Academy February Newsletter
Dear Central Academy students and families,
LEARNING MODALITY
All Central classes (Academy and Campus) will continue in their current modality. Virtual classes will continue to be virtual and hybrid classes will continue to be hybrid. It is the only way we can continue to offer the full range of courses that we are currently offering. If a family chose in-person for their home school classes, they could still take their Academy classes virtually. This may be the best compromise for those needing in person and wanting Academy courses.
SCREEN TIME DISCUSSION
Recently NPR hosted a podcast on How Screen Time Shapes Kids. I found it to be a nuanced and important conversation as I am thinking about how best to support students and their teachers this semester and next. You can listen to the discussion, read the high points of the discussion, and/or access the reading list for related articles. Parents and guardians may find it worth a listen.
TERM DATES
The instructional days calendar will likely change. However, the transition between terms has been settled. Term 3 classes end on March 30. Term 4 classes start on March 31.
AP EXAM QUESTIONS
The Academy website has FAQs for AP Exam ordering and cancellation. Today the College Board has announced additional testing options for districts to accommodate those needing more instructional time before testing (like our Term 4 AP classes) or different test modalities. I’m working with the five high schools to sift through these options. I’ll share more about these options with you soon.
SEMESTER 1 INCOMPLETE GRADES
Due to the pandemic, no failing grades will be transcribed. If a student did not provide enough evidence of their skills and knowledge to pass the class by the end of the semester, an incomplete grade was assigned instead. The incomplete grade will remain on the transcript until the student completes the course. Incomplete grades may remain on the transcript indefinitely and do not count towards the student’s GPA.
Few semester 1 grades at Academy were incomplete. But for those who have incomplete courses, we are having thoughtful and deliberate discussions with the high schools and the Academy teacher leaders about how we will work with students to resolve incomplete grades on student transcripts.
HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT OPTIONS FOR 8TH GRADE STUDENTS
Students in the 8th Grade Academy program have some options for how their Academy courses show up on their high school transcripts.