Parent Guide to Technology

para Español: https://www.smore.com/7sgdh

We have a variety of technology options to enrich and enhance education for students and parents. This newsletter is designed to help you navigate through those options.

The number one resource for up-to-date information at Poway High School is our website, http://www.powayusd.com/phs. This will be your source for calendars, announcements, requirements, purchases, and basic information about schooling at Poway High.

You can also find information about our school and the district in general at the Poway Unified School District Website, http://www.powayusd.com.

If you are looking for information specific to your child, there are a couple of places you can look. The district uses programs like MyPLAN, MyConnect, ParentVUE, Synergy, and Compass. And that's a lot to try to decipher, so here is a quick overview:

The data management system used in Poway Unified is called Synergy. Synergy is used by many school districts, so you may find the system familiar after transferring from another school. While the program itself is called Synergy, how you access Synergy has a couple of different names. Poway Unified created a site called MyPLAN to be your main gateway to using Synergy. Information on using MyPLAN can be found below.

ParentVUE is what we call the screen parents look at to view their accounts. In ParentVUE, you can see information for all of the children you have educational rights for. This includes student information, report cards, GPA, attendance, and current grades. Students can view their information in StudentVUE. There are apps you can download for both ParentVUE and StudentVUE, or you can access them from MyPLAN.

MyConnect is where you can follow along with classwork and assignments. The program used for MyConnect is called Canvas. They are one in the same. But, everyone here calls it MyConnect, so the Canvas name can be confusing. Your username and password for MyConnect is the same as it is for MyPLAN. When you update this on MyPLAN, it changes it on all PUSD accounts. You can find more information on using MyConnect below.

*For parents enrolling a child to a PUSD school for the first time, you will be receiving an email from the district technology department with your username and password. This email only comes once, so be sure to look for it in the week after enrolling.

Parents: to access your students' profile information, grades, attendance, and more, you can use My Poway Learning Access Network, or MyPLAN. This is the main Poway Unified Portal for technology. You can access MyPLAN at http://myplan.powayusd.com

You are given a MyPLAN account when you first enroll a student in Poway Unified. The district will send parents a letter with their account information. Student accounts take 24 hours to generate after being entered into our system. Their username is their Student ID number and will start with a default password of their 6-digit birthday.

To follow along with class assignments, calendars, and communication from Teachers, you will use what we call MyConnect. The program that MyConnect is on is called Canvas. You can download the Canvas App in order to access MyConnect, or you can gain access through MyPLAN.

Poway Unified is currently receiving completed digital packets for all returning students. Families can complete one single "family" packet instead of completing one packet per student. It is important to complete a digital packet to allow for proper placement of your student for the 2022-2023 school year.

To access the continuing registration digital packet, please click this link:

https://sis.powayusd.com/packet/

Did you know registration and enrollment are different things? Every student must enroll once before starting a school. Registration happens every year to update information. For students coming from feeder schools (who live in the PHS boundary), enrollment is transferred automatically. For all other students, an enrollment packet will be needed.

Some of the websites you use to access your information also come in convenient Apps. For links to the apps, click below.

Can students have cell phones at school? Yes...but cell phones are never to be used during instructional time without explicit permission or direction of the teacher. Teachers may choose to allow students to use smart phone features such as the web browser, calculator or applications that supplement learning during instructional time. Our primary goal, relative to electronic devices, is that they enhance education and do not distract from student learning. It is up to the classroom teacher's discretion to determine what constitutes appropriate educational use, and for each teacher to define terms for reasonable disciplinary consequences and confiscation. Students are permitted to use their cell phones during non-instructional time, which shall be defined as passing periods, break and lunch. Students in violation of this rule shall be subject to disciplinary action. Parents or guardians may be responsible for picking up the cell phone from the discipline office for students who violate this rule. Another potential consequence includes the school retaining possession of the phone for a 24-hour period.

Can my student bring a laptop to school? Yes! Students are welcome to bring personal laptops to school, though, they are responsible for their care, charging, and transportation. Whether they are allowed to be used in a classroom setting is up to the teacher. If your student would like to use a laptop to take notes, they will need to get prior approval from each of their teachers. Responsible use of laptops is expected on campus at all times.

Are there computers for students to use at school? Yes! Students can use the school computers in the library before school, at break, lunch, and after school. Teachers may give students passes to use the library computers during class, but classroom use of the computers always has priority. Library computers are for academic use only, and responsible use is expected at all times.

Are students able to print anywhere on campus? Yes! Printing and scanning are available for students in the Library.

I can't log in. What's my password? Username? Once your initial password has been changed, we can no longer access your password. You will need to visit the Poway Unified Password site to regain access to your account. https://password.powayusd.com . You can also use this site to recover your Username with the email you have on record with the school. Note: Student Usernames are their Student ID Numbers, but their passwords will also need to be recovered from the password site.

How do I contact my child's teachers? The list of our teachers and their email addresses can be found on our website, here, or you can email them directly through MyPLAN and MyConnect.

We frequently hear that parents and students are having trouble using one or more of the programs available. Here are a few tips and tricks to get technology to work for you.

Turn off your Pop-Up Blocker. Frequently, a pop-up blocker will prevent pages from opening. This is especially true when searching for report cards. Make sure your pop-up blockers are turned off for Poway Unified websites and apps. For information on how to turn off a pop-up blocker, there is a comprehensive list here.

Change your Browser. Sometimes, websites work better on some browsers than others. If you are using Google Chrome, try switching to Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, or Apple Safari.

Log out, then log back in. Sometimes computers get bogged down completing tasks. If things aren't working the way they're supposed to, try logging out of the program, then logging back in. This will clear out any tasks being performed and start with a fresh slate.

Delete your Cookies/Cache. Again, computers can get bogged down. Deleting what is called cache or cookies can clear out the works and get things on track. Note: once cookies/cache are cleared, you will have to re-enter things like passwords, so make sure you know them before you attempt this step.

Reset your Password. If you are having trouble logging into an account, it could be that resetting your password will help. For Poway Unified password help, see below.

When in doubt, ask the Help Desk. Because technology is run at the district level, many of the problems parents encounter are best answered by the district Help Desk. If you are having trouble using MyPLAN, you can email MyPLANHelpDesk@powayusd.com. If you are having trouble using MyConnect, you can phone 858-521-2790.

Once you have logged into your account and changed your default password, school sites are no longer able to help with password recovery. The great news is, you can change your password, or recover a lost password at https://password.powayusd.com.

Parents/Guardians: If you don't know your User Name, you can also use https://password.powayusd.com to recover it. Just choose the Forgot User Name option and enter the email on record with the school.

While you are on our campus, you are also able to use Wi-Fi to connect to your devices. Just ask the front desk for the username and password. Students are able to log in to our Wi-Fi using their student IDs and passwords.

PHS Daily Bulletin

PHS Titan Weekly

PHS Website and Announcements

PHS Library

PHS Google Calendar

PHS Counseling News

PHS Athletics

You can find information about busing and apply for your student to ride the bus at our Transportation site.

Social media can be an effective communication tool, but there are also many dangers to watch out for. The following website gives some great advice on how to use social media safely. https://www.connectsafely.org/social-web-tips-for-teens/

Now that you have some tips for safety, you can follow Poway High accounts on Social Media:

ASB on Twitter

ASB on Instagram

Counseling on Twitter

Counseling on Instagram

Library on Instagram

PHS Newscast on YouTube

Titan Center on Instagram

Poway High PTSA on Instagram

In an effort to be ecologically responsible, we strive to make flyers an online experience, rather than print them out. We use a system called PeachJar Flyers to post flyers for opportunities and events. You can find them here: https://app.peachjar.com/flyers/all/schools/54110

Frequently, PUSD and PHS emails will include links to newsletters on smore.com. For instance, this newsletter you are currently reading! If you ever have trouble reading a smore newsletter in email format, you can click the link in the email to view it directly in your browser.

Email: MyPLANHelpDesk@powayusd.com
Website: http://www.powayusd.com/phs
Location: 15500 Espola Road, Poway, CA, USA
Phone: 858-748-0245
Twitter: @PowayHighTitans