Skip to main content

Popular Links

Sandbox Resources

Welcome to the Sandbox Environment!

 

This is your space to explore, experiment, and get inspired. On this page, you’ll find everything you need to get started — including KB articles,  quick videos, and step-by-step guided instructions to walk you through the platform.

If you have questions or need a hand along the way, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we’re here to help!


🔑 Next Step:
Start exploring! Dive into the resources on this page to learn the ropes, get inspired, and see what Smart Sites can do.

📝 Page and Content Creation

Now that you’re logged in, it’s time to dive into SmartSites! In this section, you’ll learn how to create new pages within the sandbox and explore a wide variety of components to customize and enhance your site. Components are the building blocks of your pages, allowing you to add different types of content and layouts.

You’ll find components like:

  • Columns: Organize content side by side
  • Icon Matrix: Highlight key information with icons.
  • Accordions: Create expandable sections for compact content display.
  • Announcements: Feature important updates and messages.
  • …and much more!

Many of these components use the text editing toolbar (WYSIWYG), making it easy to format text, add links, insert images, and adjust layouts. You’ll encounter this toolbar in components like Columns, Accordions, and others, giving you full control over your content presentation.

If you’ve already created visuals in Canva, you can seamlessly integrate them into your pages, saving time and keeping your content consistent.

💡 Looking for extra help? Check out Page Pro, our premium service that provides professional design assistance to help you build polished, high-quality pages with ease.

 

📂 Managing Resources

The resource folders are your central hub for uploading, organizing, and storing content like media files, documents, and calendars. Keeping your resources organized ensures quick access and consistent use across your website.
 

✅ Types of resources you can manage:

  • Photos: Add visual appeal and insert images into various components using the text editor.
  • Videos: Embed videos directly into pages to boost engagement. (Feature Video Component) 
  • Documents: Upload and share important files. Use the Documents component to display them, with features like the Directory of Documents to organize large sets into categories.
  • Calendars: Events can be managed directly through Smart Sites calendars or you can feed events from Google Calendar or another ICS provider

🔎 Why resource folders matter:

  • Centralize your media and documents for easy access.
  • Quickly insert photos and videos into components like Columns, Accordions, and Icon Grids.
  • Organize documents to ensure visitors can easily find important information.
  • Maintain consistency across all your site’s pages.

Your permissions include access to a calendar, making it easy to share important dates and events with your audience. Events can be managed directly through Smart Sites calendars or you can feed events from Google Calendar or another ICS provider for automatic syncing.

📢 Post Feed

Explore sharing posts to the Post Feed component. Keep in mind that the sandbox environment is shared with other districts, so you may see their posts as well. Posts can be created and shared directly from ParentSquare or by building a Post Page within SmartSites. The Feed component works with either option or both.