Student and Parent Handbook

Student and Parent Handbook 5778-5779/2018-2019 Mission Statement The Weber School prepares its students for success in college and in life, inspiring them to be knowledgeable, thinking, responsible Jewish adults, by weaving together: ● The pursuit of academic excellence; ● A commitment to Jewish values, the Jewish people and Israel; and ● A responsibility to serve our community and improve our world. Academic Program Academic Expectations The Weber School is a college preparatory school offering a challenging, well-rounded and integrated program of general and Jewish Studies, activities, the arts, and athletics. In our school’s uncompromising commitment to academic excellence, students are expected to come to classes fully prepared, to participate actively, and to seek help and support as needed. Parents are encouraged to actively support the school in achieving academic goals by contacting the teachers through email or phone when there are academic concerns and by supporting their child’s ownership of his or her learning. Student Academic Reports Students receive four (4) formal progress reports per year. Additionally, narrative comments for each student are included at the end of semester progress reports (December and June). Students receive letter grades in each of their courses, as outlined in the grading scale, and only the final course grade appears on a student’s official transcript. Evaluation of Student Performance Teachers evaluate the performance of all students assigned to their classes according to the School’s published grading scale. Each course syllabus contains specific information regarding how a student’s grade is calculated. Grading Scale A+ 96.01+ B+ 86.01-89.00 C+ 76.01-79.00 D+ 66.01-69.00 A 92.01-96.00 B 82.01-86.00 C 72.01-76.00 D 61.01-66.00 A- 89.01-92.00 B- 79.01-82.00 C- 69.01-72.00 D- 59.01-61.00 F 59.00 and below P Pass *Teachers do not round grades in their courses.* Transcript Codes Grading System A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D- F 4.3 4.0 3.6 3.3 3.0 2.6 2.3 2.0 1.6 1.3 1.0 0.6 Quality Point Equivalent 3 0 7 3 0 7 3 0 7 3 0 7 0 Numeric Minimum <5 Equivalent 97 93 90 87 83 80 77 73 70 67 63 60 9 Special Codes used on the transcript: H Denotes an honors course; an extra .5 quality points are awarded with the letter grade AP Denotes Advanced Placement; an extra quality point (1.00) is awarded with the letter grade P Denotes a passing grade in a Pass/Fail course; credit will count toward graduation requirement. Grade is not included in The Weber School GPA. T Denotes course transferred from another school. Such work is interpreted by The Weber School for purposes of evaluation for graduation. The grade is not included in The Weber School GPA. Students may be expected to request original transcripts from the former school, especially for College Admissions purposes. *Please note that all grades are included on a student’s transcript, regardless of whether or not the course grade is included in a student’s GPA. If a course is taken as a means to show improved mastery of a subject, both grades will appear on the student’s transcript. Valedictorian/Salutatorian Determination The selection of Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the graduating class will be determined at the end of first semester each year. Students must have been enrolled at Weber for a minimum of three full school years in order to receive this honor, and only those grades earned in Weber courses will be used in the determination process. Academic Review Students who earn a “C-” or below at the end of a grading period must schedule meetings with appropriate teachers to devise an academic improvement plan. Parents play a vital role in the success of students in this situation and should seek ways to engage with their children in working toward their improvement. Toward this end, parents will receive a copy of the academic improvement plan, which must be signed by the parent and student and returned to the appropriate Grade Level Dean. Students who receive two “D”s or an “F” in any given semester are placed on Academic Review. When on Academic Review, the Grade Level Dean will conduct a meeting with the student and his or her parents to structure the expectations that the student must meet by the end of the next grading period. Students on Academic Review will be closely monitored by the Grade Level Deans. Students who end two consecutive semesters on Academic Review will be reviewed by the Principal and Head of School as to their ability to succeed and continue at the school, which could ultimately lead to the student being disenrolled from The Weber School. Loss of Credit for Failing Grades: Any student who earns a transcript grade of F will not receive credit for that course. The student must make–up the work in a summer school program at a SAIS/SACS accredited institution or through a course of study approved by the Principal. It is highly recommended that students who earn a grade of D repeat the course in an approved summer school program or receive tutoring by an approved educator. Official transcripts indicating the student’s performance must be sent directly from the summer school to the Registrar. Master Schedule The master schedule is an AB schedule that rotates every day of the week, including Fridays. There are eight blocks of classes. Four blocks meet each day which may include a morning program, as well as lunch every day. The school day begins at 7:45am and ends at 3:45pm. Open instructional periods, referred to as “X” blocks, are held every morning and in the afternoons on Monday through Thursday of each week. Morning X block is from 07:45-08:25am, and Afternoon X block runs from 02:45-03:45pm. While X block attendance, for the most part, is not mandatory, we strongly encourage all students to take advantage of this time by scheduling meetings with their teachers and participating in study groups. All students should arrive on campus no later than 08:25am to attend their first class. Students who enroll in classes which are scheduled during X block must attend those classes each day, unless they have an excused absence as defined within this handbook. Graduation Requirements **Required Course Outline: Students take additional course electives to complete an eight-block course schedule. English Social Studies Math Science World Jewish Studies (4 credits) (4 credits) (4 credits) (4 credits) Language*** (7 credits) (3 credits, if taking Hebrew as primary/4 credits if taking Spanish as primary) Grammar, World History: (Placement Biology Hebrew or Jewish Literature Composition, & Ancient Period exercise given to Hebrew & & Law I (plus Literature to Columbian determine course Spanish -- Hebrew) Contact progression.) Placement Alegra I is exercise given to offered for those determine course needing this progression. course. SAMPLE: Geometry World Literature World History: Algebra II Chemistry Hebrew, Jewish Literature Reformation to Spanish, or & Law II (plus Present combination of Hebrew or JS languages elective) American United States Pre-Calculus Physics Hebrew, Modern Jewish Literature or AP History or AP Spanish, or History (plus Language & United States combination of Hebrew or JS Composition History languages elective) Senior English or Economics (.5) Calculus or Science elective Fourth year not Jewish Studies AP English & Government Equivalent Math required, but Elective or Literature (.5) or elective offerings strongly Hebrew Equivalent encouraged Science elective offerings **Standard course requirements; students’ course needs and placements may vary, based upon individual advisement and administrative approval. ***ALL students must complete at least one year of Hebrew and must also complete three (3) years of study in the same foreign language in order to fulfill graduation requirements. Students must complete the equivalent of one year’s credit (120 hours) of Fine Arts study. This requirement may be fulfilled through elective courses or participation in Fine Arts programming. Weber has a physical education requirement that can be fulfilled through participation in one of our sports teams for at least one full season or through participation in outside activities with approval by the Principal. Questions about graduation requirements should be directed to the Principal. Courses at Other Schools Permission to take a course at another school/college must be obtained from the Principal, and such courses must meet all SAIS/SACS standards. Independent Study In rare circumstances, a course may be offered on an independent study basis. Independent study courses must be approved by the Principal and meet all SAIS/SACS standards. Course Placement Weber’s goal is to place students in those courses most closely aligned with their academic strengths and interests. For those academic courses offered at various levels, including College Preparatory, Honors, and Advanced Placement, teachers will make recommendations for a student’s placement based upon mastery of skills in the current course, previous grades, work ethic, and any prerequisites determined necessary by individual content areas. If a student chooses to pursue a level without a teacher’s recommendation, the student will discuss the pros and cons of this choice with the teacher, Content Area Dean, and Grade Level Dean and will either agree to the placement in the higher level with its attendant challenges or develop goals to achieve the higher level in the following school year. Please note that students may be unable to change course levels, once the standard drop/add period (the first ten (10) school days) has passed.

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