Holy Cross School Policies
Academic Standards and Grade Reports

Academic Awards - Grades 4 through 8
All students in grades 4 - 8 have an opportunity to be recognized for their academic and service achievements on our quarterly grading system. A school suspension makes a student ineligible for any "Honors" during that quarter.

FIRST HONORS All A's in each grading area

SECOND HONORS All A's and B's in each grading area

THIRD HONORS All B's in each grading area

Grading Standards

Grades 1 - 3
The report card used follows a simple numerical system with a scale of 1 (low) to 3 (high) applied to academic areas, as well as personal and social development.

Grades 4 - 8
The following code, criteria and equivalent are used in evaluating the work of the students.
* A = 100 - 90%
* B = 89 - 80%
* C = 79 - 70%
* D = 69 - 60%
* U = below 60%

Personal Development Marks

The personal development area employs three measures of growth in a students personal
development.
1. The first recognizes personal growth in the area of academic pursuits.
The second recognizes personal growth in leadership skills and service to others outside the school.
2. The third recognizes personal growth in the area of being courteous and considerate of
others within the school.
Pass/Fail is given in: Computer, Music, and Gym.

Deficiency Slip Policy

Each Friday any student in grades 5 through 8, who is receiving a grade of D or below in any class, will be issued a deficiency slip. These slips will be in the office by noon on each Friday, and a copy will be sent home to the parents, so they will be informed of the students need for progress. Any student who receives two D slips, or one U slip or more will be ineligible for extra-curricular activities, including practices and sports for a period of 5 days, beginning on the Monday following the issuance of the deficiency and ending on Friday of that week. Students who receive further deficiency slips on the next Friday will remain ineligible for the weekend also until the following Friday again.

Homework

Homework is the oral or written reinforcement and/or enrichment of concepts presented in class. It may include the completion of class assignments.
Time allotted for homework varies by grade level and subject area. No home study is assigned on weekends; however, long-range assignments not completed during the week, or past-due assignments not completed during the week may be finished on the weekend according to the directive of the teacher. At the Junior High level weekend homework will be given at the discretion of the teacher.
A guideline for the amount of time spent daily on homework follows:
Grades 1 & 2 15 to 30 minutes
Grades 3 & 4 30 to 60 minutes
Grades 5 & 6 60 to 75 minutes
Grades 7 & 8 60 to 120 minutes
It is your child's responsibility to know the assignment, to write it down, to complete the work, and to hand it in on time. An assignment notebook is required for students of grades 3 through 8.
Assignment notebooks (3rd - 8th grd) are purchased through the school.
The following are some suggestions on ways for you to help increase your child's success while studying at home:
* Plan with your child a place and an uninterrupted time where and when they may do their homework on a daily basis.
* Encourage your child when he is having difficulty with an assignment.
* Read your child's original writing.
* Be supportive and make positive comments about effort as well as the finished paper, project, reading, or research.
* Help with review for tests after your child has finished studying.
* Guide with clues leading to problem solving.
* Encourage and direct.
* Drill.
* Never pass out answers, write or word process assignments for your child.
* Call the school requesting to speak with the teacher or send a note if your child never has homework, or has been issued detentions for incomplete or late assignments.
* Purchase a school provided assignment notebook to list assignments with dates due. Verify what is written with performance and teacher's comments or reports.
* Sign all required notes and return to school promptly as requested.
* Communicate a positive attitude and excitement about learning.
* Speak respectfully with your children of school, educators and the educational process.
* Make sure that your child eats healthy meals and receives proper rest.
* Monitor content and time spent in front of the TV, video and computer.

Promotion

Promotion and the opportunity to graduate take place when a student demonstrates satisfactory completion and mastery of the work of the previous grade level.
Promotion and graduation are conditioned upon receiving a passing grade in all major subject areas as indicated on the report card.
Major subjects include: Religion, language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Promotion and graduation may be contingent upon:
1. Successfully completing assigned summer work in the area of deficiency,
2. and/or upon the degree of ability to manifest expected proficiency,
3. and/or upon natural ability and other subjective circumstances.
Students at the eighth grade level are required to pass an examination on the Constitution of the United Sates and of the State of Illinois.
Parents will be notified in writing before the fourth quarter begins if a student appears to be in danger of not being promoted or of graduating.

Report Cards

All students of Grades 1 - 8 receive a quarterly report card. The first quarter report period is followed by Parent-Teacher Conferences. At other times, parents may arrange for a conference with the teacher. In the interest of time management, it is important that parents either come together for conferences or when one parent represents both parents that communication between the parents takes place. Parents will be notified during the year of unsatisfactory, failing or incomplete work. This may take the form of a detention notice, a progress report, a deficiency slip, or a phone call.
If a student is absent ten or more days during a marking period, an INCOMPLETE may be given for work until the assignments missed have been completed.