Updated: 1st Semester Exam Information

Instant Alert, 12-15-20 @ 6:30pm

6-12 grade parents

 

Good evening Sand Creek Junior/Senior High School Parents and students.  This is Mr. Laundra with some clarification announcements in regards to our upcoming semester exams.

About a week ago, SC JH/HS adjusted its semester exam policies as follows…

  • First semester exams have been changed from being mandatory for all HS students to being optional.  Any high school student can take semester exams for the purpose of raising their grade, raising their GPA, and in some cases to pull a failing semester grade up to a passing semester grade.  While 1st semester exams are no longer mandatory, the school is encouraging our students to take them.  If the semester exam does not improve a student’s grade, it will not be counted against them.
  • The same holds true for JH semester exams, which in normal circumstances are only required for students that failed one or both marking periods or that miss more than 10 days of school.  Instead, all JH semester exams are optional for all students.
  • All students that are taking one or more semester exams must notify the respective teacher that they will be taking it by no later than 2:50pm tomorrow, Wednesday, December 16th.  The main reason for the notification deadline is for test security.
  • Any JH/HS student who is going to fail the semester if they don’t take and pass their 1st semester exam, provided it it’s still mathematically possible to pass, has been notified by their teachers that they should be taking the exam.  All students in this scenario should take the semester exam in an effort to pass and earn their HS credit.  A semester exam, if counted, translates to 20% of the student’s semester grade.
  • All HS exams will be administered virtually as dictated by each individual teacher.  All 6-12 students who do not have a reliable internet signal to take exams may attend school F2F to do so.  If you’re coming to the school to take an exam, you must sit in the classroom of the teacher giving the exam. 
  • Special education students whose IEP’s require their tests be read to them may also attend school F2F for their semester exams.
  • Lastly, although we’re encouraging our high school parents to have their students take semester exams, students not taking exams do not need to attend school on next Monday & Tuesday’s half-days.  All 6-12 students who attend school on next Monday and/or Tuesday’s half days, will be required to take the optional semester exam.  We will not have alternative assignments or activities for students not taking semester exams next week.

JH students needing to take and pass the exam to pass the semester have been notified by their teacher.

Here is the exam schedule:

Friday Dec. 18th 2nd period exam

Monday Dec. 21st 1st, 3rd and 7th period exams (Half day of school)

Tuesday Dec. 22nd 4th, 6th and 8th period exams (Half day of school)

 

 

JH & HS 1st semester exams will not be mandatory.  Semester exams will be optional.  Students have the option to take semester exams to improve their semester grades.  Exam scores cannot hurt a student’s semester grade this semester.  Semester exam grades will only be used if exam score doesn’t lower the semester grade.  If you choose not to take the semester exam, your semester grade will be calculated based on your grades (%) for marking period 1 and marking period 2.

Students who intend to take a semester exam, must let their teachers know by this coming Wednesday Dec. 16th at 2:50 p.m.  If you are a virtual student that intends to take the exam AND you need to come into school for internet connection, or for the purpose of special education services, please let your teachers know by Wednesday Dec. 16th at 2:50 p.m.

Students who are currently failing a class for the semester but have a chance to raise their grade to passing by taking the exam and scoring high enough will be notified by their teacher.  These students are strongly encouraged to take the exam to try and pass the semester.  If they choose not to, they will fail the semester.

Optional JH semester exams will be administered face to face to our face to face JH students, and virtually to our JH virtual students.  On Friday, December 18th, all 2nd period JH students who elect not to take the semester exam will be required to sit quietly throughout that 75 minute semester exam period.  Virtual JH students will also be allowed to come to school (F2F) for the purpose of gaining an adequate internet signal and for special education services.

On Monday & Tuesday, December 21 & 22, all junior high students who come to school face to face will be required to take the semester exam, even if they didn’t sign up to.  If a JH student elects not to take exam on these days, they do not need to attend school on these two half days. 

On Monday & Tuesday, December 21 & 22, it will be virtual exam days for all high school students.  Any virtual student who comes to school for the purpose of gaining an internet signal to take their semester exams will take them in their assigned class period classroom with their teacher unless otherwise instructed by their special education teacher.

Again if you intend to take an exam, please let that teacher know by Wednesday Dec. 16th at 2:50 p.m.  If you are a virtual student that intends to take the exam AND needs to come into school for internet connection, or for the purpose of special education services, please let your teachers know by Wednesday Dec. 16th at 2:50 p.m.

This is the plan for 1st semester exams, and semester grading.  We will resume our normal semester exam requirements for second semester, and if adjustments are needed down the road, like they were this semester, we will communicate any changes.

Complete 1st semester exam information is provided in the alert email and has been posted on our school website and Facebook page.