August 27, 2021
Parents need to use the Orah Parent Portal for all leave and day pass requests
https://app.orah.com/
Orah is an online software platform we use to communicate with you about leave information and travel plans, as well as other aspects of your cadet's residential life here on campus.
The system is designed so that up-to-date details of a cadet’s whereabouts will always be available to our staff on duty to ensure student safety and continuity of care. The aim of the system is both to ease and improve the collection of information, therefore providing a clear picture of a cadet’s status.
The first step will be to get you signed up for your Orah account that is linked to your cadet.
Creating your Orah account
Once your cadet is enrolled at Fork Union Military Academy, we will trigger an invitation to be delivered to your email inbox. This invitation will come from the email address noreply@boardingware.com— you might want to add this address to your approved sender's list so it doesn't get filtered into your junk or spam folder.
You can use Orah with a web-enabled device—such as a computer, smartphone, tablet, or laptop—and all that is required to sign up to it is an active email address.
- You can access Orah from any web browser on a computer or mobile device.
- There is a downloadable Orah App for parents using an Android mobile device.
- If you are an iOS user (such as on an iPhone or iPad), Orah offers a mobile-friendly website that looks and acts like an app would.
Your invitation will have instructions for you to create your Orah account. When setting up your account please use the email address we used to send you the invitation.
Through your Orah account you will connect to your student's information and be able to create, review, and approve leave requests and interact with the Commandant's Department regarding the residential life aspect of your cadet's experience here at Fork Union Military Academy.
Haven't received your Orah invitation yet?
If you haven't received your Orah invitation yet, and it is not in your spam or junk folder, simply send our Perkins Technology Center an email and ask that they send you another invitation. Send your request to:
it@fuma.org
A "Getting Started" Guide for Parents
Orah provides a "Getting Started" guide for parents at this link:
https://success.orah.com/en/articles/1882711-getting-started-parent-guide
One thing to keep in mind is that Orah is based in New Zealand. They work with many, if not most, of the world's best boarding schools. Sometimes the language of the guide and the Orah app reflects a bit of the New Zealand flavor of English or employs phrases used by other boarding schools. For example, leave pass requests that are awaiting your final approval are shown as "Pending Endorsement" in the Orah app. Dates may be displayed at DAY/MONTH/YEAR instead of MONTH/DAY/YEAR.
We encourage you to look through this guide to familiarize yourself with the Orah user interface, and then set up your parent account, following their instructions.
Important information for leave requests!
There are two passes in Orah (labeled as "Pass") for parents/guardians to request either a leave request or a day pass request. A day pass request will only give the option for a parent to select day pass. For a leave request, you have the option to pick a Regular, Special, Medical, College Visit, or Emergency Leave under the location option.
The Commandants Department is requesting that all parents submit their request at least 96 hours (4 days) prior to their requested departure for parent/guardian pickups only on regular weekend leaves. If a parent is requesting FUMA Transportation, we are requesting a 7-day notice, so that we can source their driver. If a cadet will miss class, we are requesting that the request be submitted 7 days in advance, as there needs to be approval from his teacher and the Academic Dean.
Regular leave dates are listed on the School Calendar and begin on September 17-19. Day passes will also begin that weekend, starting on Saturday, September 18. If a cadets takes a day pass on Saturday, they are not eligible to go on day pass on Sunday, and vise versa.
If you are requesting a leave on any weekend that is not listed as a leave weekend, you will need to request a Special Leave (unless it is for a specific reason that is an available option, i.e., Medical, College Visit or Emergency). The Commandants Department requests that parents provide any supporting information for these types of leave request to expedite the process, failure to do so will result in a delayed response.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: Leave requests that have been approved are subject to change if their student receives demerits and is assigned tours on Extra Duty (ED). This will be communicated by the Company TAC Officer.
EXCITING NEWS! Phones will be turned on TODAY!!
Originally, we planned on turning on all email and phones on September 1, but Commandant Tony Moss has been so impressed with the entire Corps of Cadets' behavior that he will turn on all phones in the barracks rooms TODAY! Bravo, gentlemen!
All emails are still schedule to be turned on on September 1.
Below is the Barracks Phone Schedule:
Cadets may receive and place calls during the following hours:
- Sunday 1030 – 1900
- Monday 1700 – 1900
- Tuesday 1700 – 1900
- Wednesday 1700 – 1900
- Thursday 1700 – 1900
- Friday 1330 – 2230
- Saturday 1100 – 2230
An update on FUMA Transportation for off-site SAT/ACT testing
Fork Union Military Academy will NOT provide any cadets doing off-site SAT/ACT testing transportation to test sites. We encourage cadets to participate in on-site testing. Please use the link for all on-site testing dates:
https://www.forkunion.com/sites/default/files/Content/PDFs/Guidance/2021-2022%20test%20dates.pdf
Remember to always check the School Calendar for more information throughout the next few weeks. Click here to visit the school calendar!
Do you want to schedule Senior Portraits?
It is time to schedule your sons' senior portraits! We are pleased to be able to recommend Kristin Firewicz Studios to our cadet families. Kristin is a professional photographer contracted by the Academy to take campus photos throughout the year and has been specializing in high school senior photography for 10 years. Kristin is local to Fork Union and her son attends the Academy. For more information regarding booking your son's senior session, please visit the website below for special FUMA rates:
www.kristinfirewiczstudios.com/fuma
Details on Parents Weekend have been announced
The tentative schedule for Parents Weekend, which is set for October 15-18, has been set. Check out the link below for the details!
https://www.forkunion.com/event/parents-weekend-1
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Best regards,
Kelly Barnette
Director of Communications
Fork Union Military Academy