Academic Policy

Grading Scale
The Office of Catholic Education establishes the grading scale for all Catholic Schools. Our scale follows that of the Diocese which is printed on report cards.

The grading scale is as follows:

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Grading System
Grading periods at St. Mary’s are set up in quarters, each quarter is approximately 9 weeks of school.

Reports for prekindergarten and kindergarten classes assess individual skills and indicate if a given skill is mastered or needs further practice.

Report cards for grades 1-2 address specific subject areas such as Religion, Math and Reading . Grades on that report are marked: “S+” for “Exceeds basic requirements”, “S” for ‘‘Satisfactory”, “S-” for “Having difficulty, “U” for “Unsatisfactory” and “P” for “Making good progress but below grade level”.

Report cards for grades 3-8 also report scores in the specific areas. Letter grades ‘A’ through ‘F’ are used for scoring. Students in grades 5-8 are eligible for the Honor Roll (B average) or High Honor Roll (A average). All classes that meet a minimum of 3 days/week will be included in the student’s GPA.

Cumulative GPA is based on a12 point scale whereas quarterly GPA is determined on a 4 point scale (4 point scales do not take into consideration the “+” and “-“).

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Homework
Assignments are given for various purposes. Homework both extends and reinforces instruction through practice and it is an avenue by which parents and teachers may monitor progress and detect any difficulty a student may experience.

Parents should provide a constructive time and place for the student to study. Generally, time spent daily on homework should not exceed the times listed below. If you find that your child routinely spends more than the recommended time on homework, please discuss the issue with the classroom teacher.

15-30 minutes - grades K, 1 & 2

30-60 minutes - grades 3 & 4

45-60 minutes - grades 5 & 6

60-90 minutes - grades 7 & 8

Make - Up Work Due to Absence

All grades are entered as ‘incomplete’ until the work is completed satisfactorily.

Homework and schoolwork for students who were given EXCUSED absences will be fully credited, if made up within a limitation of not more than the time missed through absences. For example, a student who missed two days with excused absence must turn in all work no later than 8:00 am at the beginning of the third day back at school.

Homework and schoolwork missed during an UNEXCUSED absence must also be made up; however, the teacher will reduce earned grade by one letter grade.  

Examples of Excused Absences:

Examples of Unexcused Absences:

Late Work

Late work is unacceptable. Students may receive a lower grade or a zero for late work. Individual teachers have their own policies for late work and students are notified of this policy at the start of the school year. Late work is expected to be completed and turned in. A conference will be scheduled with parents for students who continually turn in work late.

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Permanent Records
Each student that enters St. Mary’s will have a permanent record file maintained in the office. That file will include: grade reports, registration forms, emergency forms and other information pertinent to the individual child, such as diagnostic and special education records. Only authorized school personnel may access these files. Parents may review their child's file by contacting the principal for an appointment.

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Parent Access to Grades/RVS GradeBook
Parents may view grades online through the RVS GradeBook found at http://www.rvsgradebook.com/login.asp

A user ID and password are required. Your student will be issued an ID and password. If you need additional assistance, please contact our Technology Coordinator.

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Progress Reports
Since grades are available through the RVS GradeBook, progress reports will only be issued as needed or upon request. Parents are encouraged to have frequent communication with their child’s teacher through e-mail, phone calls and notes. A formal conference is scheduled in the fall; however, parents are encouraged to request a conference any time throughout the year and any time there is a concern.

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Report Cards
Quarterly report cards will be provided within one week after the end of a quarter. Parents are to sign the report card envelope at the end of the first three quarters and return it to the teacher. The paper copy may be retained at home. At the end of each semester, report cards will be held until all tuition and other school fees are paid. Eighth grader’s diplomas will be held until all financial obligations are satisfied.

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Promotion and Retention
Promotion to the next grade at St. Mary’s School is not to be taken for granted. In considering a child for promotion, the teacher evaluates the child’s academic achievement demonstrated by the mastery of the required skills in those subject areas appropriate to the given grade. This achievement is viewed in relation to the child’s overall development, ability, and personality traits. If a student does not demonstrate adequate academic achievement, as determined by the teacher and principal, a conference with parents should occur. A plan for remediation may be implemented and goals set in order to establish criteria for the student’s promotion. The principal is ultimately responsible for the grade placement of students in the school and will make final decisions regarding retention and promotion.

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8th GRADE PARTICIPATION: CCHS ACCELERATED PROGRAMS
(Reprinted from the CCHS handbook found on-line at http://www.blmcchs.org/handbook.php)

Central Catholic High School , as an accommodation to the Catholic Grade Schools, will grant admission to our Algebra and Foreign Language (French/Spanish) classes to those eighth graders who meet the following requirements:

Students who are accepted into this program must complete the proper forms and. pay a course fee of $600.00 for each class. These course fees will be subtracted from tuition costs when enrolling as a 9th grader at CCHS. For students who continue their high school education at CCHS, the Algebra and Foreign Language semester grade will be part of their permanent record and will count as a math credit but will not count in their GPA.

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