Panther Posts
updated May 9, 2022
Payne Junior High School
Principal: Lisa Palella
Assistant Principal/Athletic Director: Michael Schultz
Dean of Students: Amy Welch

Letter from our Principal
Dear Panther Community -
Welcome back to school! I hope you all had a relaxing and fun summer break and are ready for a great school year! If you are new to Payne, I look forward to meeting you. Please follow us on our social media platforms and check out our website to stay informed about what is happening on campus. Our Open House will be August 2, and conferences will be held August 16 (this will be an early release day).
We are all excited that CUSD is providing a Chromebook for every student this year! While this is new for students and teachers, we believe this is going to have a positive impact on your child’s education. Please remind your child to charge their Chromebook each night, and to keep them in their backpacks when moving from class to class.
Our staff is dedicated to helping your child be successful in Jr. High. If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to a teacher, counselor, or myself. Working together, we can help your child have a great school year!
Mrs. Palella
CUSD School Calendars | Payne Jr High Calendar | Day 1/Day 2 Schedule |




A Message from the PJHS Counseling Team....
Welcome back, everyone! The 4th quarter of the school year is always a busy one. Between the warmer weather and looking forward to end of year events, it can also be the hardest quarter for students to stay focused on academics. It’s important to remember that there is still a lot of learning happening in these last 9 weeks and this is your chance to finish the year strong!
Remember, only semester grades are recorded on student transcripts. Your semester grade is made up of your Q3 grade (45%), your Q4 grade (45%) and your semester final (10%). This means that 4th quarter can be an opportunity to bring up lower third quarter grades. Your counselors have been keeping an eye on your grades and will be meeting with anyone in danger of earning a semester F. Please reach out if you need help with organization, study skills, or if you have been absent and need help getting caught up – we are happy to help!
If you have more than one semester F, we will also be reaching out with information about Summer Learning registration. Earning a semester F is an indication that there are likely some learning gaps that would prevent you from being successful next school year. Summer Learning can help close those gaps and help recover the credit lost this school year.
If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your child’s counselor:
Lisa Brown (7th/8th grade CATS and students with IEP’s) brown.lisa@cusd80.com
Aimee Smith (7th grade) Smith.aimee@cusd80.com
Melanie Holan (8th grade) Holan.melanie@cusd80.com
Late Buses - Homework Hub/Clubs
NetTutor offers K-12 CUSD students 24/7 access to live tutoring on-demand, question drop-off, and writing feedback. Tutors are subject matter experts trained in how to translate tutoring best practices and learning strategies to support students online. Visit https://www.cusd80.com/NetTutor to learn more and access NetTutor.
(480) 224 - 2403
Call the attendance line to excuse a tardy or absence 24/7/365 or click on the phone above for general information
Click here for all you need to register for sports! FOR INCOMING 7TH GRADE- YOU CAN REGISTER AFTER JUNE 1! You MUST be cleared by the Athletics Department for tryouts/practices prior to the season in which you would like to participate!!
2020-21 Boys Track & Field Champions! Taking home the trophy with a team win! | 2021 7th Grade Boys Basketball Champs | 2020-21 7th Boys Volleyball Champions Undefeated season for this team! |
2021-22 EVC Champions! 7/8 Wrestling Team! First EVC win for us! | 2021-22 EVC Runner Up! 8th Grade Girls Basketball! Made it to finals, but lost by 3 | 2021-22 EVC Champions! 7th grade Girls Basketball |
Lost and Found!

ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Links and Resources:
2021-22 Daily Class Bell Schedule
Transportation- Bus routes are posted to your portal accounts.
PE Uniforms- Can be purchased from your PE Teacher. The shirts are $10!
Boosters- Check out our webpage to find opportunities to help!
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Parent Portal/Infinite Campus
Parent Portal- How to access the Parent Portal or create a new account, please visit the website. You can use the "Infinite Campus Parent Portal" app as well to view your student's information, read District messages, etc. Contact the office if you have any questions or need a password reset!
To log in to Infinite Campus Student Portal:
User Name: s ID# (s123456)
Password: student generated
New Students password: s123456!
Google Account Information
Instructions for logging in to Google Classroom:
New Students will use sID#@gse.cusd80.com as their user name and
sID#! for the initial password.
If your student needs to reset their password, please ask them to come to the front office!
Sign up for a "My School Bucks" lunch account
School Supplies
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Operation Back to School
Saturday, July 16th, 8-10am
350 North Arizona Avenue
Chandler, AZ


A few photos from around campus....
Stuco Convention-May 6, 2022 Master council is the highest achievement awarded by the Arizona Association of Junior High Student Councils (AAJHSC) | Stuco Awareness Week #drugfree | Art 101 Amazing talent in our art classes! |
CUSD AAA Winners!

Mountain Bike Racing Club First race of the season in Flagstaff September 12, 2021 | Finish Line Great Job Panthers!! Your hard work is paying off! | The Girls Team with Coach Cindy and Coach Collier |
Beauty of our Campus! Enjoying a day at school after a quick rainstorm | Last year's Color Battle! The kids had a blast :) | Payne Campus We are blessed to have the prettiest campus in the District! |