Write to Applicant Parents and Contacts > Write to Parents

Use the Letter Merging options in the pink drop down list to send a mail merge to applicant parents. You can create a new letter or select a templated letter.

Choose to send a mail merge to a parents by selecting either:

• Letter Merging. See Using Letter Merging for more information.
  or
• Letter Merging V2. You may prefer to use this version. Work through the wizard available. See Using Letter Merging V2 for more information.

Using Letter Merging

To send letters to applicant parents, follow the steps below:

1. In the Admissions module, select the Applicant tab.
2. Use your preferred search method to find the applicant records that you want to work with. See Searching for Applicant and Parent Records for more information on searching for applicant records.
   The Applicant Records List is displayed:
   
3. Select applicant records using the checkboxes next to each Applicant's Name. Check the box in the header bar to select all the records displayed.
4. In the pink drop down list select Letter Merging.
   The Mail Merge Preview window is displayed:
   
5. In the Letter Selection section choose to send either an:
   
   • Existing letter. Select a tab to work with  and click on the letter that you want to use. See Edit a Letter in Letter Merging if you want to edit the letter you select.
     or
   • Send a new letter. See Create a New Letter in Letter Merging for more information.

6. Under Address Type Selection filter the contacts who are to receive the letter and where it is sent. For example, choose to send a letter to billing contacts who are listed as parents whose main address is listed as a work address. If no selections are made in this section, letters are addressed to all contacts (apart from Contact Only contacts).

   Use as many filters as you need:

   1. Apply Mailing Options filters to the types of contact who are to receive the letter. All contacts are setup to receive different types of correspondence. Only these contacts will receive the letter:
      1. Billing. Contacts who receive invoices.
      2. Correspondence. Contacts who receive all general school correspondence, such as weekly newsletters.
      3. Reports. Contacts who receive academic reports.
   2. Apply Relation Type filters (highlighted green). Only the selected relation types receive the letter. For example, if you check Inc Guardians only contacts marked as guardians are sent the letter.
   3. Apply Address Type filters (highlighted blue). Only contacts with the address type you select are sent the letter. For example, if you check Inc Work Contacts only contacts with a work address listed are sent the letter.
   4. Select a Custom Contact Group from the list displayed. Hold Ctrl to make multiple selections. Only contacts linked to the selected groups are sent the letter.
   5. Select Send to Home. Your letter is only sent to contacts who have the Student Home box checked in contact records.
7. In Family Preferences select whether to send a letter to each child in the same family or just send one per family. This is only displayed if you have selected siblings from the applicant records list.
8. Select or upload a new:
   
   • Letter Template. This determines the layout of your letter. The templates listed are unique to Letter Merging.
   • Signature. This determines the signatory on your letter. Choose to send a letter on another person's behalf, if required. The signatures listed are unique to Letter Merging.
   • Address Labels. This determines the layout of your address labels. The labels listed are unique to Letter Merging.
9. Click Mail Merge.
   You are prompted when the mail merge is complete.
10. Choose to either:
    • Click Download the Word Document containing the Letters. Open or Save and print the file as required.
      or
    • Click Download the Word Document containing the Labels. Open or Save and print the file as required.
      or
    • Click  Return to Previous Selection and Options Page. Use this to rerun the mail merge, if required.

Create a New Letter in Letter Merging

To create a new letter within the Letter Merging option, follow the steps below:

1. Click Create Letter.
   The Letter Preview window is displayed:
   
2. Enter a clear and concise Letter Name. The nature of the letter must be clear as this is listed when you select a letter to send.
3. Select a Letter Category:
   
   • 'Shared Letter Templates' can be selected by any user with access to pupil records.
   • 'My Letter Templates' are solely for your own use. This is useful for communication which you want to control, such as offer letters.
4. Select who to Send Letter To:
   
   • Parents/Contacts. Letters can be sent to any applicant contact that has the Mail Options of All Merges or Correspondence selected in Student Contacts.
   • School. Letters can be sent to an applicant's previous, current or future school.
5. Select whether the letter is related to the Parent Portal or not. Parent Portal letters are sent to parents to help them activate their portal accounts.
6. Write the body of your letter in the free text box:
   1. Add fields using the drop down lists available, where required. Some fields are already entered for you.
   2. Use the standard toolbar to format your letter, as required. You do not need to add header and footer information here.
7. Click Save Letter.
   You are prompted Are you sure you want to save this letter?
8. Click OK.
   A preview of your letter is displayed:
   
9. Click Close Window. The new letter is now listed in the Mail Merge Preview window as template.
   See Using Letter Merging to send your new letter.

Edit a Letter Template in Letter Merging

To edit a letter within the Letter Merging option, follow the steps below:

1. Select a letter template any of the tabs available in the Letter Selection section.
2. Click Edit Letter in the header bar to open the Letter Preview window:
   
3. Edit the Letter Name, if required. The nature of the letter must be clear as this is listed when you select a letter to send.
4. Edit the Letter Category:
   
   • 'Shared Letter Templates' can be selected by any user with access to pupil records.
   • 'My Letter Templates' are solely for your own use. This is useful for communication which you want to control, such as offer letters.
5. Select who to Send Letter To:
   
   • Parents/Contacts. Letters can be sent to any applicant contact has the Mail Options of All Merges or Correspondence selected in Student Contacts.
   • School. Letters can be sent to an applicant's previous, current or future school.
6. Select whether the letter is related to the Parent Portal or not. Parent Portal letters are sent to parents to help them activate their portal accounts.
7. Edit the body of your letter in the free text box:
   1. Add fields using the drop down lists available, where required. Some fields are already entered for you.
   2. Use the standard toolbar to format your letter, as required. You do not need to add header and footer information here.
8. Either:
   • Click Save Letter to overwrite the existing letter. You are prompted Are you sure you want to save this letter?
     or
   • Click Save As New to save both the original and the amended letters. You are prompted Are you sure you want to save this letter as a New Letter?
9. Click OK.
   A preview of your letter is displayed.
10. Choose to either:
    • Print Letter to keep a hard copy on file.
      or
    • Edit Letter to return to the Letter Preview window and amend the letter further.
      or
    • Close Window to return to the Mail Merge Preview window.
11. See Using Letter Merging to send your edited letter.

Using Letter Merging V2

Step 1: Using Letter Merging V2

To send letters to parents, follow the steps below:

1. In the Admissions module, select the Applicant tab.
2. Use your preferred search method to find the applicant records that you want to work with. See Searching for Applicant and Parent Records for more information on searching for applicant records.
   The Applicant Records List is displayed:
   
3. Select applicant records using the checkboxes next to each Applicant's Name. Check the box in the header bar to select all the records displayed.
4. In the pink drop down list select Letter Merging V2.
   Step 1 of the Letter Merging Wizard is displayed:
   
5. Click either:
   
   • Use an Existing Letter to skip to Step 4. See Step 4: Using Letter Merging V2 for more information.
     or
   • Create a New Letter to go to the next step of the wizard. See Step 2: Using Letter Merging V2 for more information.

Step 2: Using Letter Merging V2

An example of Step 2 of the Letter Merging Wizard is shown below:

Select to either:

Upload an existing Word document (Select a letter written in .doc format):

1. Click Select File to browse and select a letter.
2. Click Next to skip to Step 4 of the Letter Merging Wizard.
3. See Step 4: Using Letter Merging for help with the next step of the wizard.

or

Write a new letter in the iSAMS Editor (Create a new letter):

1. Click Next to go to the next step of the wizard.
2. See Step 3: Using Letter Merging for help with the next step of the wizard.

Step 3: Using Letter Merging V2

An example of Step 3 of the Letter Merging Wizard is shown below:

1. Enter a clear and concise Letter Name. The nature of the letter must be clear as this is listed when you select a letter to send.
2. Write the body of your letter in the free text box:
   1. Add fields using the drop down lists available, where required. Some fields are already entered for you.
   2. Use the standard toolbar to format your letter, as required. You do not need to add header and footer information here.
3. Click Next to go to the Step 4 of the wizard.

Step 4: Using Letter Merging V2

An example of Step 4 of the Letter Merging Wizard is shown below:

1. Select a letter to send from any of the tabs.

2. Under Address Type Selection filter the contacts who are to receive the letter and where it is sent.
   Use as many filters as you need. If no selections are made in this section, letters are addressed to all contacts (apart from Contact Only contacts).
   Either:

   • Select the types of contact who are to receive the letter. For example, choose to send a letter to billing contacts who are listed as parents. This letter can then be addressed to a work address.
   1. 1. Apply Mailing Options filters to the types of contact who are to receive the letter. All contacts are setup to receive different types of correspondence:
         • Billing. Contacts who receive invoices.
         • Correspondence. Contacts who receive all general school correspondence, such as weekly newsletters.
         • Reports. Contacts who receive academic reports.
      2. Apply Relation Type filters (highlighted green). Only the selected relation type receive the letter. For example, if you check Inc Guardians only contacts marked as guardians are sent the letter.
      3. Apply Address Type filters (highlighted blue). Only contacts with the address type you select are sent the letter. For example, if you check Inc Work Contacts only contacts with a work address listed are sent the letter.
   1. or
   • Select Send to Home. Your letter is only sent to contacts who have the Student Home box checked in applicant contact records.
3. In Family Preferences select whether to send one letter for each child in the same family or just send one per sibling group.
4. In Custom Ordering, select Relation Type to group your mail merge by the pupil contact Relation Type rather than in alphabetical order.
5. Select or upload a new:
   
   • Letter Template. This determines the layout of your letter. The templates listed are unique to Letter Merging V2.
   • Signature. This determines the signatory on your letter. Choose to send a letter on another person's behalf, if required. The signatures listed are unique to Letter Merging V2.
   • Address Labels. This determines the layout of your address labels. The labels listed are unique to Letter Merging V2.
6. Click Merge.
   You are prompted when the mail merge is complete.
7. Choose to either:
   
   • Click Download the Word Document containing the Letters. Open or Save and print the file as required.
     or
   • Click Download the Word Document containing the Labels. Open or Save and print the file as required.
     or
   • Click Return to Previous Selection and Options Page. Use this to rerun the mail merge, if required.