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Create and manage child Portfolios

[For all staff] Learn how to view, create, and manage student Portfolios that can be shared with families to track progress and development!

Written by Audrey

Portfolios let you pull together the Photos, Videos, Observations, and Notes you’ve already logged in brightwheel into one, visually appealing summary of a child’s growth that you can share with their family. This can help simplify and streamline family-teacher conferences.

Note: All staff roles (Admins, Managers, Lead, and Staff) can view and create portfolios and templates.

Create a new Portfolio

You can build a Portfolio from scratch or start from a saved template. Either way, you’ll add the Photos, Videos, Observations, and Notes you’ve already logged for the child to each section. Portfolios save as drafts automatically, so you won’t lose your work if you close the page.

  1. Log in on the web

  2. In the sidebar menu, click Learning > Portfolios

  3. Click Create new > Portfolio

  4. Choose Start from scratch or Start from a template to choose a template

  5. Build the Portfolio, then click Publish when ready

How to add sections & activities

In the Portfolio builder, click + Add Section and enter a title to create a section. If you started from a template, its sections are already there. To fill a section, hover over a logged Photo, Video, Observation, or Note in the right sidebar, choose the section, and click Add.

Note: Once a Portfolio is published, it can’t be edited or deleted. Use Preview (in the top-right in a Portfolio) first to check how it will look to families.

Create a Portfolio template

A template is a reusable set of sections that you and your teachers can start from when building a Portfolio. It saves time and keeps Portfolios consistent across your school. For example, you could set up “Strengths” and “We will work on” sections so every teacher uses the same format for conferences.

  1. Log in on the web

  2. In the sidebar menu, click Learning > Portfolios

  3. Click Create new > Template

  4. Enter a template name

  5. Select + Add section and enter a title for each section

  6. Click Save when finished

💡 Tip: See template ideas below!

Preview a Portfolio

Previewing shows you exactly what a family sees, which is helpful for a final check before you publish or when you want to review a Portfolio you already shared.

  1. Log in on the web

  2. In the sidebar menu, click Learning > Portfolios

  3. Use the filters to find the Portfolio

  4. Click the Actions menu on its row and select Preview

Edit, publish, or delete a draft

If you’re not ready to share a Portfolio, it stays saved as a draft. You can come back to finish it, publish it, or delete it. These options are only available for drafts, not published Portfolios.

  1. Log in on the web

  2. In the sidebar menu, click Learning > Portfolios

  3. Use the filters to find the draft

  4. Click the Actions menu on its row and select Edit or Delete

  5. If you chose Edit, click Publish in the upper right corner when you’re ready

Print a Portfolio

Printing gives you a paper copy to bring to a conference or keep for your records.

  1. Log in on the web

  2. In the sidebar menu, click Learning > Portfolios

  3. Use the filters to find the Portfolio

  4. Click the Actions menu on its row and select Print

You can also click Print in the upper right corner of the Preview page.

How families see Portfolios

Once you publish a Portfolio, Parent contacts get an email letting them know it’s ready. They can view it anytime in their brightwheel account on the web or in the app. Family contacts can view it too, but they won’t get an email.

Guardians can check out our View student portfolios resource to learn more!

Template ideas

Below we’ve included template section suggestions as a springboard to ignite your creativity. You have the freedom to mix and match these ideas or infuse your own, making each portfolio a personalized testament to the growth journey of your students.

Suggestion #1:

✨ Glows

🪴Grows

Keep it simple - highlight the positives and areas of growth

Suggestion #2:

✅ Daily Routines Checklist

🪴 Areas to work on

Share how the student does with their daily routine at the program (academics, behavior, naps, etc.) and areas of growth

Suggestion #3:

✨ Strengths

🪴 We will work on

🏡 Encourage your child to

Share the student's strengths, areas you will be working on in the classroom with them, and suggestions for the parent to work on at home

Suggestion #4:

⭐️ I am great at...

🪴 I need some help with...

🏡 Things to practice at home

Share what the student is excelling at, what they need help with in the classroom, and suggestions for the parents on things to practice at home

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