Parent Guide to Helping Your Middle Schooler

Ah, middle school…..

Middle school can be a more complex environment for students to navigate. For Parents/Guardians, the same applies. There are different challenges for parents/guardians such as:

• Checking your student’s homework
• Checking your student’s grades
• Using PowerSchool
• Using Google Classroom

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This slideshow aims to help parents navigate middle school.

Table of Contents

• How can I check for Homework?
• What is Google Classroom?
• Guardian Summaries
• Benefits & Drawbacks
• The TO-DO List
• How to access the To-Do List
• How to use the To-Do List
• Tips & Tricks
• What is PowerSchool?
• Your Student’s Grades
• FYI

Planner

Google Classroom

How can I check for Homework?

Look in your student’s planner, where they should be writing down their homework each day.

Check Google Classroom

….more on the next slide!

1st

2nd

Google Classroom

Google Classroom is where many teachers post their assignments. It is a great resource, but there are a few tricks and tips parents need to be aware of to use it effectively.

Your Student’s Google Classroom

• Parents/Guardians can sign up for a Guardian Summary to be emailed at a frequency of your choosing.
• It is a report that shows your student’s activity in Google Classroom.
• You can review Missing Work, Upcoming Work, and Class Activities.

BENEFITS

• Guardians control the frequency of emails by selecting daily or weekly updates
• Updates for all (enabled) classes in a single email notification
• Visibility of upcoming and missing assignments included in summaries

• Missing homework notifications are often “false alarms” because kids forget to “turn in” or “mark as done”
• Parents do not have access to the student’s TO-DO LIST

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DRAWBACKS

Guardian Summary

The TO-DO List

Google Classroom can become overwhelming, and it can be easy to overlook an assignment. Fortunately, there is an easy solution….

NOTE: This is a STUDENT VIEW ONLY feature, so you must login to GC using your student’s credentials.

To go to the To-Do List, click on the three lines by Google Classroom at the top-left of the page.

Then, select “To-do”.

NOTE: This is a STUDENT VIEW ONLY feature, so you must login to GC using your student’s credentials.

Assigned ~ Missing ~ Done

After you click on the TO DO LIST, you can view:

• All classes or individual courses
• Upcoming due dates
• Missing work
• Completed work

NOTE: This is a STUDENT VIEW ONLY feature, so you must login to GC using your student’s credentials.

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Tips & Tricks

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Students can TURN IN an assignment that hasn’t been added to PowerSchool yet. In order to check, click on the assignment in Google Classroom. This helps avoid the confusion of seeing something marked as missing in POWERSCHOOL that appears completed in GOOGLE CLASSROOM.

PowerSchool

PowerSchool is where student data lives. It is the place where teachers post grades and attendance.

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Your Student’s Grades

• Unlike Google Classroom, parents/guardians have the same view of PowerSchool as their students.
• Like Google Classroom, parents can receive email updates.
• These weekly progress report emails, called Parent Notifications, can be set up to review grades and missing assignments for a preferred day and time
• To learn more about PowerSchool and setting up an account, click here.

F.Y.I.

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• Though something on Google Classroom may say TURNED IN, that does not mean it has been added/graded on PowerSchool yet.
• NOT ALL assignments are posted on Google Classroom

(ex: worksheets passed out in class, etc)

• At the beginning of a semester, there are few scores entered so overall grades in PowerSchool can swing either direction WIDELY. Once a larger sample of assignments are entered, overall grades will stabilize.
• Check the teacher’s syllabus to see if grades are weighted (for example Assessments= 70% of grade and Practice=30%).

FAQ

Question: The stream on Google Classroom is too confusing to follow. How do I know what is assigned on the specific day.

Answer: The very top of the stream has the current information. Check the “Classwork” tab. Teachers may organize their “classwork” tab by topic for navigation.

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Question: What’s the difference between Google Classroom and PowerSchool? Which one should I check? How often?

Answer: Google Classroom is where assignments and reminders are posted. PowerSchool is where grades reside. Using both tools in tandem is the best way to get an overall view of your students’ classwork and progress.

• FOR ASSIGNMENTS
• Check daily
• Use the TO-DO List to check for upcoming, missing, and completed assignments

• FOR GRADES
• Check once a week
• Can see historical grades, unofficial transcript, and attendance record

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Other Places to Find Information & Support

https://marshallmiddle.sandiegounified.org/home

https://www.marshallmiddlecounseling.com/

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