School has started (or will soon) for most of us. You’ve gathered all the things, bought all the curricula, and bid the freedom of summer a fond farewell. It’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty, but wrapping your head around what’s going on in all the subjects for all the kids can be a lot. Here are a few tips to help streamline the launch process for Inquisicook.

1. Get to know your passwords.

There are three types of passwords for each course. It seems like a lot, but we wanted to give parents access to whatever controls they might need.

Everyone in the household uses the same site login to access the course. If you purchased at a convention, your temporary password is shown on the printed receipt. To change your login password, click on Account>Account Settings>Profile. This is also where you would go to change your email address.

The Instructor Resources page has a separate password for instructors only. If you ordered online, the password was sent via email. If you purchased at a convention, it’s printed on your receipt. If you don’t have it, just contact us using the email address you used to purchase, and we’ll send it to you.

Finally, each unit test is also password protected. Instructors can access this password in the Instructor Resources section for each unit at Lesson 15. When the student is ready for the test, just take a look there and tell the student what word to type in to open the document.

2. Gather miscellaneous materials in advance.

At Inquisicook, we’re cost-conscious and waste-averse. The vast majority of the time, we use food as lab materials and they end up as a prepared dish for the family table. However, students will need a handful of non-grocery items. None of them are expensive, and if you gather them in advance, your student won’t hit a roadblock due to lack of supplies.

The list below includes the only non-grocery items used in Inquisicook 1. They’re also in the materials list for each unit, but this compilation will save you the trouble of scanning for them in advance.

• Wikki Stix 48 count pack

• (2) Cans of Play-Doh, 4 oz. (two different colors)

• (12) Glass Gems

• (3) Ping Pong Balls

• (2) Bottles of Liquid Food Coloring (two different colors)

• (3) Bamboo Skewers

• (2) Jumbo Smoothie Straws

• (6) Round Balloons

• (6) Jelly Beans (a variety with distinct, identifiable flavors)

3. Set up a document control plan.

Most families will choose to use a combination of printed and digital documents. Setting up a place for everything in advance will help students get everything in its place throughout the course.

• It’s a good idea to set up notebooks for printed documents. We have printable notebook cover sheets for Recipes, Sensory Evaluations, Recipes & Sensory Evaluations, and General Inquisicook stuff.

• Inquisicook quizzes, tests, and so forth are fillable form documents. This means students can either print them out and write on the paper or type their answers directly into the PDF. If they choose the latter option, they either need to print out the completed document or save it as a file on their computer. Setting up (digital) folders for each student in advance and showing them where to save the files will cut down on confusion.

• Most students take plenty of pictures of their kitchen creations. It only takes a minute to set up an album, and it will serve as valuable documentation of their efforts. Plus, do you really want to have to scroll and scroll through your phone to show off their work?

4. If you have a question, ask us!

If you need some guidance, if something isn’t clear, if you find a mistake somewhere, or if you just want to share some feedback, shoot us an email at info@inquisicook.com. Your student’s success is our #1 priority, and we’re always eager to find ways to make Inquisicook better.