St Michael’s Prep
Parent/Student Handbook

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Chapter 3: Academics, Grades and Attendance

1. GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

The St. Michael’s diploma is granted upon the completion of a course of study which includes all that is listed below. Ten credits are assigned to each class meeting five times a week for two academic semesters. Beginning with the freshman year, the course of study includes the following areas of study and of credit:

Religion Each year while attending St. Michael’s
English 4 years
Foreign Language (same) 2 years
Social Studies 4 years
Senior Humanities 1 semester
Fine Arts 1 year
Mathematics 4 years
Laboratory Sciences 4 years
Physical Education 2 years
St. Michael’s teaches all of its academic courses at the College Prep (CP) level. When higher levels are provided at Honors (H) or Advanced Placement (AP), they are indicated. These receive extra weight in calculating the Grade Point Average (GPA). [Return to Table of Contents]

Religion	Each year while attending St. Michael’s
English	4 years
Foreign Language (same)	2 years
Social Studies	4 years
Senior Humanities	1 semester
Fine Arts	1 year
Mathematics	4 years
Laboratory Sciences	4 years
Physical Education	2 years

2. GRADUATION POLICY

Seniors who earn less than a “C” as a semester grade in any class do not graduate from St. Michael’s until that grade is remediated. If this unfortunate circumstance arises, then two courses of action follow. (1) As the senior did not have all the necessary graduation requirements, he does not participate in the Commencement Exercises. This ceremony is one of the privileges reserved to those who have met their academic and social obligations as established by the school. (2) The senior will redo the course work in an approved summer school program. Once the course work is completed, the senior receives his diploma and resumes his place with his classmates. [Return to Table of Contents]

3. COURSE SEQUENCE

FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE JUNIOR SENIOR HIGHER OFFERING
RELIGION Catholicism Sacred Scripture Intro to Philosophy Ethics and Patristics
ENGLISH Literature & Composition World Literature American Literature English Literature
Senior Humanities English AP
MATH Algebra
Geometry Geometry
Adv. Algebra Adv. Algebra
Precalculus Adv. Math
Precalculus
Calculus Calculus AP (BC)
SCIENCE Biology Anatomy &
Physiology Chemistry Physics
Marine Biology Biology AP
Physics AP
LANGUAGE Intro to Latin
Latin I Latin I
Latin II Latin II
Latin III Latin III
Latin IV Latin V
HISTORY Ancient & Medieval Modern History US History CP
US History AP US Government
Economics CP
Economics AP California History
European History AP
FINE ARTS Intermediate Chorus Drawing I
Chorus Advanced Chorus Advanced Chorus Art History
ATHLETICS P.E.
Cross Country
Football
Soccer
Baseball P.E.
Cross Country
Football
Soccer
Baseball Cross Country
Football
Soccer
Baseball Cross Country
Football
Soccer
Baseball
[Return to Table of Contents]

	FRESHMAN	SOPHOMORE	JUNIOR	SENIOR	HIGHER OFFERING
RELIGION	Catholicism	Sacred Scripture	Intro to Philosophy	Ethics and Patristics
ENGLISH	Literature & Composition	World Literature	American Literature	English Literature Senior Humanities	English AP
MATH	Algebra Geometry	Geometry Adv. Algebra	Adv. Algebra Precalculus	Adv. Math Precalculus Calculus	Calculus AP (BC)
SCIENCE	Biology	Anatomy & Physiology	Chemistry	Physics Marine Biology	Biology AP Physics AP
LANGUAGE	Intro to Latin Latin I	Latin I Latin II	Latin II Latin III	Latin III Latin IV	Latin V
HISTORY	Ancient & Medieval	Modern History	US History CP US History AP	US Government Economics CP Economics AP	California History European History AP
FINE ARTS	Intermediate Chorus	Drawing I Chorus	Advanced Chorus	Advanced Chorus	Art History
ATHLETICS	P.E. Cross Country Football Soccer Baseball	P.E. Cross Country Football Soccer Baseball	Cross Country Football Soccer Baseball	Cross Country Football Soccer Baseball

4. HOMEWORK

Homework assignments have clear and definite purposes. They are designed to meet one or more of the following aims:

To provide the drill necessary for the mastery of the skill.
To promote individual and cooperative study and preparation of the course materials.
To stimulate creative intellectual activities on the part of the student through solving problems, composition work, etc.
Teachers give daily assignments. The typical student, working diligently, should be able to complete the daily assignment within 30-40 minutes per class. Within this time frame are book reports, map work, projects done outside of class, etc. There are homework assignments over the weekend. Students should work on their long-range assignments (such as book reports, term papers, maps, compositions, and lab projects) systematically in order to have adequate time for their day-to-day assignments.
Written work should be neatly presented on standard 8½ × 11 white paper, (no pages torn out from spiral notebooks). Written work should normally be completed in pen of blue or black ink or produced on the computer. Written work should always be grammatically correct and have proper punctuation. Clearly title all work with the student’s name, date, and class. Accepting late work is at the discretion of the individual teacher.
Correct English, written and oral, is insisted upon in every class by every teacher. An example is set in this matter by the teachers themselves.
After an absence, it is the student’s personal responsibility to see his teachers about making up all work he missed. It is the responsibility of the student to turn in all work and to request any exam on his own. [Return to Table of Contents]

5. PLAGIARISM, HOMEWORK COPYING, CHEATING

Plagiarism (taking ideas, writings, etc. from someone else and presenting them as one’s own) and homework copying are placed in the same category as test cheating. Any student using material copied from an Internet source under the guise of his own name is cheating. Students have a moral responsibility to themselves and others to work honestly. The consequences for cheating and/or plagiarism are progressive. For the first offence the student receives a “0” and a letter home. The second offence adds a conference with the parents and the loss during that academic year of all co-curricular and extra-curricular privileges and positions. The third offense is sufficient reason for expulsion from school. The record of these offenses accumulate throughout the years the student attends St. Michael’s. In addition to other means, the school does use commercially-available software designed to identify unreferenced sources in the student work. [Return to Table of Contents]

6. INTERNET USE POLICY

The Internet is a powerful learning tool when used properly. All data passing through network resources at St. Michael’s Prep are not private. The I.T. department and/or administrators reserve the right to inspect data and communications across network resources at St. Michael’s. It is within the rights of the school to monitor email or computer usage as it strives to maintain both the virtue and safety of the young men.

Regarding computer usage, St. Michael’s Preparatory School makes it a violation to recklessly or maliciously interfere with the computer, network resources or data. The school also upholds that misappropriation of data or copyrighted materials may constitute theft.

St. Michael’s computer abuse policy applies to all students, faculty, and staff. The use of computers or network systems in no way exempts any member of the school community from the normal requirements of ethical or legal behavior.

Use of a computer and network system that is shared by many users imposes certain additional obligations. Violations may result in suspension of computer privileges. All on-campus computers are monitored to assure compliance with school policy.

Internet access is available in the library when there is adult supervision. Academic use of the internet always has precedence to recreational use. Recreational use of the Internet is limited to recreation periods and only for those students not on study detention.

While the school works to ensure that students do not access material which is inappropriate and offensive on the Internet and instructs students in the proper and responsible use of the Internet, the school cannot be held liable for the actions of students who deliberately contravene the school’s policies and guidelines. [Return to Table of Contents]

7. FIELD TRIPS

There are circumstances under which a student will leave St. Michael’s school grounds for school and/or weekend functions, such as athletic events and field trips. The students are chaperoned by faculty, parents, and/or community members. Care is taken to ensure the safety of all participants. Nevertheless, accidents can happen and possessions can be left behind. St. Michael’s cannot be liable for any damage or loss, even that of life, which might occur during these excursions. [Return to Table of Contents]

8. TESTING AND GRADING

Evaluating student progress is a primary responsibility of the school. It is a task that invites a variety of evaluation methods. The primary purpose of evaluation is to determine the extent to which a student mastered the course standards. This level of achievement is determined through a systematic process. Grades can diagnose, motivate, and/or recognize excellence.

Prior to the quarterly and semester examinations a special schedule is issued. Oral exams conclude the first and third quarters. The exam is conducted by the teachers in that discipline area and weights 10% of the quarter grade. Oral exams have several purposes. They provide the students the chance of thinking and speaking “under pressure.” This skill is very important in effective communication, logical thinking, and all forms of public speaking. Oral exams also provide another medium through which student progress is regularly assessed.

The special Semester Test Schedule comes at the end of the second and fourth quarters. The semester exam is a scheduled 90 minute block of time. The semester exam tests the student’s ability to synthesize large quantities of materials. These examinations comprise 20% of a student’s grade for the semester. All students, superior academic ability notwithstanding, sit for these important exams.

A student whose achievement is not satisfactory (“C-,” “D,” “F” or has dropped more than one letter grade from the last grading period) receives a Progress Report from his teacher explaining his grade. Such progress reports are sent approximately at the midpoint of every academic quarter. Any student who receives an unsatisfactory Progress Report is placed on the Weekly Progress Report list and remains with a weekly Progress Report until the next formal evaluation period. The goal of providing this additional information is to alert the student in academic difficulty so that he may improve his study habits and seek help from the available sources on campus. The school also alerts and updates the parents so they can more effectively support their son in his renewed academic focus.

Academic grades are certificates of achievement. They are not a system of rewards and punishment for conduct. Grading “on a curve” is not statistically valid in small classrooms. It is neither a customary nor encouraged practice at St. Michael’s. [Return to Table of Contents]

9. GRADING SCALE

St. Michael’s uses the following schedule to record student’s academic achievement.

A+ 98-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 68-69 F 0-64
No Credit
A 94-97 B 84-86 C 74-76 D 66-67
A- 90-93 B- 80-83 C- 70-73 D- 65

A+	98-100	B+	87-89	C+	77-79	D+	68-69	F	0-64 No Credit
A	94-97	B	84-86	C	74-76	D	66-67
A-	90-93	B-	80-83	C-	70-73	D-	65

P (Passing): credit for having taken course; not included in the GPA.
NP (Not Passing): no credit for having taken course; not included in the GPA.
I (Incomplete): must be completed within a determined period of time in order to receive a grade. If it is not completed in that time period, it becomes an “F.”

Make-up Grades: The student who has been ill is given the opportunity to make up his grades within a specified period of time. Each teacher states his/her policy at the beginning of the school year.

Students suspended from class and/or school do not receive credit on any work due during the time of suspension. [Return to Table of Contents]

10. CALCULATING SEMESTER GRADES

Semester grades are calculated from three weighted factors. Each of the two quarter grades weighs 40%. The semester exam itself weighs 20% of the semester grade. [Return to Table of Contents]

11. STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE A QUARTER OR SEMESTER GRADE OF “D” OR “F”

A student who receives a quarter grade of “C-”, “D”, or “F”, receives a weekly progress report. (See Chapter 3, Section 8, Testing and Grading above.) However, the same “D” or “F” as a quarter grade in a class excludes the student from the Honor Roll and all the Honor Roll privileges for that quarter. (See Chapter 3, Section 15, Honor Roll Privileges and Chapter 6, Section 4, Financial Aid.) A student who receives a semester grade of “D” or “F” must make up the work. A passing grade of “C” is a necessary prerequisite for readmission to St. Michael’s Preparatory for the following academic year. In order to achieve this, the student must repeat the course during the summer.

This schooling can be taken online, at a local school, or with a competent tutor. To properly evaluate the summer work, the student must submit a summer school transcript and a portfolio of work completed during the summer course. Based upon this information the administration, leaning heavily on the advice of the department chair, records a grade on the transcript which represents the level of work as it compares to St. Michael’s expectations. There are occasions when the school administration will require the student to take a written and/or oral competency exam in order to better evaluate his newly-strengthened academic proficiency.

While both the original failing grade and the competency grade are on the transcript, the latter is used to compute the grade point average. The student who earns two or more grades below “C” in the same semester or in combination with the next semester, seriously jeopardizes his ability to return to St. Michael’s. [Return to Table of Contents]

12. GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)

St. Michael’s records student progress at two levels. The official GPA is the 4-point scale of the academic record. The more common Honor Roll GPA is the 100-point scale which parents and students read on the quarterly report cards. With this second scale, instructors provide a more nuanced report of student progress. This second GPA includes nonacademic subjects such as P.E. and conduct. [Return to Table of Contents]

13. ACADEMIC RECORDS

The Grade Point Average (GPA) at the semester is based on the semester grades, not the quarter grades. The GPA is the added value of the grades received, divided by the number of subjects taken. The values of grades received in full-year courses are as follows: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. For those University of California approved courses at the Honor and Advanced Placement level, a 5-point scale is used. A=5, B=4, C=3, D=1, F=0. The values of half-year courses are half of the above, and the course is counted as only half a subject.

St. Michael’s uses a 4-point scale to record student achievement on the permanent record. There is no plus or minus (+ or -) on the permanent record. This GPA officially represents the student to other institutions. This GPA is distinct from the quarter report card which uses a 100 point scale. (See TESTING AND GRADING and GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA).)

Transferable credits earned in another school are entered on the student’s permanent record (transcript) and will be accepted toward graduation. Likewise, work completed in summer school is accepted as long as the student can demonstrate appropriate competencies.

The transcript of the grades will be sent to schools and other agencies upon request by the student or his parents. [Return to Table of Contents]

14. COLLEGE COUNSELING

All St. Michael’s students plan on going to college. College counseling at St. Michael’s, therefore, focuses on

college-readiness (in terms of standardized testing),
individual and group advisement regarding college choice and financial aid, and
support throughout the college decision-making and application process.

College readiness/standardized testing: School policy is that all seniors must have taken the SAT Critical Reasoning (formerly called the SAT I), the ACT, and two SAT Subject Tests (formerly called SAT II). Students and parents are made aware of testing dates and registration deadlines through parent meetings, the “College Counselor Corner” page of the school website, and reminder emails. In preparation for the SAT, all 9th, 10th, and 11th graders take the PSAT in October, on-campus and during school hours.

All juniors and seniors who study their course work at the advanced placement level also sit for the AP examination. Other students may take AP exams provided they have permission from their parents and the appropriate faculty member.

From time to time St. Michael’s additionally provides standardized exams of various types. Some of these include: National Mythology Exam and National Latin Exam.

Advisement regarding college choice and financial aid: Individual student appointments during the junior and senior years assist students in doing online college searches and in determining a pool of colleges to which the student will apply. Each junior and senior is given a customized “handbook” of relevant information. Group advisement is done as needed. Juniors and seniors go together on a formal visit and tour of a local college, attend the Santa Margarita Catholic High School College Night, and hear presentations by college reps who visit St. Michael’s during the school year. Students have access to continually updated information about individual colleges in the college file and scholarship notebook available in the school library.

Support throughout the college process: St. Michael’s College Counselor is available by email (gloriaryan@StMichaelsPrep.org), voicemail (949-858-0222 x 319), and/or face-to-face appointments to parents and students throughout all phases of the college-decision and application process. Two college counselor presentations are scheduled at parent meetings in fall (college decision-making and applications) and early winter (financial aid for college). While targeted at senior parents, parents of students at all grade levels are encouraged to attend. [Return to Table of Contents]

15. HONOR ROLL PRIVILEGES

Rewards and privileges at St. Michael’s are directly aligned with academic success.

Students who enjoy First Honors (94%-100% grade point average) will be treated by the administration to an off campus dinner once a quarter.

They may also may bring their own computer and printer to school to use at their own desk. Personal computers are stored in the school office, checked out by the roomleader at 6:00 pm, and returned at 9:45 pm.

During the evening recreation period from 6:00 to 7:00, students on First Honors may play games on their computers, as long as the content of the game does not offend Catholic moral teaching. Watching films or any entertainment shows on one’s computer is strictly forbidden to all students at all times. Personal video players (e.g. video iPod™) are strictly forbidden at all times.

If a student plays computer games after the evening recreation, that computer will be confiscated for a week with a donation to the mission funds of $50. If any student assumes computer privileges that are not his, that computer will be confiscated for a week with a donation to the mission funds of $50. If any student watches a film or any other entertainment show on a computer, that computer will be confiscated for a week with a donation to the mission funds of $50. For this reason, students are strongly encouraged to place passwords on their computers to prevent others from unauthorized use. Personal video players on campus will be confiscated for the remainder of the quarter and may only be redeemed with a donation to the mission funds of $50. All these infractions negatively impact the student’s conduct grade, 10 points “off the top.”

Roomleaders may also enjoy this privilege throughout the week at the First Honors level if they have maintained at least an 88% with no “D” or “F”. Recreational use of the computer (games, etc.) is likewise determined by this scale.

At no time does the school assume liability for loss and/or damage of the computer (hardware, software, information) or the radio (CD player, iPod™). [Return to Table of Contents]

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