For the 2008-09 school year, we will strengthen the communication link between our schools and our communities with the launch of the PowerSchool Parent Portal. I have listed below important elements that will help make the parent portal successful in Region 15:

1.   Parent Education will play an important role in the effectiveness of the portal. We will be hosting Parent portal nights in the fall so that we can educate parents on what the portal has to offer.

2.    Expectations for Teacher gradebook usage will be established during the pilot period.  It will be important that staff members fully understand the importance of properly configuring and maintaining the electronic gradebook. 

3.    I was able to witness first hand the power potential that this software program offers.  From a teacher’s vantage point, here are some items that I found to be important:

• In the Class Info area, one can type into a box called description. The information entered into this box can include a general course description, a grading rationale, important upcoming deadlines or special events, etc.  This description can change throughout the year to include current topics of study.
• If a teacher classifies assignments by categories, the category description field can help one to explain the use of categories in assessment and evaluation. Likewise, an assignment description can serve as an online homework posting area as well as place for one to restate objectives for student learning.
• Comments are another area where teachers may communicate information about performance. A teacher may enter a comment into a term area using the score inspector feature; this comment will be available to the student and guardian on the Portal. Individual assignment comments can also be entered using the score inspector, and those comments will be viewable to the parent/student.

Timeline for Rollout:

August 2008:  Training Sessions for the PowerSchool Teacher Gradebook and Parent Portal will be held August 18-20. It is my understanding that all teachers have been notified and all are eligible to sign up.

September 2008:

• All Secondary schools will pilot the portal starting on the first day of school and continuing to the end of quarter 1. 
• The role of Elementary Schools in the pilot has not yet been determined.   Russ Sage, our Director of IT will meet with the Elementary Principals to construct a rollout plan for the Elementary Schools

November 2008:

• MMS, RMS and PHS staff will officially launch beginning of quarter 2.

Staff involved in Pilot:

• RMS and MMS pilot will include all staff.

Congratulations to the 2008-09 Teacher of the Year, Ms. Marion Bouffard

Please join me in extending our heartiest congratulations to Ms. Marion Bouffard upon her selection as our 2008-09 Teacher of the Year. Marion was appointed in 1999 as a Kindergarten Teacher at Gainfield Elementary School.

As Region 15’s Teacher of the Year, she represents the highest ideals of teaching and deserves the recognition and accolades for her excellence, enthusiasm, and concern. 

On Monday, the 9^th of June at 8:30 a.m., room temperatures in some of our elementary classrooms exceeded 85 degrees. On Tuesday, the 10^th of June, the situation was compounded not only by high outdoor temperatures, but also by the buildings’ residual heat absorption from Monday. Principals reported to me that some elementary classrooms exceeded 90 degrees. Middle school Principals reported similar conditions to me, as most middle school classrooms are not air-conditioned. MMS eighth graders are housed on the second floor of the building. There was a systems failure on Monday to the high school air-conditioning system.

Since we have experienced two early dismissal days because of excessive heat, I would like to share with you the proposed plan for Early Dismissal Heat Index Days.  I asked my administrative team to consider creating another special category day called “Early Dismissal Heat Index Day” where the high school would maintain a regular schedule while middle school and elementary schools would operate under an abbreviated schedule, and I have listed the proposed plan below:

Proposed Plan for Early Dismissal Heat Index Day

• Middle schools will dismiss at 11:30 a.m.
• Elementary schools will dismiss at 12:30 p.m.
• There will be no PM kindergarten.
• The high school will maintain a normal schedule.

Schedule of Board of Education Meeting Dates

http://www.region15.org/insidethedistrict.shtml