Parent Portal
We are excited to have you attend JSerra Catholic High School! Below you will find such information as laptop options, placement reviews for Math and Science, and freshman course offerings to help you prepare for the upcoming school year. Please check back often as this page is updated regularly. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Admissions at admissions@jserra.org.
Laptop Options
Students are required to purchase their own laptops. This means students can select their systems of choice by ordering online or going to stores such as Best Buy, Costco, Dell, Gateway, Fry's, Micro Center, etc. The school will be teaching through the standard Microsoft Office Suite (Word/Excel/PowerPoint) software. The classes of 2018 and 2019 may use any operating system (PC or Apple). The class of 2020 and 2021 must use a PC-based system (i.e., no Apple products).
The Classes of 2020 and 2021 are the first classes required to bring laptops that have touch screens with a digitizer pen. This will allow students to fully realize the goals of the school's Technology Plan. Laptops with tablet capability will help make learning more interactive in the classroom and will have the ancillary benefit of reducing the use of paper on campus.
Microsoft Office 365 is provided by the school.
DEVICE REQUIREMENTS
In terms of the specific device requirements, they are as follows:
- PC-based (no Apple/Mac devices)
- Windows 10
- Tablet mode (i.e. screen folds or separates to allow laptop to be used as a tablet)
- Touch screen with digitizer pen
- 8GB memory
- 128 GB hard drive
- Webcam
- Wireless 802.11 A/C
- Intel Core i5 or comparable
EXAMPLE LAPTOPS
Below are examples of models, with currently listed prices, that meet the school's requirements.
Other models can be used as long as the above parameters are met. If you have any questions, please contact helpdesk@jserra.org.
Transportation
JSerra Catholic High School offers busy families with options to assist in the transportation of their students to and from school each day. The Tranportation Program fees are for round trip to and from school daily. Please note that once enrolled in the program, if you should decide to withdraw from the program, there will be no refunds on your fees, no exceptions.
Placement Reviews
MATH
The Math Placement Exam for incoming freshmen on Tuesday, May 7th will have two sections:
- Section 1: Algebra Skills
- Section 2: Geometry Skills
Students that are currently taking Algebra 1 and are trying to test into Geometry will ONLY take Section 1, and students that are currently taking Geometry and are trying to test into Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 Honors will need to take BOTH Section 1 and Section 2.
The Geometry section may be taken after Section 1 on Tuesday, May 7th (please allow for an additional hour of testing) OR during the make-up day on Tuesday, May 14th at 3:30 p.m.
HOW TO PREPARE
When preparing for the placement test, we recommend that you:
- Talk to your Math Teacher. Your current Math Teacher is your best resource. They are very familiar with the concepts and can help you find practice problems.
- Use your textbook. Look for practice problems in your textbook. The answers to the odd problems are often listed in the back of the book, so you can check your answers.
- Look for additional practice sheets. We like worksheets from Kuta Software. They are usually specific to a topic and the best part is the answers are on the back page so you can check to ensure you have the right answer. You can search for these on the internet.
CONCEPTS TO REVIEW
Concepts covered on the Algebra section and the Geometry section may be downloaded below.
SCIENCE
This exam is required for all students wishing to take Biology Honors their freshman year. Students currently placed into Conceptual Physics may also take the Science Placement Exam to place into Biology.
Please meet in the Center Room at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 9th for the exam.
CONCEPTS TO REVIEW
Concepts covered on the science exam may be downloaded below. Please note that students must also know how to read and interpret graphs.
World Languages
The World Language Department will offer a World Languages placement exam for any incoming freshman students who wish to bypass the introductory level of the perspective language course or be placed in an first year honors course if available in that language and based on the results. An exam is offered in Spanish, French, Latin and Mandarin.
Please meet outside the Center Room in the Quad at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8th. The end time depends as some students may take multiple exams.
Incoming Student Packet 2018-2019
If you are unable to view the interactive Incoming Student Packet below, click here to download.