How do I check grades for my kids?
The following website is considered "authoritative" for posted grades:
Grades will post on different schedules based on your child's grade level. Some elementary grades, due to the nature of the grading system, do not post throughout the grading period but only at midterm and/or the end of the trimester.
There is another website, Canvas, which is used by teachers and students to give and return assignments and manage day-to-day information for classes. Information in FACTS is typically automatically used to create parent accounts in Canvas. However, these accounts are not immediately assigned passwords...and might have notifications turned on, at which point parents start receiving email notices of posted grades.
To gain access to your Canvas account (and, if desired, to turn notifications on or off), please use
this guide and go to
http://canvas.bishopmac.com/login/canvas.
Do I need to purchase a laptop for my student?
Students in 5th and 6th grade use a school-issued laptop, so you do NOT need to purchase one for these students.
If your student is in grades 7-12, you DO need to purchase a laptop (the same one can be used for multiple years, does not need to be new each year).
These should NOT be Chromebooks, ipads, or Android tablets; they should be Windows laptops or, if your child is already thoroughly comfortable with and knows how to operate it, a Macbook.
A full list of recommended laptop minimum specs can be found here.
Do I need to purchase Office (Word, Powerpoint, etc.) for my 7th-12th grade student?
No! Bishop McNamara provides a copy of Office 365 for each student for the duration of their time here. They will be provided instructions on how to download and install Office onto their laptop.
