Academic Policies

Agendas

Students in grades 1-4 will use agendas to document homework. The agendas will be purchased for $5 during our school’s pre-registration events. The agenda will help keep students organized and will serve as a communication tool between parents and teachers. Teachers and parents are to check the agenda daily and sign it. If agendas are lost or are damaged, students must purchase a new one in the school office for $5. No graffiti or gang-related symbols will be permitted on agendas.

Homework

Homework is used to reinforce the skills taught during an instructional period. Homework may be assigned to students daily to help reinforce the skills taught during the instructional periods. The time necessary for doing homework will vary according to the grade level. The assignment given and the child’s rate of work will also make a difference. If a child seems to be spending an excessive amount of time on homework assignments, contact his/her teacher.

Homework After Absence

In most cases, no school work will be provided to students prior or during an absence. Upon the students’ return, s/he will be given missed work assignments which must be completed within the same number of days that the student was absent. For example, if the student was absent 3 days, all missed work must be completed within 3 days. Special circumstances will be at the discretion of the teacher and principal.

Late Homework

Help us teach your child to be a responsible student. Turning in late homework is unacceptable. Homework that is turned in late will receive a penalty. Parents/guardians are not allowed to bring in student’s work during the day, as this does not reinforce student responsibility. Students may not complete homework for one class in another, unless he/she received prior permission from the teacher. Doing the homework without permission, may lead to confiscation of the work.

Eagle of the Month

As a Christ-centered community, the teachers of Saint John Vianney are given the opportunity to formally recognize the achievements and strong character traits of two students per class each month during the school year. The teachers use the Pillars of Holy Cross, as well as academic achievement to determine the criteria for the recipients of this award. The recipients of this honor are announced during Morning Message among the student body and parents.

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are scheduled for the first report card period of the fall semester. Parent/Teacher conferences for the third quarter are also scheduled during the spring semester.

Throughout the year, an appointment for a conference can be made with teachers by sending a written request through notes or email. From time to time a teacher may also request a conference with the parents/guardians through a note, email, or a phone call home. Parents should not expect teachers to take time from their instructional day or at dismissal for the purposes of discussing a child’s progress in school, therefore please schedule an appointment to ensure that the teacher has sufficient time to prepare to discuss the needs of the student.

Report Cards

All K-8th grade students will receive a report card at the end of each grading quarter, all grades are available through SchoolSpeak throughout the quarter . It is necessary that report cards receive a digital parent/guardian signature. Questions regarding the work or child’s progress should be directed to the subject-teacher involved.

Again, parents may log-in to the SchoolSpeak system and view their child’s grades in any given subject at any given time. Teachers are to enter grades on a regular basis so that parents will have a “snapshot” of their child’s progress.

SJV follows the Diocese of Phoenix curriculum standards and the following grading scale:

The following scale is used in grade 1- 8

DIOCESE OF PHOENIX Grade Scale
Grade	High	Low
A	100	90
B	89	80
C	79	70
D	69	60
F	59	Below

Parents have the right to review the official transcripts of their child by setting up an appointment in the office. By law, no personal information concerning a student will be given to any person that is not the parent or authorized guardian.

Honor Roll/Principal List

Students in grades 1-8 who meet the following grade point criteria in their core classes (Religion, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies) will be eligible for the Honor Roll and Principal Lists each semester.

• Honor Roll: 3.00-3.49
• Principal’s List: 3.50-4.00

Testing Programs

As a Diocesan school, SJV participates in the following formal testing programs:

• The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is given to students in grades 1–8.
• Cognitive Abilities is an additional ITBS test that is given to students in grades 3 & 6 only.
• New kindergarten students are given the Gesell Assessment before acceptance in order to verify that the child is developmentally ready for Kindergarten.
• Galileo Benchmark Assessments: Benchmark Assessment administered in grades 2-8.
• DIBELS: A reading inventory assessment testing students in grades k-6th grade.

Academic Requirements

St. John Vianney is dedicated to the academic success of all students. If a student is struggling in one or more subjects, the teachers and Principal, along with the parents or guardians, will meet with the student to develop an individual monitoring program. This program will assist the student to reach passing academic standards.

Retention

If a student receives two or more failing grades in the core subject areas, (Religion, Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies) they place themselves at risk of not being promoted to the next grade level or allowed to return by the school at the end of the year. The decision to hold back or dismiss a student is carefully made by the Principal in consultation with the teacher and parents.