Information for Parents

Students are enrolled in six classes during each of four quarters.  Each class earns 2.5 credits if a student receives a grade of “D-” or better.  A student can earn sixty credits per year or 120 credits in two years.  107.5 credits must be accumulated for a student to be eligible for participation in eighth grade activities.  A student may earn credits in summer school and extra credits can be earned through correspondence courses. 

A report card is issued at the end of each quarter.  Five weeks into each quarter, teachers complete progress reports. We recommend that you WRITE THE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR, so that you can monitor your child’s grades all year.  If you have questions or you believe your child needs academic or personal counseling, please call us at (661) 259-1551.

When a student is going to be absent for five or more days for a prearranged trip or family emergency, we recommend that the student participate in our independent study program. The student will receive his/her work in advance of the trip and the school can continue to collect attendance money from the state.
Please contact Ms. Kolb at (661) 259-1551 to begin this process.

Developing good organizational skills is a key ingredient for success in school and in life.  Although some people by nature are more organized than others, anyone can put routines and systems in place to help a child "get it together." Here is a list of strategies that you can use to help your child keep his/her life under control.

1. Use checklists.  Help your child get into the habit of keeping a "to-do" list.  Use checklists to post assignments, household chores, and reminders about what materials to bring to class.  Your child should use his/her student planner to list homework assignments.  Checking off completed assignments will give him/her a sense of accomplishment.
2. Organize homework assignments.  Before beginning a homework session, encourage your child to number assignments in the order in which they should be done.  He/she should start with one that's not too long or difficult, but avoid saving the longest or hardest assignments for last.
3. Designate a study space.  Your child should study in the same place every night.  This doesn't have to be a bedroom, but it should be a quiet place with few distractions.  All school supplies and materials should be nearby.  If your child wants to study with you nearby, too, you'll be better able to monitor his progress and encourage good study habits.
4. Set a designated study time.  Your child should know that a certain time every day is reserved for studying and doing homework.  The best time is usually not right after school -- most adolescents benefit from time to unwind first.  Include your child in making this decision.  Even if he/she doesn't have homework, the reserved time should be used to review the day's lessons, read for pleasure, or work on an upcoming project.
5. Keep organized notebooks.  Help your child keep track of papers by organizing them in a binder or notebook.  This will help him/her review the material for each day's classes and to organize the material later to prepare for tests and quizzes.  Use dividers to separate class notes, or color-code notebooks.  Separate "to do" and "done" folders help organize worksheets, notices, and items to be signed by parents, as well as provide a central place to store completed assignments.
6. Conduct a weekly clean-up.  Encourage your child to sort through book bags and notebooks on a weekly basis.  Old tests and papers should be organized and kept in a separate file at home.
7. Create a household schedule.  Try to establish and stick to a regular dinnertime and a regular bedtime.  This will help your child fall into a pattern at home.  A teenager requires about nine hours of sleep and with a regular bedtime, he/she goes to school well-rested.  Try to limit television-watching and computer play to specific periods of time during the day.
8. Keep a master calendar.  Keep a large, wall-sized calendar for the household that lists the family's commitments, schedules for extracurricular activities, days off from school, and major events at home and at school.  Note dates when your child has big exams or due dates for projects.  This will help family members keep track of each other's activities and avoid scheduling conflicts.
9. Prepare for the day ahead.  Before your child goes to bed, he/she should pack schoolwork and books in a book bag. The next day's clothes should be laid out.  This will cut down on morning confusion and allow your child to prepare quickly for the day ahead.
10. Provide needed support while your child is learning to become more organized.  Help your child develop organizational skills by photocopying checklists and schedules and taping them to the refrigerator. Gently remind him/her about filling in calendar dates and keeping papers and materials organized. Most important, set a good example.

Adapted from "Tips for Developing Organizational Skills in Children" by the Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities.

How Do I Know What My Child's Homework Is?

All Placerita students were given a student planner on their first day of school. Please review the planner with your student because the first 20 pages contain important information about the school. In all academic classes, the teacher will ask your child to take out the student planner to write down that night’s homework. If there is no homework, your child should write N.H. You may check the planner nightly to make sure that your child is completing all of the homework.

If you’re worried that your child may not be writing down all of the homework, you can ask him/her to see the teacher after class and the teacher will initial the daily homework assignment. Please remember that it is your child’s responsibility to write down the assignment, complete the assignment, and turn in the assignment on time. We believe that the student planner is an invaluable communication tool between school and home. Please use it to monitor your child’s homework on a regular basis. We find that students who use the student planner regularly are successful at Placerita.

How can my child get help with homework?

If your child needs help with homework, he/she should attempt to see the teacher before or after school. Encourage your child to get the phone numbers of “study buddies,” students in each class who he/she can call for help. If you would like your child to have a quiet place to complete homework after school, the library is open until 3:15.