TRACKING THE PERFORMANCE AND ASSIGNMENTS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS-The PINNACLE system is available to students in high school (and West Frederick Middle School) to allow parents and students to access grades and assignments from any Internet connected computer. The pinnacle system is accessed through a link on the Frederick County Schools website www.fcps.org . The Pinnacle link is found at the bottom left corner of the page. At the Pinnacle entry page click on the magnifying glass at the bottom of that page. Now click the rectangle at the bottom of the Pinnacle Internet Viewer page. At the Pinnacle login page enter the students ID and PIN Code and select the school he/she attends. I have been told that the password is the same thing as the student ID. Finally, bring up the information by clicking on the “request report” rectangle at the bottom of the login page.

If you do not own a computer you may access Pinnacle from computers purchased by the public library system specifically for public use. The only requirement is that you have a library card. Any resident of Frederick County can obtain a library card by providing proof of their current Frederick County address. A driver’s license or a utility bill with the name and address of the applicant are two of the documents that can be used to verify a person’s address.

TRACKING THE ASSIGNMENTS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS-There are at least two ways to access assignments at the middle school level. The easiest way is to examine your child’s “Time tracker” which is a spiral notebook that is supplied to the student by the school for the purpose of writing down the assignments made by the teacher. The most sure fire way is the “Homework Hot Line”. All parents have to do is call the school number and work their way through the menus until you arrive at their child’s grade level and listen for the assignments.

A few middle schools have made their own provisions to allow you to review your Childs progress via the internet. I went to the website of Governor Thomas Johnson Middle School by clicking on the “schools” link on the Frederick County Public Schools web page and then on the link to middle schools where the Thomas Johnson listing is available without any additional scrolling. I clicked on the ink to “Check Grades” and arrived at the “grade login” page. Here you enter your Childs ID and Password and then click on the link “Check Grades”. Be advised that at Thomas Johnson the password is not the same as the ID but is supplied by one of the school’s staff members.

TRACKING THE ASSIGNMENTS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS-Many elementary school students also record their assignments at the end of the day in a “Time Tracker”. What parents have to do is make sure that their child takes good care of their time tracker and brings it home every day.