Frequently Asked Question
There are actually two methods to configure a new trimester in Aeries. Which one you choose will depend on your personal preferences. Unfortunately, having more than one method has been source of confusion and frustration for many teachers.
Both of these methods are explained below. Method B is perhaps the most straightforward of the two, but you will have to read both and choose the one that you like best.
Please note that Method A is exactly the same procedure you would follow at the beginning of a new school year when you are first setting up your classes in Aeries Gradebook.
Method A
Step 01) Click the [Add Gradebook] button.
Step 02) Select the period (if applicable), the name for the Gradebook, the term, and associated section (if applicable). Please note that for this method, only one term should be selected. Unless you know exactly what you are doing here, selecting more than one trimester here will create issues for you later on.
The benefit to setting up a gradebook in this way is that you will have more flexibility in how your trimesters are configured. In other words, each trimester is its own separate entity, with its own separate settings. Using Method B (shown below) is faster to set up, but more restrictive in the sense that your settings from previous trimesters carry over to the current trimester.
(Optional) Step 03) At this point, there is still an option to link gradebooks together, which is done by clicking the [Link Gradebooks] button and then assigning two or more gradebooks the same identifier.
As stated in the red lettering in the graphic above, linking gradebooks together causes "all Assignment and Category changes to apply to all gradebooks in a group. This means that if you change or add an assignment or category, that change or add will apply to ALL gradebooks that are linked together!" For example, if you add an assignment category to one gradebook, it will automatically appear in the other gradebooks to which it is linked. Another example would adding assignments: any assignment added to one gradebook can become visible in other linked gradebooks.
Linking gradebooks causes your classes to function very similarly to the behavior that occurs when using Method 02 (shown next). The only advantage to using Method 01 is that each gradebook retains a unique set of options, except where noted in blue lettering. This could be handy, for example, if you want to include the overall mark with the overall score for the same class in one trimester, but not another.
Finally, it is not necessary to save your settings on this particular page (there is not a save button). The [Copy Options to Gradebooks] button is only used if you want to apply these same settings to some of your other gradebooks.
Method B
Step 01) Select an existing gradebook for the previous trimester and click the [Manage Gradebook] link.
Step 02) Under the [Edit Gradebook] tab (this should come up automatically), check the new trimester you would like to add and then click the [Save] button.
Step 03) Click the [Options] tab and then update the settings for Calculate the Total Grade based on Assignments that fall within this date range and Display Assignments that fall within this date range. Typically, both of these are configured to be the same as the date range for the current trimester.
That's all there is to it. While faster to implement, the drawback of doing it this way is that a single set of options affects all trimesters. For most people, this won't cause any issues at all. However, if you want to have the most control over your gradebooks, favor Method A since it allows each trimester to be configured uniquely.
Please be aware that it is possible to have a mixture of some gradebooks that are set up using Method A and others that are set up using Method B. This can be done intentionally or on accident. If it's done on accident then it can be really confusing trying to figure out what is happening when configuring a class, adding assignments, or inputting grades.