to a Staff Orbit app next.
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Plenary Session
Case Study: Who Owns a School Management System?
For our Case Study session, Lyndon Calway (Head of ICT) and Trevor Ciminelli (Information Systems Coordinator) joined us from Chairo Christian School, an independent school with more than 1,700 students across five campuses.
Together they talked us through their project to identify "Who Owns a School Management System" - a huge topic not often asked or answered, but one that can have a massive impact on school operations, operational efficiency, and the investment that your school gets out of its internal system.
We interviewed the two shortly after they undertook the original project, and you can read all about it on our blog.
Stream Sessions
Day One Breakouts
Admin Stream
Dr Tim O'Leary
With twenty years of experience in education, Dr Tim O’Leary is a strong advocate for using evidence to support decision-making in schools.
His presentation covered the effective use of data to differentiate teaching and learning, how to identify areas for improvement, and monitoring the implementation of initiatives and practices.
IT Stream
Various Panelists
For this panel, we were joined by Matt Gurr (Senior Security Specialist, AWS), JP Haywood (Lead Security Consultant, Acumenis), Paul McIntyre (Founder, Secure ISS), and Tim Gardiner (IT Operations Manager, Newcastle Anglican Schools).
Conversations covered a range of information security concerns in schools, from data retention policies to managing shadow IT, threat intelligence and more.
Business Stream
John Somerset
John Somerset is an expert in financial governance and developing risk mitigation measures for schools, with 27 years of experience supporting and advising non-government schools.
He led attendees through the just-released results of the Somerset Education 'Financial Survey for Schools', presenting the latest financial data and information on current trends.
Day One Keynote
Peter Hutton on Equipping Students for Times of Exponential Change
Adding students to your payroll and paying thousands for their startup business ideas may sound far-fetched to many, but that's reality at a school led by Peter Hutton, where students are offered startup business loans and paid to do any number of non-teaching jobs around the school, from taking care of animals to catering, cleaning and more.
Championing a "yes is the default" approach to innovation and experimentation, Peter gave a keynote speech that ignited conversation, discussing the need for collaboration across all levels and all operational areas - not just teaching and learning - to ensure students are equipped for a future that may look very different from today.
Entertainment
Conference Gala Dinner
School EasyPay sponsored the Conference Gala Dinner, which gave attendees a chance to eat, drink, and network with their peers.
Entertainment was provided by the Australian Girls Choir, who have received international recognition for their participation in the famous Qantas ads, and who performed a selection of hits for us live.
After two sit-down courses, the massive dessert buffet was very well-received, and the weather cleared in time for conversations and drinks on the rooftop balcony, though many preferred to enjoy the atmosphere inside, coming together to watch eagerly on the big screen as the Matildas earned their place in the World Cup Quarter-Final.
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Day Two
Day Two Keynote
Michael McQueen on Emerging Trends in AI and Education
What do Australian Dairy Farmers, a small Italian clothing company, and a town in Arizona, USA have in common? They're all at the forefront of innovations in AI, contributing to the massive technological leaps taking place all around us. From AI tracking for cows, to knitwear that tricks facial recognition cameras, to a town that's paving the way for self-driving cars of the future, there's new uses and breakthroughs happening all the time.
Michael McQueen gave a fascinating presentation on just some of the advancements happening in this space, and shared his perspective on how AI technology will change the way we look at education as a whole.
Plenary Session
Into Orbit
We finally got ready to blast into orbit with Annie Robins and her team, as she officially launched the Orbit mobile app range.
Starting with a behind-the-scenes video of all the work that went into making the Parent Orbit app possible, we then heard about the experience of being a Special Interest Group member from Keith Newman (Deputy Principal, Christ Church Grammar School), who gave everyone a first-hand account of the SIG process, the rollout process, and parent feedback on the app.
After going through some of the key benefits of Orbit for TASS schools, including customisation options, targeted notifications, and secure authentication using the same methods as TASS, we let everyone get a hands-on look at the app with a demonstration from Orbit Solutions Consultant, Josh Zuill.
Stream Sessions
Day Two Breakouts
Harness the Power of Your Data With TrackOne Studio
Damien Snare
For this breakout, we learned how to harness the power of your school's data with TrackOne Studio and the Learning Analytics Suite. Damien demonstrated how to convert your school's data into insights that support proactive, data-informed decision-making.
Challenges of Identity Management
Dean Downes (K12 Solutions)
K12 Solutions presented their challenges on identity management, and how the Parent ID Passport solution can help your school remove the burden of parent account management.
Supporting Parents through the current Economic Climate
Jack Stevens (Edstart)
For the finance breakout, we were joined by Edstart CEO, Jack Stevens. Jack discussed the impacts of inflation and growing costs on household budgets and how your school can support parents through the current economic climate.
Panel Discussions
Plenary Session
Development Roadmap
To end a spectacular couple of days, we wrapped up TASScon with a glimpse into our future direction and what we have planned on our upcoming roadmap. Kate Damant, Brad Fleming and Annie Robins joined us on stage to take us through what to expect across the TASS family of products.
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We introduced a new style of strategic roadmap, Now, Next, Later. This will provide more visibility of upcoming features as well as agility within the development lifecycle.
We also provided an update on the major projects that are currently in the works:
- Academic Reporting Project
- Timetable
- API Direction
- Events & Payments
- Extra-curricular
Finally, we also introduced plans for something new...
A new online interface and e-commerce solution for the School Shop module.
![Orbit logo card-1](https://2754967.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2754967/hubfs/Orbit%20logo%20card-1.png?width=250&height=150&name=Orbit%20logo%20card-1.png)
Annie gave us an update on what the Orbit team are working on with our new Now, Next, Later approach to development.
The extra-curricular project is well underway with the calendar, push notification for targeted groups, and the ability to sign up and make payments, all now available within the app. Annie also gave us a sneak peek at what you can expect with the new Sports Hub.
On top of the ongoing development of Parent Orbit, the Special Interest Groups opened for both the Staff and Student apps.
![TrackOne logo card-1](https://2754967.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/2754967/hubfs/TrackOne%20logo%20card-1.png?width=250&height=150&name=TrackOne%20logo%20card-1.png)
A new UI/UX front-end redevelopment project is now underway for the TrackOne Studio suite, starting with the Parent Portal.
New design standards and look and feel, as well as validating the new tech stack, are all required before moving on to Student and Staff portals in the future.
Keep your eyes peeled as we will be seeking interest from schools that want to get involved in an advisory group to bring it to life in 2024.
With thanks to our sponsors
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