January 8, First Semester Grades

OHS students and parents—

In the coming days, our teachers will begin providing students with optional academic opportunities. We are asking students and parents to wait until OHS teachers first speak with their classes at OMS next week before communicating grades and options. This will allow our staff to continue preparing for our return in person.

We understand every student is at a very different place in their own healing and ability to return to academics. As a result, there is a wide range of our student’s immediate desire and ability to engage in academics. Our goal is to transition students into academics through the end of the first semester, while providing additional opportunity to those who are ready. We intend to return to a familiar academic level of rigor during the second semester, which begins Jan. 31, but will support all students on where they are at.

Before this academic level returns, we must capture final first semester grades. Students will be receiving the letter grade they held in each class prior to November 30 as their default first semester grade. They will have the following options in each class below:

  • If students were not passing a class as of November 30, they will have the opportunity to make up recent missing coursework that each teacher first approves. This opportunity will be provided to students who held a 40 – 64% in each class prior to Nov. 30. Each teacher will communicate to students after Tue, Jan. 11, what must be completed prior to Jan. 27 and may grant exceptions to students below that grade range.
  • Students will have the opportunity to choose a Pass/Fail grade option if they held a 65% or higher in each class prior to November 30. To do so, students must complete a Pass/Fail form for each class. Each teacher will have their own form for students to complete—which can be found on each teacher’s main Haiku page after Tue, Jan 11. This option will be reflected on transcripts as a (G). This was an option we provided students during the Spring, 2020, semester when the pandemic began. We will indicate the circumstances of Pass/Fail grades on official transcripts for college applications.
  • Students will have an opportunity to improve their letter grade in each class if they held no recent missing coursework. They must notify each teacher through their school email to make this request. Each teacher will provide students with additional coursework to bring their final letter grades up, which must be completed by Jan. 27. Please wait until after Tue, Jan 11, to discuss with teachers.
  • Online classes, including AP: Online courses were customized to reflect 3 weeks reduction in instruction. Students will have the opportunity to improve their letter grade and progress to passing at 65% or higher through Jan. 27. If students have reached 65% progress and have a passing grade of 65% or higher, students can choose a letter grade or the Pass/Fail grade option. The Pass/Fail option will also be reflected on transcripts as a (G). To do so, students must complete a Pass/Fail form for each class, which their online teacher of record will provide after Tue., Jan 11.

If you have extenuating circumstances that should be considered, please contact your student’s counselor through email, beginning Tuesday, January 11. You will be receiving a seperate communication for offical2nd semester transfers, as well as our Student/Parent Newsletter pior to our first day back, Tuesday, January 11.

Sincerely,

OHS Administration