Posted September 22, 2025
Thursday, September 25 marks the end of our first grading period.
As a college preparatory school, we know that academic performance is very important to our students, and we want to ensure that families have information and resources to support and mentor students in conversations about their growth. Our grading practices, academic calendar and staffing support structure are all designed to help students succeed.
At Saint Francis, semester grades are the historical grades of record that are posted to a student’s transcript. Every six weeks we provide a snapshot to students and parents of grades in progress to help encourage dialogue and intervention where appropriate. This grading benchmark allows students and educators to assess progress and to evaluate academic eligibility; however, it is important to keep in mind the grades at the six-week mark are not permanent grades. They are a great opportunity to connect with your student on strategies that are working, challenges they may be facing and any support they might need moving forward.
Progress reports provide an opportunity for reflection and growth as we continue on this journey together. As always, we are here to support you and we are grateful for your continued partnership and trust. We look forward to seeing you on campus soon!
Grading Period FAQ
| What is the six-week Academic Progress report? | |
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| The six-week Academic Progress report is a snapshot of student progress in each class as of September 25, finalized by October 1. Each semester includes two progress reports (six-week and 12-week) and the Semester Report card (18-weeks). Only the semester grades are reflected on a student transcript, contributing to a student’s cumulative GPA. | |
| What is included in the six-week Progress report? | |
| These grades will include summative assessments and formative work, if applicable, for the first six weeks of school. It is possible in these first six weeks that the feedback-revision cycle on the first summatives may not yet be complete. | |
| What is the purpose of the six-week Progress report if it is not reflected on a student’s transcript? | |
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This grading benchmark allows students and educators to assess progress and to evaluate academic eligibility for extracurricular activities (see section 2.10 of our Student-Parent Handbook). To be eligible, a student must maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher. The progress report is a great opportunity to connect with your student on strategies that are working, challenges they may be facing, and any support they might need moving forward. |
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| Who can view the six-week Academic Progress report? | |
| School administrators, teachers, parents, students and counselors have access to the students’ six-week progress report. | |
| Are the six-week progress report grades sent to colleges and universities if my student is a senior? | |
| In most cases, no. The official marking period for grades is at the semester. Semester grades will be sent to colleges that require a mid-year report, which will include through the 7th semester. This could be for both Early and Regular Decision college admissions. There are a select few colleges that will ask for a mid-semester progress report if the student has applied Early Action or Early Decision. In this situation, the counselor will consult with the student prior to sending the grades. | |
| What is the best way to approach my student regarding concerns I have about their academic progress? | |
| The most important aspect to keep in mind is that this is a snapshot in time of your student’s progress, which is subject to change. A few things to consider are the total number of graded assignments, revisions that have yet to be submitted or graded, any missing assignments which may be contributing to this grade, and whether there are struggles in multiple areas or an isolated class. Schoology can assist you in taking a deeper dive into the “why” behind the grade. Considering these factors may ease your concerns or might be an opportunity to support your student in taking a proactive approach in their learning. |
Once you identify what is contributing to the grade, have your student brainstorm what actions need to be taken. Here are a few suggestions for your toolkit:
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| How will we receive Progress reports and Semester Report cards? | |
| Parents and students will continue to receive emailed PDF reports after teachers have verified grades with the Academic Office. Shifting away from a mailed report, we are also piloting the use of Doc Viewer in Schoology to act as a repository to view a student’s Progress Reports and Semester Report cards. | |
| What if I do not receive my student’s six-week progress report? | |
| Progress reports are sent directly from the reporting system’s email provider and are not distributed through our school’s email system. To avoid having this email end up in your spam folder, please add the domain brightarrow.com to your whitelist or safe sender list. | |
| May I contact my student’s teacher if I have questions about a grade on the six-week progress report? | |
| If you still have questions after speaking with your student of course you may contact the teacher with any grade-related questions. Email is the best way to initiate that communication. | If you have serious concerns regarding your student’s progress and want to explore whether extenuating factors may be hindering their progress, you are welcome to contact their counselor to discuss. |
How Can We Help?
If you have any questions about our Academic processes and grading procedures, please reach out. We’re happy to help you navigate the academic landscape.
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