Dear Freshman Academy Parents,

The Class of 2013 is off to a great start at Glynn Academy. As I type this letter, it is hard to believe that we are beginning our third full week of school. I have had the privilege of meeting many of your students and I look forward to getting to know all of our Freshman as the weeks progress. As all of you know, we implemented Block Scheduling this year in Glynn County. From all the reports I have received from students and faculty, block is a big hit around GA! However, I want to remind you of a couple of changes that come with Block Scheduling. Our Freshman Academy takes great pride in communicating with our students and parents, and I hope this letter will help you understand more about our grading policy.

In the past, Glynn Academy and other schools within the system operated on a traditional schedule, which meant that every student received their "official" grades in December and again in May. These grades were the cumulative average of all of their grades in one semester in a particular course. For example, if a student took English 9, they received a grade for English 9 in December and again in May! With block, they will take English 9 in one semester. With that in mind, three grades will determine a student's final course average. Those three grades are:

The student's grade during the first nine weeks will count as 42.5 % of their average.
The student's grade during the second nine weeks will count as 42.5 % of their average.
The student's final exam or End of Course Test will count as 15 % of their average.

The major change occurs at the nine week mark. On a traditional schedule, a student could possibly put it on cruise control for the first part of the semester and then really turn it on at the end and pass a class. With this grading policy, a student's grade at the 9 week mark will be used in determining their final average. It is very important for all students and parents to realize that the first nine weeks are critically important to the final average. Students cannot afford to fall behind and try to catch up in December! They must keep their grades up from the start of each class! Finally, I want to make sure all parents realize our new grading scale. The grading scale for this school year is:

90-100-A 80-89-B 70-79-C Below 70-F

I hope this letter alerts all of you to this new grading policy that comes with Block Scheduling. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with our guidance counselor, Mrs. Belechak, or feel free to contact an administrator. Mrs. Belechak will send home newsflashes via e-mail to all of you reminding you of this change. Thank You again for the opportunity of educating your children. We look forward to a successful year!

All the Best,

Steve Waters
Director of Freshman Academy