How to (and not to) Use Your Planner

Why do I need a planner anyway? The student planner has been designed by teachers at Westridge to help you organize your day and be successful at school. Even if you don’t think you need your planner, you do! It is expected that you will use your planner every day, in every class. Here is some information about the planner and how to use it successfully!

School Rules and Policies The school rules and policies are the first 10 cream colored pages in your planner. These are things that you are expected to know. This can be a great reference throughout the year.

Hall Passes In order to go to your locker, the office, the bathroom or anywhere else in the building during class time, you MUST have your planner and use the YELLOW hall passes that are on the left hand side of each week. You may not use the passes in the front of you planner. Rip those pages out!

The hall pass must be filled in completely, including: the date your destination the time you left the time you came back your teacher’s initials

Using Your Planner in Class Every teacher throughout your day should have the class work and the homework clearly posted in their room. It may not be worded the same or be in the same place in every room; you need to find out from each teacher what they expect you to write in your planner. If there is no homework that day, do not leave it blank. Write “none” or “nothing.” The PE teachers do not expect you to bring your planner into the gym. However, you should still fill in your planner for PE at some point in your day. If there is no homework, don’t leave it blank – see bullet above. If you have a test coming up or any homework, write that down.

Use your planner as a check-off list Use your planner as a check-off list. If you complete a task in class or study hall, mark it off. Make a mark next to things you didn’t get done and need to finish at home. This will make the end of the day and getting things out of your locker to take home much easier!

Use a binder clip, paper clip or rubber band to keep your place in your planner. As the year goes on, it’s much faster to get it out and fill it in if the you can open right up to the correct week.

Don’t rip pages out after the week is over Don’t rip pages out after the week is over. The planner is a great record of what you have done and when things were assigned. You never know when you will need information from past weeks.

Make sure your name is on your planner, in ink, where it is easy to see. When a planner is left behind in a class, a teacher can easily return it if your name is on it. Remember: all of your planners are identical – it’s easy to pick up the wrong one! Having your name on it in ink helps to ensure that you will get it back.

Figure out what works for you Figure out what works for you. Label either the hours or the classes along the left side of the grid and be consistent. Once you come up with the best system for you, filling it in each hour will take no time at all!

You could win a prize! Throughout the year, the administration will randomly choose a number for an unannounced planner check. Each teacher will check the planner of the student who has that number on their class roster. If the planner is completely filled out (no blanks at all!), those students will get to go to the office for a prize.

How Not to Use Your Planner No labeling of classes or hours. Writing is sloppy and illegible. Hall pass not completely filled out and messy. EMPTY BOXES! There really is no valuable information at all here!

How to Use Your Planner Classes labeled along the side. Things that are done have a check mark; things that need to be finished have a star. Class work and homework clearly labeled. NO EMPTY BOXES! Hall pass filled out completely.