Palmer High School
Distance Learning Update
We Want to Hear Your Feedback
I hope this correspondence finds you all well and safe. This week I've gotten the feeling we are getting into a groove with our distance learning. What we are finding is there are many similarities to what we see in the regular classroom. Attendance and participation are not always 100%, and some students are not completing their work on time.
Our greatest concern is that there are life circumstances and limitations that are keeping students from completing work. To ensure that we are meeting your needs at home, we are calling for check-ins to see how we may better support you. Please understand that we are doing this out of concern and not to hassle you or your student.
Progress reports will be submitted by teachers today (Friday, April 17th), and the report will be generated and available early next week (no later than Tuesday morning). The progress reports will be available on ParentVUE (for help, call 761-HELP). See the link below for the step by step instructions for how to see a report card below. Note that you will look at Progress 4 for this progress report.
I want to reiterate that we are monitoring student's progress closely. We are encouraging teachers to solicit feedback from students on how they are doing and how the student workload is going. We will continue to be flexible and responsive to your needs.
There are two links for both the school and district to solicit feedback from parents. The district link provides opportunities to better equip yourself with the learning platforms students are using. The Palmer High Survey is for us to gather feedback on how we are serving you in this distance learning model. We appreciate your input.
Palmer High Survey: https://forms.gle/NM3PWCqjgR6CSGcj6
District link: Parent Training Interest Form
Instructions for ParentVUE Access to Progress Reports
Digital Citizenship- Gaggle Alerts
We currently have 98% of our students engaged in online distance learning. What this equates to is more screen time than ever, and unfortunately, that sometimes means poor online behaviors. I want to inform you that we are still available to intervene with any poor behaviors that your student may be involved in.
If you learn that your student is being harassed online, we encourage you to call the school to let our admin team intervene and help (746-8400). Social studies classes are including digital citizenship lessons this coming week to try to raise the awareness of our students with the hope of prevention.
How you can help support this effort is to talk to your student about our gaggle alert system. Gaggle alerts are reports that we receive when a student inappropriately uses a district platform like their Gmail account or any other student platform the district provides.
If a student is using one of these platforms for personal use and they use profanity, send inappropriate content of any kind, we will receive notifications about the content that was screened. In turn, you will hear from the school to make you aware of the incident and to educate your child on the matter.
The system also has algorithms that screen for keywords that indicate self-harm or abuse. This has proven to be a tool that has saved lives in our district. Please have a conversation with your student about using formal language and behaviors while using school district platforms to avoid triggering these alerts.
FFA- The Only Extra Curricular Still Going
Here are the accomplishments of Palmer High Students competing in the Alaska FFA State Convention. All events occurred electronically whether they were giving speeches over zoom or taking tests in google classroom.
Elected to Alaska FFA State Officer (Reporter) - Callista Whitlach
1st Place Team Veterinary Science - Carson Corbridge, Callista Whitlatch, Charles Whitlatch, and Jonathan Hale
1st Place Individual Veterinary Science - Carson Corbridge
3rd Place Individual Veterinary Science - Jonathan Hale
2nd Place Employment Skills - Callista Whitlatch
2nd Place Team Agriculture Mechanics - Alyxander Christenson, Caleb Glaser, Justice Darby, and Dane Harmon
3rd Place Individual Agriculture Mechanics - Caleb Glaser
2nd Place Creed Speaking - Charles Whitlatch
1st Place Star Greenhand (competition for freshman) - Charles Whitlatch
3rd Place Star Greenhand (competition for freshman) - Janessa Caldentey
3rd Place Overall Chapter in Competitive Placings
Great work FFA participants! Go Moose!!