iParent/Grading:

We began “iParent” last year and many of you (and your children) regularly check in on grades via the web.

I am enthusiastic about this technology because it brings greater communication and consistency between school and home, which will benefit all of us in the classroom and at home. Nevertheless, with this new addition to the curriculum, there have been some questions/concerns from students and parents (and me!!) on how this will all work in a manner to suit all of us involved. After a full quarter of iParent, I have listed a few guidelines and/or recommendations for its use that will help all of us communicate better regarding grades.

·         I enter grades every 1-2 weeks. I keep a hard copy of my grades and then when time permits, I enter them into the computer.

·         There is NO SUCH THING as late homework in either Western Civ, American Government, or Economics. Please do not ask if students can makeup assignments they did not have completed on time. The students are familiar with these rules as they are located on the course syllabi passed out on the first day of class.

·         Any student that misses a homework assignment due to absence is responsible for making that assignment up. They have as many days as they were absent to make up for missed work. No extensions/exceptions.

·         Tests/Quizzes must be made up within 2 weeks. Makeups can only be done after school or during a study hall, not during class.

·         Absentee/Makeup homeworks/quizzes/tests/projects will be added when I have time. They are not added on an instantaneous schedule. Again, they will usually be entered every 1-2 weeks. In other words, please don’t expect a makeup grade to appear the day your child submits an assignment.

·         If you have a concern about a grade, please schedule a conference with Mrs. Cook at the main office. I will not discuss grades via email because it often leads to confusion and/or miscommunication. I keep a portfolio of each child’s graded work and at this conference, we can debrief the assignments together.

·         If your child wishes to ask me about a grade, please advise her/him to stop in my room after school and meet with me one on one, face to face, and in person!! Although I have told the students that this is what I would like them to do, I have received many feverish emails, many of which have lacked etiquette, asking why they received a certain grade or why an absentee assignment has not been added. If he or she wishes to email me, than please remind your son/daughter or proper email etiquette to teachers.

Sincerely,

Tracy Miller