Parent Workshop: School 101

Welcome to School 101! We created this informational digital workshop to answer some questions about how to stay informed, connected, and engaged at your school. We also hope it will help you navigate Parent Portal, Google Classroom, and Class Dojo.

If you are not able to access the links, print the forms, or download the information in this newsletter, please contact your Parent Involvement Coordinator and they can send you a direct link, or a send a paper copy home.

Please make sure to sign in and complete the short evaluation using the link below.

Your feedback helps us make future workshops better!

1. Sign In & Evaluation

2. Parent Portal

3. Google Classroom

4. Help with Homework

5. Stay Connected

6. How to Get Involved

7. PBIS Guide for Parents

8. Class Dojo

9. Questions

10. Title 1 Handouts

Infinite Campus Parent Portal is the most frequently used information system software in Catoosa County Schools. Parents and students use this website and app to access student grades, review attendance, and more. The parent portal site and the app provide a connection to help keep everyone engaged with activities and events in the classroom. Only one account is needed to access multiple children within the same school district.

Parent Portal Provides:

-Access to student grades

-Review attendance and absences

-See assignments due or upcoming exams

-Read your student’s schedules and reports

-Pay fees

-Update contact information

You can find out more about Infinite Campus Systems at https://www.infinitecampus.com/ or on our District Website at https://www.catoosa.k12.ga.us/home

You must complete the Parent Portal form linked below and send it back to your school. You will be mailed an activation key code to sign in to your account. (only one key code is required even if you have more than one student in the CCPS system). PLEASE DO NOT SHARE YOUR ACCOUNT.

Once signed in, you will be able to view your child's grades, attendance, missing assignments, fees, and more.

If you are an existing account user and having trouble logging into the portal , please contact Chasity Purcell at icportalsupport@catoosa.k12.ga.us

Keeping your contact information updated in Infinite Campus is very important. Make sure to update any change of address or phone number for your family. This will keep your information accurate in case of student emergencies, early school dismissals, or the need for the school to contact you. The links below will show you how to update your information.

You can access Parent Portal by laptop, desktop, or by downloading the App to your smartphone or tablet. Make sure to download the Campus Parent version, this allows you access to certain parental controls. Once downloaded, you can allow push notifications and be updated of assignments, grades, and attendance when entered or modified.

Click the images below to access each link.

You can pay fees through Parent Portal for field trips, special school events, and supply fees. This program will also keep track of all fees paid for easy tracking as long as your child is in Catoosa County Schools.

Paying fees online is easy and takes the hassle out of sending cash to the school.

Click the link below for direction on how to pay using Parent Portal.

* PLEASE NOTE- You cannot pay for lunch accounts using Parent Portal.

You must use your EZPayMeal account.

This section is mainly for grades 3-12, but is good information to know at any point.

Occasionally, your child may need to work on assignments at home.

Knowing how to access your child's Google account will help them stay up to date on projects and missed work. To do this, you will need to know the child's individual and private student Google email address and password. Your child should know this information if they need to complete online work at home. Once input, your child will have access to their Google drive. This includes Google classroom, docs, spreadsheets, etc. Your child can choose the assignment they need to finish or create, and it will auto save the updated material.

Please use all cyber security and digital citizenship measures when using. Learn more HERE

Instructions to sign in at home:

• connect device to internet
• go to Google.com
• click on sign in button
• type in your child's google email/password
• in the upper right hand corner, click on the "waffle" or box of dots
• choose the icon you need
• choose the existing assignment to update or create a new one
• make sure to sign out when finished

Technology changes every day and with the digital world now a reality, it can be hard keeping up. Here is a video and printable guide to help navigate your student's Google Classroom.

READING:
Home practice for reading may be found on our school website. At the top of the main webpage, look for the heading titled, Students. Click on that heading and then select the sub tab on the left side of the page titled, Home Practice. Once it's opened, there are two pages for the reading home practice, so be sure to click the arrow for the next page.

For students that may be reading below grade level, routinely practicing with decodables has shown great improvement with reading skills. Here is a great resource.

MATH:

One of the best ways to help your student in Math is to help them with their multiplication tables!

Here is a link to a chart that can help: multiplication chart

You can also visit this site to help with Math: Happy Numbers (Please note: Your student will need their log in and password from their teacher to use this site.)

Math:

https://www.multiplication.com/teach/practice-facts

https://www.timestables.com/

https://www.coolmathgames.com/

https://www.khanacademy.org/

Reading:

Audio Books:

Storynory

Read Along with PBIS Kids Playlist

Harper Kids You tube channel

LibriVox

Lit2Go

Storyline online

Puzzle Maker

Literacy at Home

Helping ALL Readers

Study Skills for Elementary Students

Helping your Child Focus

Parent Institute Online Brochures- Academic, Emotional, and Social Topics

1. Class Dojo (message, school story, calendar)
2. Website (parent resources, information, links to GADOE, calendar)
3. Newsletters-School & District
4. Attending School Events
5. Text Alerts- School & District

Catoosa County Public Schools uses SchoolMessenger to deliver important information about events, school closings, safety alerts and more. Text messages will only be sent to parents or guardians, students, and their emergency contacts. You can participate in this service by sending a text message of Y or Yes to our school's short code number, 67587. We recommend all parents and guardians sign up for this service. (Text messaging rates may apply so please, check with your carrier.) We recommend saving this short code (67587) and Caller ID to the contacts on your phone. This will help prevent any 3rd party call blocking systems from interfering with your receipt of important messages sent by a school or the school district. SchoolMessenger is compliant with the Student Privacy Pledge.

1. Volunteer for events or in the Resource room
2. Be a Room Parent or help Room Parent with class snacks and parties
3. Attend Family nights and meetings
4. Read newsletters monthly
5. Check class dojo daily
6. Check your child's folder daily(RPS) or every Tuesday (RES)

PBIS, which stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, is an evidence-based framework that our schools use to create a positive learning environment by teaching and reinforcing expected behaviors. It shifts the focus from punishment to prevention and positive reinforcement, establishing a common language and expectations for students, staff, and the school community to improve behavior, safety, and academic outcomes for all students.

At RPS we will have a PBIS reward or event monthly. Examples include Glow Dance Parties, extra recess, prize carts, and inflatables. Students will need to accumulate and maintain required PBIS points to attend events.

At RES we have a major reward event each 9 weeks.

The qualifications to participate in PBIS reward days are:

• All A’s, B’s, and C’s
  

• No more than 3 unexcused absences

• No office discipline referrals

At RES we also have a PBIS store where students can use points to "purchase" snacks, fun items, and lunches with the administration/counselor.

ClassDojo is one of the main ways we communicate with our families. If you are not already signed in to Class Dojo, click the links below to join at your school.

If you are signed up, make sure to keep up to date on the school story, the classroom story, and the event announcements for your school. Class Dojo is also a great way to communicate with your child's teacher.

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Make sure you are connected to Class Dojo for your child's class. You can ask the teacher for the individual class code invite to access.

If you have questions about this workshop, or would like to request paper copies of the linked resources, please contact the Parent Coordinator at your school.

Tracy Wilson

twilson.rps@catoosa.k12.ga.us

RPS Parent Coordinator

Cathy Cooper

ccooper.res@catoosa.k12.ga.us

RES Parent Coordinator

If you have questions about updating information or logging in to Parent Portal, please contact:

Chasity Purcell, Student Information Systems

Technology Department

icportalsupport@catoosa.k12.ga.us

All Handouts are located on the school website and in the Family Resource Room.

RPS Website

RES Website

Handouts Available:

School Policy

District Policy

Annual Meeting Minutes

Testing in Georgia

Components of a Schoolwide Program

GA Standards of Excellence

Input Card