For the first time school history, PowerSchool has been mandated. The third-year online program is designed to make it easier for parents and students to access grades, assignments and attendance. It compliments another online program called The Vault as both were created to help students and teachers communicate.

?PowerSchool was simply designed for quicker communication,? Jon Endicott, vice principal, said. ?This program will assist teachers in grading and help parents and student access those grades daily.?

Endicott went on to explain that the program would not take away from personal involvement between teachers and parents. But would provide a tool to aid interaction with them.

The administration decided to go through with these two programs for clear reasons.

?Our vision started with an easier way to access materials for teachers, students and parents,? Tim Wilkins, superintendent, said. ?These programs create a chance for teachers to communicate quicker with parents, better convenience, cut down on the cost of paper and a great tool for tutors.?

Students involved in activities regarding sports, band, choir and student leadership will greatly benefit from these programs.

?Being involved in many activities through out the school year can be stressful, Tara Albrechtson, ?06, said. ?PowerSchool gives me an opportunity to get caught up on missing assignments and stay updated with my grades.?

Aaron Bryan, choir and ensemble director, uses The Vault to store music for students to view and practice their music at home.

While PowerSchool is an easier tool to use, often students and parents need more assistance in accessing The Vault.

Mike Fenton, math teacher, gave a handout at Back-to-School Night explaining six easy steps to operate The Vault.

Step 1- Go to the Fresno Christian Schools homepage www.fresnochristian.com
Step 2- Move your cursor over the ?Classroom? icon on the left side of the page
Step 3- on the menu that appears slick on ?The Vault?
Step 4- Click on the ?FCS Staff? link
Step 5- Click on your instructor?s name (names are organized alphabetically)
Step 6- Navigate through the system of folders to find your document(s)

Fresno Unified Schools also use PowerSchool and possess a positive out look on the system.

?At Tenya (middle school) we are finding out that PowerSchool requires a lot of time and energy, more so than regular paper work,” Patrick Carlin, Tenya history teacher, said. ?But we do believe that after operating the program more eventually it will be an efficient method that our school will gain from.?

Not only do schools in Fresno county use PowerSchool but schools across the country as well. Archbishop Hoban high school, located in Akron, Ohio, believes the intentions for PowerSchool are good and trust that it will succeed. (http://my.highschooljournalism.org/oh/akron/hoban)

The PowerSchool poll located on the front page of The Feather has shown that 43% of the students use it daily, 24% use it 2-3 times a week (out of 160 students taking the poll).

While the program is in its infancy, both the administration and teachers are working to refine the conditions of use.

For more information on PowerSchool, contact Endicott at [email protected].