Academic Honesty

Honesty is expected of students in the performance of all academic work. Cheating, plagiarism (such as, but not limited to, copying or sharing the work of another and submitting it as one’s own), or doing another person’s homework assignments are all forms of academic dishonesty. Anyone who violates the policy of academic honesty may immediately receive a failing grade on that exam or assignment. Academic dishonesty may lead to other disciplinary procedures.

Conferences

1. Scheduled by School
Parent/Teacher Conferences are held for 15 minute periods during the fall. Parents are encouraged to prepare by making a list of questions about how their child is doing academically and/or socially.

2. Requested by Parent
Parents desiring longer conferences than those scheduled by the school or parents who wish to meet with the teacher at times throughout the year are encouraged to call the school to arrange an appointment.

3. Guidelines: Please be as courteous to the teacher as you would expect him/her to be to you. Questioning the teacher’s authority is not helpful in front of the child. If you have such a disagreement, please request an interview with the teacher privately. Please try to be open to both sides of the story if a problem arises. Perception differences and information reported incorrectly can lead to unnecessary confrontations with the teacher and unwise decisions. Discuss classroom difficulties with the teacher first before bringing them to the Principal.

Standardized Testing

Schools participate in the Diocesan standardized testing program in the fall. Each student’s scores will be sent home. The scores are used by the teacher as a diagnostic tool to most effectively adapt the academic program to the strength and needs of the current class.

Homework

Homework is a necessary part of school life and is given as a meaningful part of education. It reinforces work begun in school.

Homework will be given at the discretion of each teacher. Periodically, students will have long-range assignments or study assignments. Through these types of study, students learn responsibility by learning to budget their time and disciplining their study habits.

Suggested time allotments may vary with student ability and study habits:

Grades 1-2	30 minutes
Grades 3-5	60 minutes
Grades 6-8	90-120 minutes

It is required that assignments are turned in when due. Late assignments will negatively affect grades.

Progress Reports

Progress reports are sent home as needed to communicate areas for improvement. Progress reports are to be signed by parent(s) and returned to the teacher within one week.

Report Cards

Report cards are issued to all grades. Report cards are indicators of a child’s progress in school. If a parent, after viewing a report card, feels a conference would be valuable, he/she should call the school office to make an appointment with the teacher. Report card envelopes are to be signed by parents and returned to the teacher within one week.

Grading System

Grade Schedule -- Grades 4-8

A - (95 -100) C+ - (77 - 79) D- - (60 - 62)
A- - (90 - 94) C - (73 - 76) F - (below 60)
B+ - (87 - 89) C- - (70 - 72)
B - (83 - 86) D+ - (67 - 69)
B- - (80 - 82) D - (63 - 66)

All 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade subjects are marked by the letter system below:

VG - Very Good Work
G - Good Work
S - Satisfactory Work
N - Needs Improvement

Academic Review Policy

A student may be placed on academic review if he/she earns a grade of D or below in one or more subjects for a trimester. A conference may be called to determine appropriate action.

Retention

There will be instances when the school determines that a student is not prepared to advance to the next grade. When it has been determined through observations of the child’s physical, social, emotional and academic growth a recommendation will be made to parents. Parents will be required to sign a statement regarding the recommendation.

Student Records

All the student records maintained by the school shall be available for inspection by the student’s parents or legal guardian in the presence of a person qualified to interpret the records. A request from a parent/legal guardians shall be in writing and state the reason for the request. The school has 48 hours to comply with requests to inspect student records but will make every reasonable effort to comply promptly. Student record information will not be delivered over the telephone.

St. Perpetua School abides by the provision of the Buckley amendment. In the absence of a court order to the contrary, the school will provide school related information, including access to academic records, to the non-custodial parent. It is the responsibility of the custodial parent to provide the school with an official copy of the court order.

Electronic Information/Communication

The mission of St. Perpetua School is to educate students to become self-directed, continuous learners and ethical, responsible citizens prepared to meet the increasing challenges of a global, technological society. In addition, the school believes that technology should be used as a vehicle of communication, analysis, and research in light of Catholic values and moral decision-making.

Therefore, the school is committed to the integration and effective use of current and future technology to further the educational mission of the school and the Church’s mission of spreading the Gospel to all people. The Bishops of the United States have supported the use of technology as a means of evangelization.

Telecommunications, electronic information sources and networked services significantly alter the information landscape for schools by opening classrooms to a broader array of resources. Electronic information research skills are now fundamental to preparation of citizens and future employees.

Access to telecommunications will enable students to explore thousands of libraries, databases, and bulletin boards while exchanging messages with people throughout the world. The school believes that the opportunities for collaboration is critically important for learning.