It is hard to believe we are already approaching interim reports! As we move further into the school year and the academic work continues to pick up, I want to encourage every family to take a few minutes to check in on your scholar’s grades.
One of the best things we can do for our students is to get ahead and stay ahead. A missing assignment here or a low grade there may not seem like much at first, but those things can add up quickly. It is much easier for us to address a concern early than to try to dig out of a hole later in the nine weeks.
This is especially important this year because of a new South Carolina grading law. Schools can no longer use a minimum grade, or “grade floor,” to automatically raise a student’s earned grade. In other words, the grade your scholar earns is the grade that will be recorded. If an assignment is not submitted, it can be entered as a zero. That makes staying on top of assignments, assessments, and grades more important than ever.
As interims come home, I encourage you to use them as a check-in, not just a piece of paper. Take a look at your scholar’s progress, celebrate what is going well, and pay close attention to any missing assignments or areas where additional support may be needed. If you see something that concerns you, reach out to the teacher early. We want to partner with you while there is still plenty of time to respond and improve.
Our goal is not simply to give students grades. Our goal is learning. When a grade shows us that a student has not mastered something yet, we want to know that early so that we can work together to get them where they need to be.
Parents, please help us reinforce a simple message with our Lions: Do the work. Turn it in. Ask for help when you need it. Stay ahead.
Thank you for continuing to partner with us and for helping our scholars develop the habits that will lead to success this year and beyond.
Onward and Upward!
