PSD's Move to SchooLinks for Course Registration

Eric Marquette

Welcome Peninsula families! Today, we're diving into a significant shift happening in our schools—the move to SchooLinks as the district's platform for course selection and college or career readiness. If you’re not familiar with these tools yet, don’t worry. We’ll break it down for you.

Eric Marquette

So, SchooLinks is kinda like a one-stop shop for helping students in grades 8 through 11 explore their interests, shape academic goals, and set their sights on careers or colleges. One of the reasons PSD is making this switch is that SchooLinks offers more interactive and personalized features compared to other platforms. For example, students can now take career interest surveys, explore virtual campus tours, even build digital portfolios or resumes—all in one platform. Pretty impressive, right?

Eric Marquette

But here’s the thing: this shift isn’t just about throwing in some cool tech. It’s about meeting students where they are and making challenging graduation requirements easier to navigate. The platform even helps students plan out their coursework so it aligns with whatever career path or college goal they’re aiming for. It’s all about making the process simpler, which, let’s face it, is a win-win.

Eric Marquette

SchooLinks really shines when it comes to helping students succeed. At its core, SchooLinks offers tools that meet students exactly where they are in their educational journeys. Think career strengths assessments—they’re designed to help students understand not just what they’re good at, but also where their passions could take them. That kind of insight can be a game-changer.

Eric Marquette

The foundation of SchooLinks is its ability to support personalized planning. Starting in eighth grade, Peninsula School District students can begin drafting course plans that align with their future goals—whether that’s a specific career or a college pathway. For older students, this transitions into managing things like applications, resumes, and even scholarships. It’s this seamless progression that just keeps building on itself. SchooLinks is the tool all students will use to select their high school courses for the year. It includes tools that will help them meet their graduation requirements, choose a CTE Pathway, and manage their schedule.

Eric Marquette

SchooLinks also provides a virtual college tours feature. Now, this isn’t just a static slideshow or a boring brochure—these are immersive tours where students can explore campuses that might be, well, thousands of miles away. It’s a way to widen their horizons without even leaving the classroom—or their bedrooms, honestly. And let’s face it, that’s especially helpful when time or resources might be tight.

Eric Marquette

Picture this: A high school junior who’s passionate about STEM decides to dive into SchooLinks. They use it to explore colleges with strong engineering programs, take a few virtual tours, and then work on a resume that highlights their coding projects and robotics club experience. From there, they start narrowing down scholarships tailored to their field. That’s the kind of proactive planning that sets students up for success down the road.

Eric Marquette

So really, everything SchooLinks does is about giving students the tools and confidence to take charge of their futures. Whether it’s career exploration, college prep, or just figuring out what they’re excited about, it’s all in one place, and that makes such a difference.

Eric Marquette

Oh, and before I forget, course registration for Peninsula School District students in grades 8 through 11 opens soon—on February 10, and it runs through March 14 of 2025. Students can actually start exploring everything SchooLinks offers right now. Just head over to the PSD Portal, which you may know as Class Link, and dive in!

Eric Marquette

Alright, now that we’ve talked about the student side of SchooLinks, let’s shift gears and highlight what this platform specifically offers for you as parents and guardians. One of the standout features of SchooLinks, honestly, is how it keeps parents, you know, in the loop in ways that are super helpful. With parental access, you can actually track your student’s progress in real-time. I mean, whether it’s checking out the classes they’ve picked, seeing how they’re hitting those important milestones, or staying up to date on deadlines, it’s all right there at your fingertips.

Eric Marquette

And let’s not forget about the financial side of things. Parents, I know this can feel overwhelming—college costs, financial aid, just trying to figure out what makes the most sense for your family. SchooLinks actually helps tackle this with tools for comparing college costs and exploring financial aid options. So instead of feeling like you’re trying to piece everything together yourself, you get a clearer picture of what’s realistic and what works best for everyone.

Eric Marquette

Oh, just a quick reminder. Registration for students opens on February 10 and runs through March 14, 2025. Your student can log in today and start exploring all the SchooLinks resources through the PSD Portal.

Eric Marquette

Thanks for joining PSD as we explored the shift to SchooLinks and what it means for students, parents, and educators alike. You can learn more about SchooLinks and High School and Beyond plans at www.psd401.net. It’s been a great conversation, and I hope you’re walking away with a better sense of how this tool can really make an impact.