During the 2010 summer months, Judge has been transitioning from one student management system, PowerSchool, to another, Skyward. Skyward is an industry-leading student, finance and human resources management system designed exclusively for K-12 school districts.

Skyward is different than PowerSchool, in look, navigation and format. There may be somewhat of a learning curve for those who have been familiar with PowerSchool, but what we will all find as we begin working with Skyward is that the functionality will far outweigh the unfamiliarity.

Skyward offers modules for administrators, teachers, parents, students, and enables all groups to be on the same page regarding a student's education. By eliminating independent data sources, all stakeholders can share relevant information for more informed decision making and better handling of school's day-to-day operations.

The Judge Memorial Administrative staff has been training in the program since mid-summer, with teachers receiving training during planning week. Implementation of Skyward will be a gradual process, and we anticipate that parents will have family access for grades by mid- to late-September. In the meantime, please know that PowerSchool is no longer an option as an informational tool. Parents requesting updates on student progress and grades should contact individual teacher's via e-mail.

When preparing parameters to begin scheduling for a new school year a number of factors are taken into consideration, for example: student requests, class-size caps, core requirements, elective offerings, and such. Offering the breadth and depth of class options that Judge does may affect the optimization process (i.e., the ideal schedule) and we have discovered that balancing was one of the issues most affected by the transition from one system to another.

During the transition there were a handful of data issues, mostly relating to student scheduling. Our guidance staff is working hand-in-hand with the technology staff to resolve these issues on a case-by-case basis.

Students will follow the hard copy schedule they will receive at either the New Student Orientation on Friday, August 20, or on the first day of school on Monday, August 23. Again, this hard copy schedule is the schedule the student will follow. A number of students may receive a schedule on the first day of school that is different than the schedule they received during the summer. As always our guidance counselors stand ready to address parent/student scheduling concerns that may arise.

• A-C (all grades): Mary Chris Finnigan (mcfinnigan@judgememorial.com)
• D-K (all grades): Dan Del Porto (ddelporto@judgememorial.com)
• L-P (all grades): Jerry Burchett (jburchett@judgememorial.com)
• Q-Z (all grades): Bobbi Morgan (bmorgan@judgememorial.com)

If issues with textbooks arise, Mrs. Kate Bills will work with individual families to resolve those issues promptly and with as little impact on students as possible. You may reach Mrs. Bills via e-mail at kbills@judgememorial.com.

We understand that changes can be challenging, including changes to familiar electronic systems. Be assured that we are ready to provide support and assistance in helping parents learn to use Skyward.

As we progress through the year, we will provide tip sheets on using Skyward, along with helpful hints and suggestions for navigating those areas that parents use most often. Also, our information technology staff stand ready to assist you in the transition. Parents are asked to contact Mrs. Sonja McKown of our technology department (smckown@judgememorial.com) or Mrs. Kate Bills, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction (kbills@judgememorial.com), with questions.

All of us at Judge appreciate your patience as we implement this new software. We look forward to the increased capabilities for progression and growth that Skyward provides.