Pass/fail grading system prompts discussion

Lyah Muktavaram ’22 and Anastasia Thumser '22

April 28, 2020

Lyah M · Pass Fail...

Pass-fail system decreases motivation, detracts from learning efforts

Anastasia Thumser '22, Web Opinions Editor

April 20, 2020

March 11 was a routine day for Staples students: classes changed at the ring of the bell, teachers assigned work, messages were received about “Seussical,” sports practices and concerts, the song of the day lady blasted a pleasant German tune. However, by 2:15 p.m. that day, school and all corres...

Pass-fail system decreases motivation, detracts from learning efforts

Anastasia Thumser '22, Web Opinions Editor

April 20, 2020

March 11 was a routine day for Staples students: classes changed at the ring of the bell, teachers assigned work, messages were received about “Seussical,” sports practices and concerts, the song of the day lady blasted a pleasant German tune. However, by 2:15 p.m. that day, school and all corres...

Board of Education implements optional pass-fail grading 

Remy Teltser ’21, Paper Features Editor

April 6, 2020

Staples High School students will have the option to report their fourth-quarter grades using a pass-fail system or with a standard letter grade due to the new distance learning system.  Grades from quarter one through three, which ended on April 3, will be reported by traditional grade letters.  Interim Superintendent Da...

Unlimited PowerSchool access toxic to Staples

Remy Teltser ’21, Paper Features Editor

November 11, 2019

Hardly seven seconds after receiving an “it’s posted” text message, PowerSchool is loading its web page onto my phone browser. As the all too familiar gray dial spins around, I am internally freaking out. Simultaneously, my AP Lang group chat is blowing up talking about how this one essay affect...

Teachers grading tactics can have a negative impact on students’ grades

Betti Kobak '22, Staff Writer

October 14, 2019

Grades are undoubtedly something that occupies every student's mind at Staples High School. Being able to perform highly in every class, whether it is an AP, honors or A class can be difficult, regardless of course. I know I am constantly looking at PowerSchool, even if I know there are no new grades...

Data overload hurts students’ brains

Sam Zuckerman '21

October 22, 2018

PowerSchool is the open grading system we use at Staples, and it forms the cornerstone of the Staples community. But do we know what it is like from a teacher’s perspective? Former Staples English teacher and girls’ cross country coach Amanda Parrish Morgan released an article referring to her time...

Staples community reacts to grading changes

June 12, 2018

By Jack Dennison '21

Test correction policies promote learning

October 28, 2017

By Lauren Wasserman '19 “Test corrections will be offered this year.” This is a policy that every student hopes to hear on the first day of school. Test correction policies give students the opportunity to redo the problems they got wrong on a test, and write an explanation for why it was wrong. If t...

PowerSchool accessible today

September 15, 2017

By: Dana Perelberg '20 According to a Westport Education Association [WEA] email sent Sept. 13, PowerSchool should be up and running Friday afternoon, potentially ending a two week stretch where students and parents could not access the online grade book.    As of Sept. 14, the Staples PowerS...

Teachers asked to stop giving extra credit

Shane Rabacs, Staff Writer

October 2, 2016

Shane Rabacs '19, Staff Writer In August, Principal James D’Amico, who was voted as principal in March of this year by the Westport School Board, asked teachers at Staples High School to consider not giving extra credit anymore. “My feeling is that when we offer students something simply for...

An Opportunity For Second Chances

Victoria Lubin, Staff Writer

October 15, 2015

When you live in a town like Westport, people are always obsessing over their grades. The idea that the GPA scale and its fluctuating digits can make or break one’s college career and set-up for life leave students hard-wired to be concerned solely on the information that appears on home access cen...

Control the Controllable

Grant Sirlin, Staff Writer

May 5, 2015

Serious injuries can be demoralizing. In just an instant, the flow of life can come to a halt and the near future can quickly become out of reach. Even though you were just battling for a rebound in the heat of the FCIAC championship game, or driving home from a fantastic lunch with your girlfriend,...