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 Welcome to the Parents Corner, where parents can find school and curriculum information, all in one location. Teacher/Parent Communication ToolsPlease remember that the middle school has created three important tools to enhance school communication with you – teacher websites, JupiterGrades, and student planners. Each middle school teacher has a website, creating an opportunity for parents to be aware of what is happening in their child’s classes. To locate a particular site, go to the Staff Listing & Teacher Websites page located under Contact Us. Once there, scroll down to the section labeled Teachers and click on a teacher’s site. One of the features the page will allow you to see is your child’s upcoming assignments, quizzes, and tests. JupiterGrades is an online program that you and your student can access anytime. The program allows access to the most current information for assignments, quiz/test scores, and attendance. If you have more than one student in our district, you can create a single account, allowing instant access to information for each child. Students have their own password and are encouraged to monitor their own progress. All students were issued a student planner at the beginning of the school year. They use their planner for each class in order to write down daily assignments and keep track of upcoming projects, quizzes, and test dates. Visiting with your child about what is recorded in the planner provides a great communication tool to stay abreast of the activities that are happening in class each day. If you have any questions about teacher websites or JupiterGrades, please feel free to contact Mrs. Carpenter, Administrative Assistant, by e-mail or by phone at (480) 882-3515. 2012-2013 School ConfigurationsAt the regular governing board meeting on Wednesday, February 8, the J.O. Combs Unified School District Governing Board approved changes in school site configurations beginning the 2012-2013 school year. The current configuration of the five elementary schools will change from Kindergarten through 5th grade (K-5) to Kindergarten through 6th grade (K-6). J.O. Combs Middle School will serve students in grades 7 and 8. This model was considered in order to address the excess classroom space at the elementary schools, the projected student enrollment, and limited capacity at the middle school. There are no changes to Combs High School; it will remain a comprehensive high school serving grades 9 through 12. This grade level reconfiguration allows the J.O. Combs Unified School District to create a long-term plan which maximizes building space while maintaining current school boundaries. In addition, it is projected that this model will result in a significant cost savings for the district. Tax CreditDon’t forget that we have an opportunity to dictate how our state taxes may be used to enhance our schools. Remember that the funds we dictate to our school are returned to us dollar-for-dollar in the form of a tax credit when we file our state tax return. As you know, the Arizona State Legislature has a tax law (ARS 43-1089.01) that allows up to $400 tax credit for married couples filing jointly or $200 for individuals, who make a donation to a public school. The law is set up so that any taxpayer may contribute to a public school, regardless of whether the taxpayer has a child attending the school. As we shared in last month’s article, one of the misconceptions of the tax credit opportunity is that people believe they have to make the full contribution in order to participate. Remember, that is not true; you may make any contribution you would choose to make. Our hope will be that we will all try to take advantage of our ability to determine how this part of our state taxes will be spent on our Cougar students! Adult Education Classes Being OfferedComing this fall, the Communication Education Department will be offering education classes to adults. Please view the information in the document below. |
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