insight

VOL 2.4January 2011

Mom anticipating Brenda bringing her report card home.

Dad hoping Charlie is keeping up with his homework.

Willie waiting for his chest cold to go away so he can return to school for a make up test. All are the tasks of yesterday in the Putnam County School District, thanks to the rollout of an online Parent Portal designed to bring parents – virtually – into their children’s classroom.With access to the Portal and the click of a mouse, parents can check upcoming assignments, class-by-class attendance records, receive notes from teachers – even watch grades change in real time. “This is about parent involvement,” PCSD Superin-tendent Tom Townsend said. “It is yet another way for our teachers to bridge the gap between school and home that has limited the progress of our kids.” As superintendent, Townsend has introduced a multitude of programs intended to increase parent involvement in schools, including bringing in par-ents for high-school lunch duty, enlisting them to help form the district’s strategic plan and hiring a community liaison.The liaison, Dietrich Champagnie, was charged with creating the parent group OASIS – which stands for Offering Additional Services in Schools – the mem-bers of which offer input and services at schools and to Townsend and his administrative team.

parent

With access to the Skyward Portal

and the click of a mouse, parents

can check upcoming assignments,

class-by-class attendance records,

receive notes from teachers – even

watch grades change in real time.

Portal

page 2 January 2011

in Skyward

The

Mom anticipating Brenda bringing her report card home.

Dad hoping Charlie is keeping up with his homework.

Willie waiting for his chest cold to go away so he can return to school for a make up test. All are the tasks of yesterday in the Putnam County School District, thanks to the rollout of an online Parent Portal designed to bring parents – virtually – into their children’s classroom.With access to the Portal and the click of a mouse, parents can check upcoming assignments, class-by-class attendance records, receive notes from teachers – even watch grades change in real time. “This is about parent involvement,” PCSD Superin-tendent Tom Townsend said. “It is yet another way for our teachers to bridge the gap between school and home that has limited the progress of our kids.” As superintendent, Townsend has introduced a multitude of programs intended to increase parent involvement in schools, including bringing in par-ents for high-school lunch duty, enlisting them to help form the district’s strategic plan and hiring a community liaison.The liaison, Dietrich Champagnie, was charged with creating the parent group OASIS – which stands for Offering Additional Services in Schools – the mem-bers of which offer input and services at schools and to Townsend and his administrative team.

parent

With access to the Skyward Portal

and the click of a mouse, parents

can check upcoming assignments,

class-by-class attendance records,

receive notes from teachers – even

watch grades change in real time.

Portal

page 2 January 2011

in Skyward

The

ConneCt

Support

EncouragE

January 2011 page 3

Parent to Teacher ConnectionThere is a “Teacher’s Log” for notes on assignments and behavior and a “Message Center” where teachers and parents can chat about a student’s progress.

Read more about OASIS in this issue of Insight.Townsend said only student safety comes before his dedication to in-volving parents in the everyday busi-ness of schools.In the Parent Portal, another mouse

click enables “Google Trans-lator” to change everything they see from Eng-lish to Spanish.“That accom-modates a significant and valuable per-centage of our population,” said PCSD’s Adam Azula.On their calendars, teachers can post photos of class activi-ties as easily as attaching an image to an e-mail. There is a “Teacher’s Log” for notes on assign-ments and behavior and

a “Message Center” where teachers and parents can chat about a student’s progress.And when teachers post online as-signments to the Parent Portal, the system simplifies a number of for-

merly time-consuming tasks. “Kids can do online assignments; it scores them automatically and puts it in the teacher’s gradebook,” Azula said.District Technology Specialist Mar-sha Cruce, who worked implement-ing the system with Azula and others led by Information Technology Director George Williams, said while there will be a learning curve after any gradebook’s rollout, it should be relatively short. “I believe the appli-cation is very intuitive,” Cruce said. “Everyone should remember that every assignment is different. For example, it takes longer to grade a research paper than a quiz.”Cruce said the platform brings much greater ease to parent/student/teacher relationships. “The ability to share in-formation has been greatly enhanced by Skyward,” Cruce said.Azula calls the gradebook “the most powerful component” of the Skyward Family Access Portal. “This provides an instant progress report,” Azula said. “Instead of parents waiting for mid-term to get an update, they can get a progress report every day.”The attendance calendar will also bring needed change, Azula said. “This is how we now pinpoint skip-ping in the district,” he said. “Before it was left up to word of mouth and anecdotal evidence.”Gradebook designer Skyward Inc. is the Wisconsin company with which the district has partnered to reinvent its data system. Rolled out last year with Skyward was an interactive em-ployee information system.

Parent portals have been cropping up in school districts the last few years. PCSD employee Stephen Thomas lives in St. Johns County, where his child attends school. “They’ve (St. Johns County Schools) had it for two years and it’s invaluable,” Thomas said. Townsend said he looks forward to the impact the Portal will have. “Of all the things we are doing – with graduation rates improving, FCAT retakes going dramatically up; I still can’t think of anything as important as what the Parent Portal helps to foster,” Townsend said. “It brings together the two most im-portant people in a child’s education – the teacher and the parent. We’re proud to be part of making that rela-tionship better for our students.”

Stay ConneCted

with our teenS

Getting StartedAccess to student information is restricted by a secure log-on and password.An application for access is included in this issue. Applications are also avail-able at schools and online at www.putnamschools.org. Once your completed application has been returned to the school, and your account created, you will receive an e-mail containing a unique login and password.

Logging InOpen an Internet browser (this product is compatible with updated versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari). From www.putnamschools.org click on the Parent Portal icon. Updated information, tutorials and the login screen are available from this page.

Select the Family Access login link. Enter your unique user name and password.

Forgotten User names or Passwords

If a user name or password is forgotten, click on the link on the login screen to retrieve lost credentials.

Enter the e-mail address, which is on file with the district. An email will be sent to that account containing a link that can be used to reset your password. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your student’s information on line. Please change your account password and your e-mail password as frequently as needed to ensure privacy.

Engagement, Safety, PerformancePutnam County Schools

page 4 January 2011

Navigation1. General Information Links – These links display pages with specific information.

Click a link to explore.

2. Student Name – If there is more than one student tied to this family in the PCSD system, use the drop-down button to select another.

3. Account Information – Shows the current contact information for the user. This is where passwords and e-mail accounts can be changed.

4. Logout – It is important to always log out of the system to protect your student’s privacy. Select the Logout button to correctly exit the program.

CalendarHovering the mouse cursor over an assignment, without clicking, provides a quick view of related details.

Click on the blue date to reveal additional information including attendance.

page 4 January 2011 January 2011 page 5

Navigation1. General Information Links – These links display pages with specific information.

Click a link to explore.

2. Student Name – If there is more than one student tied to this family in the PCSD system, use the drop-down button to select another.

3. Account Information – Shows the current contact information for the user. This is where passwords and e-mail accounts can be changed.

4. Logout – It is important to always log out of the system to protect your student’s privacy. Select the Logout button to correctly exit the program.

CalendarHovering the mouse cursor over an assignment, without clicking, provides a quick view of related details.

Click on the blue date to reveal additional information including attendance.


Student Information Page

The Student Information page displays demographic information that is on file in our database. Parent and guardian names and addresses, phone numbers and emergency contact information can be viewed. If anything on this page is incor-rect, please contact the student’s school and provide more up-to-date information.

Schedule PageThe schedule page displays the student’s schedule as well as courses, the teacher’s name and the meeting times of the classes. It also displays credits earned for high school classes at the end of the semester or year.


page 6 January 2011

Attendance PageThe attendance page displays ex-cused and unexcused absences and tardies. Attendance notes may be viewed from this page as well.

Clicking on a date under-lined in blue reveals more attendance information for

that day.

Message Center PageThis page displays messages sent by teachers. These messages may be global (sent to all parents in a class) or private (sent to your specific user account).


GradebookClick on the tabs at the top of the gradebook page to see missing assignments, teacher’s logs and report card comments. Click on the blue hyper-linked grades to view more information about the assignments.

Understanding the Information

The column headings at the top of the gradebook page indicate the term and se-mester in which grades were earned. Grades received in Term 1 will appear under T1. Term 2 grades will be located in the T2 column, and Term 3 and 4 will be under T3 and T4, respectively. S1 and S2 columns display semester grades for the first se-mester (S1) and the second semester (S2). Conduct grades are reported each term in the columns C1-C4.


page 8 January 2011

Bountiful smiles and a few tears filled the Interlachen High School gym Dec. 15 as IHS National Honor Society members and other IHS students gave area elementary school kids an early Christmas at one of Putnam County’s most touching and enduring traditions.“Just seeing their faces light up, it makes it all worth while,” said IHS senior and National Honor Society President Evan McInnis. “You really don’t understand what it means to the community until you get in-volved with the event.”The IHS students donate money and time to help acquire stacks of presents including bicycles and stuffed animals for local elementary school children who open the gifts on the high school’s gymnasium floor.Parents attended, watch-ing as their children smiled, chatted with and hugged the high school kids that make the event happen each year.The younger students were also each treated to a sit on Santa’s lap and a hug from Mrs. Clause.“It’s amazing,” said IHS Drama Club member

Emily Winters, a senior who sponsored a Melrose Elementary student’s Christmas. “It just makes me so happy to see the look on her face.”Winters watched the student unzip a teddy bear, revealing the blanket that had been its stuffing. It was among a pile of presents the young girl unwrapped with Honor Society elf Sarah Ogle at her side.“It’s so heartwarming to see her so happy with all the gifts,” Ogle said.IHS Assistant Principal Andy Burnett said the annual event leaves everyone happy, but especially the high school students.“For everybody, I think it reinforces the need to be altruistic and give to others,” Burnett said. “Our stu-dents often don’t have a lot themselves; but they are willing to give.”

Annual IHS Tradition Gives Christmas to Local Elementary Students


PARENTS

Off

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g A

dditi

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ervices in Schools

OASIS

“I think my presence makes a great difference to students,” OASIS parent Constance High-tower said at a special holiday dinner for PCSD’s lead parent involvement team. “I was recently out sick and when I returned to school they told me ‘We’re glad to see you back.’”Hightower is part of the OASIS group created by Superintendent Tom Townsend to increase parent involve-ment in schools.Members say rewards they receive are as fulfilling as the various jobs they per-form at schools.This holiday, one OASIS member gave two children winter caps and got ear-rings as a present from another student.At the dinner, parent Linda Hawkins said she and other OASIS members free high school deans from chores such as passing out detention slips and also watch over classrooms while teachers take restroom breaks. “There is negativity in the world and there are good peo-ple who are chang-ing it,” Townsend said at the dinner. “You are among the people changing things. None of your work goes unnoticed.”OASIS, which stands for Offering Additional Services in Schools, is led by the district’s Community Liaison Dietrich Champag-nie, who Townsend hired to further his vision of involving parents in their children’s education.At the event, Townsend asked team members Bryant Ox-endine and Rev. Alonzo Mulberry to stand with him for a moment in front of the rest of the team.He praised Oxendine for creating an OASIS lab at Cres-cent City Jr./Sr. High school Townsend said “will be the envy of anyone who has got a lick of sense,” and lauded Mulberry for his almost constant presence in schools.OASIS team member Kandy Renwick said the lab is a great resource for parents.

“It’s a hub for what we do with OASIS,” she said. “We get the parents in there. We ask

questions of students about what’s most important to them. We want to tell kids ‘We appreciate you coming to school and if you stick with it, there will be rewards in it for you.’”

Mulberry, a local religious leader, is a man kids can seek help from almost any school day.“We all want to get our children ready for whatever that next positive step is,” Mulberry said.Townsend told the team great prog-ress is being made with local family involvement.“It’s a big step forward and a long way from perfect,” Townsend said. “But think about what we have started, where we are going and how we are going to make it better.”Townsend said without educators and community members working to-gether, the potential of a school system

cannot be reached.“This is not about a school system; this is about a com-munity,” Townsend said. “In two years, more than $18 mil-lion in competitive grants have been awarded to us. There

are 1,400 children in an after-school program that would not have otherwise existed. Can it be better? Of course. It’s better this year and it’s going to be better next year.”Townsend said OASIS is about much more than a move-ment, it is about the rights of kids to be led by their community in a positive direction. “Our kids deserve this,” he said. “We want to say to a child ‘If you meet a certain standard, you can do whatever you want.’”And he told OASIS members he is in the effort with them all the way. “We’re doing this right,” Townsend said. “So believe in what you’re doing.”

Parent Involvement TeamOASIS – Offering AdditiOnAl ServiceS in SchOOlS

PARENTS

Off

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OASIS

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Eighth graders in Putnam County have begun a journey that will bet-ter prepare them for post-secondary education or career paths.This year, eighth-graders take Explore, a preparation test for the ACT ex-amination given to 11th graders that determines main criteria for college and technical school acceptance.After evaluating results with teach-ers, guidance counselors and family, Explore is given again to high school freshmen. In 10th grade, students take the prep test, Plan, to further prepare them for the ACT, which is given in students’ junior year.“Now the kids have an opportunity to take three prep tests before the

ACT, so they’ll be very prepared,” said Beasley Middle School Guidance Counselor Pamela Brown.The Plan test was given in October and students are in the process of re-viewing results with teachers and par-ents, with schools encouraging family to counsel with staff on the results.“I think it’s great,” said Lenora Campbell, whose twin 8th graders, Aliyah and Abriyah, go to Beasley Middle School and took the Explore test in October.Pamela Smith, parent of Beasley 8th grader Ashton Offord, said she thinks the test is a good idea, but hopes the state education systems gets away from what she sees as too much

concentration on standardized tests and too little on traditional classroom learning.“In general, it’s going to prepare them for college and that’s a good thing,” Smith said. “I have mixed views be-cause of the concentration on FCAT. But if these practice tests are a tool for advancing what they know and giving them a better chance at college, I’m for it.”Both Plan and Explore test scores are reported, and then compared with percentages from other students across America, Brown said. The re-sults from English, Math, Science and Reading present a predictive range for student scores on the ACT.

Evaluating EXPLORE Results8th And 9th GrAde StudentS And PArentS

These student sample score reports show the wide variety of information available to the student from the EXPLORE assessment, including:

• Comparison to the national average

• Career Possibilities

• Career List

• Classes needed for a specific career

• Analysis of academic skills

• Suggestions to improve skills

If you or your student have any questions about your score report from EXPLORE, please contact the guidance counselor at your school.


Putnam County SChoolS200 South 7th StreetPalatka, FL 32177386-329-0510www.putnamschools.org

Parent PortalAvailable NOW!Application Form – Quick and EasyGetting Started – Where to begin

Parent Involvement TeamJoin OASIS Today and Make a Difference

insight

Your IssueVOL 2.4January 2011

PARENTS

Offe

ring

Add

ition

al Services in Schools

OASIS


Parent PortalPUTNAM COUNTY SCHOOLS

www.putnamschools.org

Your Guide

I heard about OASIS from another parent. I want to know more. What do I do next? Call the Community Liaison and make an appointment to come in and talk about the project. What are the criteria for selection?

Be willing to assist the schools in areas of need; be able to volunteer for up to 10 hours a week

during a nine week period.Is there training? Yes! There are parent training workshops, parent dis-cussion sessions and individual meetings with the Community Liaison.What work is performed? Assisting classroom teachers; working with special needs students; academic tutoring; lunchroom and hallway su-pervision; parent advising; conducting and analyzing surveys; data entry; phone contacts; project planning; mentoring; community contacts; cam-pus beautification and cleanliness.What are the rewards? There is a stipend for the first nine weeks. But the real reward is having an opportunity to know more about what is happening in the schools, to be of assistance in areas of real need, and to be part of improving your capacity as a parent to help your child and influence the lives of other children!Contact: Community Liaison Dietrich Champagnie 386-312-4936

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMAILED FROM

ZIP CODE 32216PERMIT NO 584

insight

Documents

parent involvement

online parent portal

class attendance records

upcoming assignments

parent group oasis

teachers log

skyward portal

real time