Complete course descriptions and detailed information on the curriculum are contained in a separate curriculum book and on Forum. The school reserves the right to add and/or delete courses depending on the size of classes.
Course Load
During the academic year all students are expected to carry a minimum of six courses in addition to physical education. In grades 9 and 10 students normally study English, History, Science, Mathematics, a World Language, and one or two electives including an Arts subject. In grades 11 and 12 students depart from this pattern in order to follow their interests and abilities. (In cases where a student has an especially demanding schedule, a load of five courses may be authorised).
Credit
A course that meets four to six periods per week throughout the school year is worth one full credit. A course that meets throughout one semester is worth one half credit. Students who receive a passing grade (D- or better) in a course are awarded the appropriate credit. Students who successfully complete Algebra 1, or the equivalent of High School courses in foreign languages, during grades 7 and 8 can be awarded the appropriate credits if certain other conditions are met. Credit is not normally awarded for courses dropped before completion. Students taking P.E. for the full year will receive a half credit.
ACS General Grading Scale
Note: it is recognized that many IB and AP subjects use different percentage scales or conversion tables to generate the letter grade, however, the descriptive guidelines remain the same for the letter grade obtained, regardless of the percentage scale used.
Course Load
During the academic year all students are expected to carry a minimum of six courses in addition to physical education. In grades 9 and 10 students normally study English, History, Science, Mathematics, a World Language, and one or two electives including an Arts subject. In grades 11 and 12 students depart from this pattern in order to follow their interests and abilities. (In cases where a student has an especially demanding schedule, a load of five courses may be authorised).
Credit
A course that meets four to six periods per week throughout the school year is worth one full credit. A course that meets throughout one semester is worth one half credit. Students who receive a passing grade (D- or better) in a course are awarded the appropriate credit. Students who successfully complete Algebra 1, or the equivalent of High School courses in foreign languages, during grades 7 and 8 can be awarded the appropriate credits if certain other conditions are met. Credit is not normally awarded for courses dropped before completion. Students taking P.E. for the full year will receive a half credit.
ACS General Grading Scale
Note: it is recognized that many IB and AP subjects use different percentage scales or conversion tables to generate the letter grade, however, the descriptive guidelines remain the same for the letter grade obtained, regardless of the percentage scale used.
Additional Grading Policies
Head of School’s List and Honour Roll Criteria
Honour Roll Student must have GPA of 3.3 or above and No Grade less than a ‘C’
Head of School’s List Student must have a GPA of 3.85 or above with No Grade less than a ‘C’
Learning Behaviour Criteria:
*Learning Behaviour Grades from 1-4 are placed in PowerSchool for each of the following areas: Motivation, Work Completion, Engagement and Collaboration
- Leaving and newly arrived students:
Reports are written and marks are given for students who have been in the school for at least half the current quarter. If a student is leaving and is eligible to receive a report card for the quarter, the office will request that the report card be submitted near the student’s leaving date. During report time, you do NOT need to re-enter report card data for these students.
- Learning Support Policy:
If a student has an accommodations checklist, and is eligible for accommodations, then any specific accommodations that you have provided throughout a quarter, should be included in your report card comments. If there is a student who is entitled to but has not received any accommodations throughout the quarter, you do not have to include anything specific regarding learning support in your report card comments. Please review the student information sheets provided by Resource and/or check with the Resource teachers if you have questions.
- No Grade Policy (NG):
In certain situations (approved by administration), students will be allowed to ‘audit’ a course. Auditing a course means that the student is not penalised for, nor gains academic credit for taking the course. This will usually be for students who come into a course but have valid reasons for why they cannot be held accountable for a grade. One example would be students who may have specific language acquisition or learning difficulties that do not allow them to currently perform at a passing level. Students may retake the course at a later time for credit, when appropriate. If the student does well enough in the class to earn a ‘C’ average or better during a reporting period, then usually, the student would receive a final grade on their report card and passing grades marked on tests, assignments, etc. However, if the student would be consistently making failing grades, then no grades are given for the final report card, nor marks given on their tests, assessments, etc. Instead, an “NG” should be put in the report card grade box. If a teacher were capable of assessing the student’s effort with what they are capable of achieving, then they would put an effort mark, regardless of whether the student audited or received a final grade.
- Exempt Policy (E/ME):
In certain situations (approved by administration), students will be allowed to be exempt from a piece or work or grading period. This will usually be in connection with a medical concern or other extenuating circumstance that results in there being insufficient evidence available to generate a grade. Students will not normally be expected to make up or produce work at a later stage and any final grades will be based on grades already received.
- Incomplete/Insufficient Evidence (INC/IE):
In certain situations, (approved by administration), where there is insufficient evidence for a student to be graded a student may receive an incomplete (IE or INC) on their report card. This may be altered at a later date when a student has provided sufficient evidence to justify a grade. This might happen if a student makes a late transfer into a course or is admitted into the High School mid-way through a reporting term or has a short period of illness, students will be expected to catch up with work missed. In the case where work is marked as incomplete and is not submitted, the teacher will be expected to review the final grade based on the assessment evidence they have and make adjustments if necessary based on professional judgement.
Head of School’s List and Honour Roll Criteria
Honour Roll Student must have GPA of 3.3 or above and No Grade less than a ‘C’
Head of School’s List Student must have a GPA of 3.85 or above with No Grade less than a ‘C’
Learning Behaviour Criteria:
*Learning Behaviour Grades from 1-4 are placed in PowerSchool for each of the following areas: Motivation, Work Completion, Engagement and Collaboration
probation guidle
Graduation Requirements
A student must earn a minimum of 20 credits in acceptable High School courses in order to be eligible for an ACS diploma. Nineteen of the twenty credits are required as follows:
– 4 in English
– 6 in Social Studies and Foreign Languages*
– 6 in Mathematics and Science**
– 1 in Arts (Art, Drama and/or Music)
– 2 in Physical Education***
* At least two credits in the same foreign language and three credits in Social Studies.
** At least two credits in each.
*** Students are required to take Physical Education in grades 9-12.
Exceptions: a) Medical excuse from a doctor b) Schedule conflict c) Exemptions given by the High School Principal to juniors or seniors with a heavy academic load and extracurricular sports activity.
Homework
Homework is set to support learning. Failure to complete assignments at home will negatively impact progress. Teachers will contact parents in the event a student fails to do their homework for no valid reason.
MUST
What is the MUST register?
If a student misses a summative homework, deadline or assessment they are recorded on the MUST REGISTER (Make Up Study Time). Students and parents receive a time-stamped email notification as soon as they are entered on the register. Students have 24 hours to submit the work.
The purpose of the MUST register is to encourage students to adhere to deadlines and complete assignments in a timely manner because:
- Students do not perform as well as they could if they have incomplete or late assignments.
-If students don’t complete the work, it affects others; teachers need the whole class to complete assignments in order to move forward with the syllabus.
-It teaches time management, responsibility, allows students to maximize their learning, and prepare for university or the workplace. It’s a life skill!
- It’s unfair for students who don’t complete their work (particularly in group assignments), to receive the same credit as those who have completed the work on time.
What are the consequences of missing a MUST?
If the student completes the work within the allotted time, they are removed from the register.
Failure to complete the MUST on time is recorded and no credit is received for the assignment. Three or more incomplete MUSTs will lead to further consequences which start with a meeting with the academic dean. Further or persistent incompletes may lead to academic probation. While on the MUST register students are not allowed to participate in any sporting or co-curricular activities. Senior privileges are suspended. Study halls must take place in the Marble Hall.
There are many genuine reasons why students fail to complete homework or assessments, or the reason may simply be that the student has poor organizational skills. In order to support students and help them get back on track, if a student misses 3 MUSTs, then a meeting will be called with the student (and parents) to review the causes and outline a support plan or academic probation.
IB and AP Contracts
IB Diploma and AP students and their parents may be asked to read and sign a contract aimed at helping students stay on track with coursework and other assignments. Failure to honour the contract will result in various consequences, up to and including removal from the Diploma or AP programme.
Honours Diploma
• For this diploma the specific course requirements can only be met through approved college preparatory courses.
• 24 credits (four years) with a “C” minimum, (no grade below “C”).
• Students must have a “B” average
National Honor Society
Membership in the National Honor Society is open to any eligible student in grade 10,11, 12 or
13 who has been enrolled for a minimum period of one semester. Students achieve membership because they are held in the highest regard in all aspects of their student life. In order to be a member of the National Honor Society students must be outstanding in the areas of Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character. The National Honor Society Committee ultimately will determine those students who have upheld, to the highest degree, the standards that are required. Specific requirements include:
• Scholarship. Students must have a “B” average.
• Leadership. Students should have held a variety of offices with the school and community.
These offices should have required the student to demonstrate a variety of skills and abilities.
• Character. Students should actively demonstrate the qualities of honesty, responsibility, fairness, courtesy, tolerance and cooperation.
• Service. The student should have made significant contributions to the school, classmates and community. Such contributions should be readily identifiable.
Hours
The school day is 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 pm every day except Wednesdays when the school day ends at 2.30pm for students. All students are expected to be at school on time.
Library
The modern, vibrant space of the High School Library, provides access for students to 15,500 Books, DVDs, CDs, Audiobooks, Journal Articles and eBooks. To support our international student body, our fiction comes in 22 languages and our DVD collection in 18 languages.
In addition to the physical collection, the Library has extensive access to academic research materials through our 27 online database and subscription services, all accessible through our MyAthens portal.
The Library is staffed by a professionally qualified Librarian with a Library assistant and IT Integrationist for IT support. This team is able to fully support the Information and Digital Literacy needs of the school. We encourage students to seek out assistance with any and all research and IT support needs by coming to the Library Office at any time during the day.
The Librarian provides ad hoc Information Skills sessions, which are project driven by the curriculum, as well as a comprehensive IB Extended Essay support programme in addition to supporting and teaching the new AP Capstone Programme.
The Library provides a variety of different study areas; a main area for group work, as well as side a classroom, provided for classes to visit and carry out research projects on site and a Silent Study Room, both with desktop provision. There is a networked printer/photocopier located here for students to print our their work.
The Library is open from 08:00 until 16:30 each day, except for some Wednesdays when we close at 14:30. Students are encouraged to visit during their study and free times.
We provide a number of Recommended Reading Lists with Lexile Scoring which supports the MAP testing programme and from which students can choose materials appropriate to their reading and comprehension levels. In addition, we support our EAL student population through specialised EAL fiction materials, materials in English and World Language Alternatives as well as Books with Audio versions.
Students are able to borrow up to 6 items at any time, books for 3 weeks, audio-visual materials for 1 week. All items should be returned on time to allow equal and fair access to resources for everyone; emails and notices in advisories will be issued as reminders. Lost items will need to be paid for in full. To borrow items, students simply need to ask one of the Library Staff for assistance.
Academic Integrity
See Academic Integrity Policy
Probation
A student may be placed on academic probation whenever he receives a grade of D+ or lower – for the quarter or semester – in a major academic subject. A student who is on probation for two consecutive quarters may be dismissed from school. The decision to retain or dismiss is made by the Headmaster based upon a recommendation from the Principal.
In addition, a student may be placed on academic or social probation whenever the Divisional Principal feels that the academic performance or general comportment is unsatisfactory.
Please see Probation guidelines under Administrative Regulations in the HS Handbook for further details.
Study Hall Rules
• All students in scheduled study halls must attend one of the designated study hall areas
• The Marble Hall is for quiet study, the library is for collaborative work and LG14 is for social interaction
• Gr 11 students may also use the fountain area and if parent permission is given
• Regulations about use of various technologies in study halls will be posted at the start of the school year.
Graduation Requirements
A student must earn a minimum of 20 credits in acceptable High School courses in order to be eligible for an ACS diploma. Nineteen of the twenty credits are required as follows:
– 4 in English
– 6 in Social Studies and Foreign Languages*
– 6 in Mathematics and Science**
– 1 in Arts (Art, Drama and/or Music)
– 2 in Physical Education***
* At least two credits in the same foreign language and three credits in Social Studies.
** At least two credits in each.
*** Students are required to take Physical Education in grades 9-12.
Exceptions: a) Medical excuse from a doctor b) Schedule conflict c) Exemptions given by the High School Principal to juniors or seniors with a heavy academic load and extracurricular sports activity.
Homework
Homework is set to support learning. Failure to complete assignments at home will negatively impact progress. Teachers will contact parents in the event a student fails to do their homework for no valid reason.
MUST
What is the MUST register?
If a student misses a summative homework, deadline or assessment they are recorded on the MUST REGISTER (Make Up Study Time). Students and parents receive a time-stamped email notification as soon as they are entered on the register. Students have 24 hours to submit the work.
The purpose of the MUST register is to encourage students to adhere to deadlines and complete assignments in a timely manner because:
- Students do not perform as well as they could if they have incomplete or late assignments.
-If students don’t complete the work, it affects others; teachers need the whole class to complete assignments in order to move forward with the syllabus.
-It teaches time management, responsibility, allows students to maximize their learning, and prepare for university or the workplace. It’s a life skill!
- It’s unfair for students who don’t complete their work (particularly in group assignments), to receive the same credit as those who have completed the work on time.
What are the consequences of missing a MUST?
If the student completes the work within the allotted time, they are removed from the register.
Failure to complete the MUST on time is recorded and no credit is received for the assignment. Three or more incomplete MUSTs will lead to further consequences which start with a meeting with the academic dean. Further or persistent incompletes may lead to academic probation. While on the MUST register students are not allowed to participate in any sporting or co-curricular activities. Senior privileges are suspended. Study halls must take place in the Marble Hall.
There are many genuine reasons why students fail to complete homework or assessments, or the reason may simply be that the student has poor organizational skills. In order to support students and help them get back on track, if a student misses 3 MUSTs, then a meeting will be called with the student (and parents) to review the causes and outline a support plan or academic probation.
IB and AP Contracts
IB Diploma and AP students and their parents may be asked to read and sign a contract aimed at helping students stay on track with coursework and other assignments. Failure to honour the contract will result in various consequences, up to and including removal from the Diploma or AP programme.
Honours Diploma
• For this diploma the specific course requirements can only be met through approved college preparatory courses.
• 24 credits (four years) with a “C” minimum, (no grade below “C”).
• Students must have a “B” average
National Honor Society
Membership in the National Honor Society is open to any eligible student in grade 10,11, 12 or
13 who has been enrolled for a minimum period of one semester. Students achieve membership because they are held in the highest regard in all aspects of their student life. In order to be a member of the National Honor Society students must be outstanding in the areas of Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Character. The National Honor Society Committee ultimately will determine those students who have upheld, to the highest degree, the standards that are required. Specific requirements include:
• Scholarship. Students must have a “B” average.
• Leadership. Students should have held a variety of offices with the school and community.
These offices should have required the student to demonstrate a variety of skills and abilities.
• Character. Students should actively demonstrate the qualities of honesty, responsibility, fairness, courtesy, tolerance and cooperation.
• Service. The student should have made significant contributions to the school, classmates and community. Such contributions should be readily identifiable.
Hours
The school day is 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 pm every day except Wednesdays when the school day ends at 2.30pm for students. All students are expected to be at school on time.
Library
The modern, vibrant space of the High School Library, provides access for students to 15,500 Books, DVDs, CDs, Audiobooks, Journal Articles and eBooks. To support our international student body, our fiction comes in 22 languages and our DVD collection in 18 languages.
In addition to the physical collection, the Library has extensive access to academic research materials through our 27 online database and subscription services, all accessible through our MyAthens portal.
The Library is staffed by a professionally qualified Librarian with a Library assistant and IT Integrationist for IT support. This team is able to fully support the Information and Digital Literacy needs of the school. We encourage students to seek out assistance with any and all research and IT support needs by coming to the Library Office at any time during the day.
The Librarian provides ad hoc Information Skills sessions, which are project driven by the curriculum, as well as a comprehensive IB Extended Essay support programme in addition to supporting and teaching the new AP Capstone Programme.
The Library provides a variety of different study areas; a main area for group work, as well as side a classroom, provided for classes to visit and carry out research projects on site and a Silent Study Room, both with desktop provision. There is a networked printer/photocopier located here for students to print our their work.
The Library is open from 08:00 until 16:30 each day, except for some Wednesdays when we close at 14:30. Students are encouraged to visit during their study and free times.
We provide a number of Recommended Reading Lists with Lexile Scoring which supports the MAP testing programme and from which students can choose materials appropriate to their reading and comprehension levels. In addition, we support our EAL student population through specialised EAL fiction materials, materials in English and World Language Alternatives as well as Books with Audio versions.
Students are able to borrow up to 6 items at any time, books for 3 weeks, audio-visual materials for 1 week. All items should be returned on time to allow equal and fair access to resources for everyone; emails and notices in advisories will be issued as reminders. Lost items will need to be paid for in full. To borrow items, students simply need to ask one of the Library Staff for assistance.
Academic Integrity
See Academic Integrity Policy
Probation
A student may be placed on academic probation whenever he receives a grade of D+ or lower – for the quarter or semester – in a major academic subject. A student who is on probation for two consecutive quarters may be dismissed from school. The decision to retain or dismiss is made by the Headmaster based upon a recommendation from the Principal.
In addition, a student may be placed on academic or social probation whenever the Divisional Principal feels that the academic performance or general comportment is unsatisfactory.
Please see Probation guidelines under Administrative Regulations in the HS Handbook for further details.
Study Hall Rules
• All students in scheduled study halls must attend one of the designated study hall areas
• The Marble Hall is for quiet study, the library is for collaborative work and LG14 is for social interaction
• Gr 11 students may also use the fountain area and if parent permission is given
• Regulations about use of various technologies in study halls will be posted at the start of the school year.
