Student tension on the last day of each quarter has been largely eliminated thanks to the innovative grade update system, newly developed Internet sites utilizing Mac School and K-12 Planet programs. The campus web site, www.fresnochristian.com, was developed last year, and has helped parents and students stay informed on schoolwork, says Principal Gary Schultz.
“It saves everyone a bunch of time and effort,” Schultz said. “Parents have easier access to their students grades, attendance and discipline reports. Also, each teachers’ e-mail address is listed on the site and the parents then can contact the teacher regarding their children.”
The person responsible for getting the site up and running was David Martens, campus computer technician. Although Martens created the site, the idea started in the mind of Superintendent Tim Wilkins, who suggested the idea to the board.
“The overall goal of the site is to bring all the resources of the school together into one window of information for anyone to see,” Wilkins said. “People who call us home have easy access to everything the school offers. We can see by the number of hits we get, about 350-500 a week, that the response is very positive so far.”
According to Wilkins, about 15 students arrived on campus last year as a result of the website that online grades available push has been successful.
For the parents and students to gain access to grades, they must go to the high school office and ask for their user name and password from any office authority. The parents must sign a form to get the number and password from the office. However, the password is needed only for grades, as homework assignments can be seen by anyone.
“It allows for absent students to check homework from home,” Martens said. “It also keeps parents informed on what and how their kids are doing in school.”
According to recent polls taken in the past year, 87% of the students on campus have Internet access at home, so getting on the Internet should not a problem for families. The site is updated every day by Schultz, according to the grades given to him by the teachers. Teachers must have new grades available within two days and turn them in to Schultz to put on the Internet.
“The system helps students by allowing them to get on the web and see if they have homework,” Rod Atchley, science teacher, said. “It benefits parents as well, as it helps them know if their students are lying when they say they have no homework.”
For students who are planning to be absent for a large amount of time, the homework is posted on the site a week in advance.
“It’s not 10 teachers doing their own individual thing,” Wilkins said, “instead, it’s a one- stop place that is convenient for everyone. The site will continue to grow in size and in quality.”
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