As the end of the school year begins to creep in, so do final grades for high school students. An intense amount of stress on teachers and students starts to loom over everyone’s heads due to the rush of getting assignments in and completed. Teachers, parents, and students use Parent Portal to locate grades throughout the entire year. This enables students to know what they received on assignments, and for parents to check how their student is doing.

Students are able to log into Parent Portal at anytime to check their grades, check test scores, and see what they have missing. Parent Portal is a simple and organized way to see exactly what students need to work on to improve their grade. Freshman Zach Paustian feels the need to check his grades to see where he is at.

“I check my grades everyday using Parent Portal. I think it’s necessary because it lets me know what my grades are and if I’m missing anything,” Paustian said.

Teachers work hard to get grades in, expecting students to check their own progress along the way. One specific teacher who works hard to make sure his students know where they are at is social studies teacher Jeff Hermiston.

Hermiston says that students do not check their grades enough. He explained how he puts in grades usually within  24 hours after they were handed in. This way students are able to see what they received on the assignment or test. Although he completes the grading and puts scores into Parent Portal, Hermiston still has students questioning him as to why they aren’t passing.

“I’m very conscientious of, if you’re doing the work, I’m going to get the grade in there so that you know,” Hermiston said. “If I was a student I would want to know. I would appreciate a teacher that was putting grades in all the time so that I’m able to see where I’m at and I don’t have to guess.”

Hermiston believes that parents should be aware and informed on how well their child is doing in school. He also explains that Parent Portal has everything to inform both the student and parent on what is needed to be done to bring up grades.  

“Just as it’s a student’s job to be here and do the work, I think it’s mom’s and dad’s job to occasionally check out their kids’ grades,” Hermiston said.

As a new freshman, high school grades can be a large step from middle school. For some, motivation comes from parents or teachers, but for freshman Hannah Taylor, being reminded about her GPA (Grade Point Average) does the trick.

“My parents check my grades around midterms just to see where I’m at. Sometimes it’s helpful that my parents check my grades, especially when I’m doing a bad job. But if my parents actually care, then they threaten to take away my phone and then I start to do my work,” Taylor said. “I’m motivated to get good grades by trying not to drop my GPA because I get really worried about that and being able to get into a good college.”

As a parent of a West High student herself, Murena Iniguez believes that students should check their grades as often as their parents and more if they are struggling. Parent Portal shows every assignment in every class.

Teachers can communicate through Parent Portal as well, so if a student doesn’t agree with their grade it can be quickly remedied by going to the teacher and asking questions.

“I check her grades once a week on Wednesdays, but I feel like it is her responsibility to check her own grades,” Iniguez said.  “I’m checking on her grades just in case I need to intervene or guide her along the way.” .

Whether it’s students keeping up with their GPA, or parents making sure their child is on the right track, Parent Portal is just another way to keep everyone updated and staying on the West High Way.