What is Brightwheel?

Brightwheel is the all-in-one communication app we use to sign children in/out of our classes. ALL communication about your child will go through the brightwheel app. This includes all messages about absences, running late, early pickup, as well as any information to share about your child specific to that day. With Brightwheel, all information about your child will be organized in one place. While you will still be provided with teachers' phone numbers, we ask that you please only use these numbers for calls or texts in the case of emergency or in the unlikely event the brightwheel app is inaccessible. 

Incoming families, please read the information on this page in its entirety.

Please read this information in its entirety as it is imperative we have up-to-date information for your child in the event our staff needs to contact you.

• Ensure you add a photo of your child to their profile, as it especially helps teachers who are meeting them for the first time connect a name to a face. It is also helpful to add pictures of the adults listed as authorized pickup in your child’s profile as well. 

• In the "personal info" section, when asked if your child has any allergies or takes medication, please list them in detail. If your child does not have any allergies/medications, please only write the word "none," as any other combination of words/symbols will confuse the system and add an indicator badge to your child's profile as having allergies or needing medication, when in fact they do not. It is important that teachers have accurate profile indicators so that we may better serve those children with allergies or other medical conditions.

  It is the responsibility of parents/guardians of each child to ensure all information related to your child is kept up to date, including allergies and other medical needs.

• All authorized pickup adults must be added on your child's brightwheel profile under "approved pickups." You may add them under the "contacts" section in your child’s profile.  Please note that verbal pickup changes will NOT be honored; we take child safety very seriously and adhere to this policy strictly. Anyone who is picking up your child must be listed as an "Approved Pickup" in your child's BW profile. If an approved pickup is not the usual person who picks up your child, please also send a BW message so we have it in writing that a different person is picking up your child that day.

• Enter both the phone number and e-mail address for each contact adult. These individuals will automatically & immediately receive an e-mail with an app-generated 4-digit code that they can then use for drop off/pick up. Your babysitter or other authorized pickup person does not need to download the app, sign up for anything, or enter any information at all. When you include their e-mail address along with their name and phone number, the e-mail they receive with their 4-digit PIN is all they need. However, babysitters and other authorized pickup people CAN utilize the app if they would like to. In this case, they will need to download the app in order to interact with it. When adding people as approved pickups, we suggest you give them a heads-up prior to sending the invitation, so they know to expect an e-mail from brightwheel.

• Your 4-digit code is essentially your digital signature. Each approved pickup adult is given their own 4-digit code that allows them to sign their child in & out each day on a teacher’s phone. Please do not share your code with anyone. When you enter a caregivers as an authorized pick up, they will receive their own code. Brightwheel initially auto-generates a code at sign up; after sign up, you may change your code to one you prefer and can easily remember directly from your profile. The codes for multiple contact adults listed for one child will all be different. In the event that two adults choose the same four digit code, they will then be asked to enter the last four digits of their phone number, so ensure all adults have a phone number listed on brightwheel. 

  Check out this informational video below to learn more about the brightwheel app!

Still have questions about brightwheel? Contact susannah@brooklynnaturedays.com with the subject line “brightwheel assistance needed.”