Dear Parents and Guardians,
It's hard to believe, but TODAY, Friday, January 17 is the official Mid-Trimester Point. Historically, Hillview teachers have submitted hard copy Mid-Trimester Reports to parents via the student. Parents have had to sign and return the reports to teachers creating administrative challenges and taking the focus away from teaching.
This Trimester, we are going to pilot a new system that makes use of the ease and access to technology. Parents are currently able to access grades and attendance in real time using the Power School Parent Portal. As many schools have done, Hillview is going digital for our MTR's. For Trimester 2 and 3 of this year, teachers will ensure that their grades are updated and accurate by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 21 due to the MLK holiday. On Tuesday, I will email a blast to all parents reminding them that MTR's are available on Power School and to check grades. No wasted paper. No signatures to return. No chance of a child forgetting to give to parent.
Our staff will review the pilot at the end of the year and determine how we wish to move forward in the future. In the meantime, we appreciate your understanding and flexibility. We welcome feedback. Feel free to communicate with me or your academy teachers as to how you find the ease and accuracy of the proposed new MTR system. There may be a few hiccups as we pilot and thank you in advance for your understanding. Should a teacher need more time this trimester as we gear up, he/she will contact you via email.
I imagine some of you will wonder if this is the same plan for report cards. At this time, we do not have plans to go digital for report cards; we are only considering this for Mid-Trimester Reports. We intend to submit report cards to you via the USPS as we always do.
As always, if your child is not performing at a level you expect or if there are questions about the accuracy of the grade, please first have your child advocate for him or herself with the teacher directly. This is an important skill that our students must master for success in high school and beyond. Thank you for encouraging them to self-advocate. If, after your child has advocated, you still have questions, feel free to email the teacher directly. We join with you in developing the habits for success in school and in life!
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Sincerely,
Erik Burmeister
(a.k.a. Mr. B)
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