Academic Policies
ACADEMIC POLICIES

• Curriculum
Santa Margarita Catholic High School is primarily a college preparatory school with over 200 academic courses available. Students are accepted based on the expectation that they are capable of meeting the academic rigors of the curriculum. While at Santa Margarita, students must maintain a cumulative academic Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better.
 
The curriculum at SM has been developed by the Department Chairs under the direction of the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction. The curriculum is multi-layered offering academic classes as well as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and Honors classes for those who qualify. An Interdisciplinary Program is offered throughout the first three years of academic curriculum, and an Auxiliary Studies Program is offered to students with mild learning differences. As our global world changes so must the education of our students. Therefore, in order to best meet the needs of the students attending SMCHS, the curriculum is ever changing. SM hires only faculty who are experts in their subject matter and who have appropriate credentials and degrees to teach our highly academic curriculum.

• Courses and Scheduling
Each student is required to take a course load of seven classes per semester. Counselors, with the assistance of the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, will closely monitor a student’s choice of courses to avoid the student becoming overloaded in his/her academic curriculum. Students, however, not parents, teachers, or counselors, are responsible for their academic progress.

A detailed explanation of the courses that are offered can be found in the Course Description and Scheduling Information Booklet which is published each year in February and posted on the school website. Registration for courses for the following year takes place during the third marking period. Students work with their counselor to prepare their next year’s schedule and review graduation requirements and to take proper courses for admission to the colleges of their choice.
Incoming Freshmen receive course selection forms at the mandatory Incoming Freshmen Scheduling Night in the Spring. At this meeting individual Department Chairs and the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction speak about scheduling options.

• Placement in Classes

All Students
After students have selected courses, they are randomly assigned to classes by computer. Selection of specific teachers is not permitted. Students not initially qualified for Honors classes can earn placement into certain Honors classes by individual department testing or by earning strong A’s both semesters in the academic level class and teacher recommendation. Similarly, students initially placed in alternative level (1A/1B) classes can earn placement into traditional academic classes through above average work in the class. Students are permitted to change classes only if it is determined by the classroom teacher that they are not able to succeed in the class. Generally, this means they were initially misplaced in the class or additional information has come to light which affects success. The final decision is made by the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction in consultation with the Guidance Counselor, Department Chair, and teacher. Should a class change be needed due to misplacement, the grade the student has earned to that date will be carried to the new class. The teacher of the new class may use their discretion as to how that grade is integrated into the new class.

Grade Nine
Students are assigned courses required for graduation based on their entrance exam scores as well as honors placement test scores in Math, English, and World Language.

Grades Ten - Twelve
Returning students select courses based on teacher recommendation and approval during the registration process in the spring. Each department has guidelines for the placement of students in advanced courses which can be found in the Course Description and Scheduling Information Booklet published annually. In some cases, students are allowed to attempt a class for which prerequisites were not met. In these cases, parents and students must sign a contract clearly identifying the student’s responsibility to the course and teacher.

• Changing Classes
Parents and students should be aware that once schedules are picked up in the Bookstore no changes will be made to that schedule. The exception to this would be an error made by the school for an incorrect placement in a subject such as Math or World Language. Should a class change be needed due to misplacement, the grade the student has earned to that date will be carried to the new class. The teacher of the new class may use their discretion as to how that grade is integrated into the new class.

• Requests for Teacher Changes
All students are randomly assigned to teachers and periods by computer. The computer balances all class sizes and assigns teachers to students in a random manner. To maintain proper class balance and fairness to all, students/parents may not request a schedule change to accommodate a teacher of their choice.

• Withdrawal from a Course after the Semester has Begun
Students who request to drop a class after the first three weeks of any semester will have their transcript show a withdrawal (W) along with the grade they are presently earning.  This can only occur under very unusual circumstances with the approval of the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction.

• Homework for Student Absences
Parents/students may request homework during an absence of 3 or more days by emailing the teachers. Teachers will respond via email with the homework assignments. Any homework packets (handouts) that cannot be emailed will be available for pickup in the Counseling Office from the counseling secretary.

• Missing Final Exams
All final semester exams must be taken at the regularly scheduled times. Students who miss a regularly scheduled semester exam without an excused absence may receive an “F” grade for that exam. Semester exams represent 20% of the semester grade.

If for some valid reason a student must miss final exams, the parent must submit a written request to reschedule the exams to the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction. The Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction will review the request and consult with the student’s teacher(s) before making a final decision. Teachers may not reschedule final exams without administrative approval.

• Attendance and Academics
Regular attendance at school is essential for academic sucess at Santa Margarita. A student's grade may be affected by excessive absences since it becomes extremely difficult to make up missed assignments while continuing to move forward with new work.  When it becomes necessary for a student to miss a segment of school beyond two weeks for medical or other reasons, the school recommends the student withdraw from Santa Margarita for the remainder of the grading period and enroll in another accredited school either online, or through independent study while they are recuperating.  This will allow the student to return to Santa Margarita with a transcript at the end of the grading period and resume their regular classes without worry or concern about making up weeks of work while trying to keep up in seven classes, and make up tests and other assignments that have been missed during the extended absence.

• Classroom Policies
All teachers distribute classroom policies at the beginning of each school year or semester. Parents and students should read these classroom policies very carefully before signing them. Students will be held responsible for the content of those classroom policies and regulations throughout the school year. Contact the teacher with questions on individual classroom policies.

• Observing Classrooms
Occasionally, the Academic Office receives requests from parents to observe a teacher’s classroom. These requests to observe a particular teacher’s class cannot be approved. We strongly encourage parents to contact the teacher first when there are concerns about a class. Please review the SMCHS Communication Policy on page 20 for any questions about the proper chain of communication.

• Grading Scale
The school grading scale is:
A+ 99-100%
A 92-98%
A- 90-91%
B+ 88-89%
B 82-87%
B- 80-81%
C+ 78-79%
C 72-77%
C- 70-71%
D+ 68-69%
D 62-67%
D- 60-61%
F 59% and below
Grades and Attendance
Regular attendance in class is directly related to academic performance. Students who miss class for any reason may find their grades affected by these absences. Every teacher has an absence policy for their individual class. Parents and students should be sure to familiarize themselves with their teachers’ policies regarding absence from class as well as the school wide absence policy.
• Students with a Documented Learning Disability
Refer below

• School Maestro and InTouch Programs
Students and parents who wish to monitor academic progress on a regular basis can access School Maestro, a program which allows parents and students to review current grades for assignments and test scores online 24 hours a day from any computer. SM also uses InTouch, a program that allows parents and students to review the official school records for discipline, attendance, and grades at set grading periods. All teachers are required to use School Maestro and are asked to update it at least once in each 2-week period. Students, not parents, teachers, or counselors are responsible for their academic progress.

School Maestro and InTouch Student Codes and Passwords are mailed to Incoming Freshmen families at the beginning of the school year. If the code is misplaced, the Student Services Secretary (713-4300) can provide a copy of the code to the student. Only this one code is needed to access both programs; they do not have separate codes.

School Maestro is the official grading program for the school. All official grades are recorded and kept in School Maestro. Sometimes there are discrepancies between School Maestro and InTouch. When that happens we refer to School Maestro as the official document to verify the accuracy of the grade.

• Report Cards and Online Progress Reports
Report cards are mailed home four times during the school year: at the end of the first marking period, first semester, third marking period, and second semester. Parents and students are encouraged to review grades on School Maestro (the school’s online grading program) periodically to keep track of student academic progress throughout grading periods. SM no longer mails progress reports. The school’s InTouch Dialer notifies parents when one or more Progress Reports have been posted. Do not rely on this…check InTouch. Progress report grades will be posted on InTouch per the proposed schedule below. If you do not have a computer available to you and would like a progress report mailed home, please contact the school Registrar.
  • 1st Mark Progress Report Friday, October 12, 2007
  • 2nd Mark Progress Report Friday, December 14, 2007
  • 3rd Mark Progress Report Friday, March 7, 2008
  • 4th Mark Progress Report Friday, May 16, 2008
  • Senior Progress Report Friday, May 9, 2008
• Request for Review of a Grade
At the end of the second semester, there are occasional requests from parents and students to review grades earned at the end of that semester. Since teachers are not available after school is out for the summer to review these grades, a Grade Investigation Form must be filled out stating the reason(s) for requesting the review. Any request for a second semester grade review must be presented to the Academic Office no later than June 30. When the teacher returns to school for the fall semester, he or she will review the request and get in touch with the family within two weeks of school resuming. This form is available by contacting the Academic Office.

If a student has a question about a grade during the first semester, the student (or parent) should contact the teacher directly. If the teacher is no longer on campus, the Department Chair for the subject may be contacted. All requests for first semester grade reviews must be made prior to February 28.

• Communication with the School
When a parent has a concern or question about a student's progress or lack of it, the teacher should be contacted first. If the problem in question has not been resolved satisfactorily, the appropriate Department Chair should be contacted to set up a meeting with all parties concerned. It is important that parents follow this chain of operation before contacting the Principal or Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction.

We encourage parents to contact teachers as often as necessary to keep abreast of their student's progress. Because teachers do not have access to telephones in their classrooms, it is somewhat difficult to reach a teacher immediately by telephone. However, a voicemail message can be left for the teacher. Email communication can often be a more expedient way to get information to and from a teacher. Faculty email links are located on our website on the Academics homepage under the Faculty listing, as well as in the back of the Parent Student Handbook. When following the proper chain of communication, please allow a teacher 24-48 hours to respond to your message.

• Community College Classes
Students are encouraged to take enrichment classes at local community colleges when these classes are not offered at SMCHS. Seniors especially may want to take a class to enhance their preparation for college or for a career. These classes, however, may not be taken in lieu of a class at SMCHS, nor used for the purpose of skipping levels (i.e. World Language or Math), nor may the credit be transferred to SMCHS for high school credit. Any student wishing to take a class at a local community college is required by the college to have the signed approval of the Principal or Assistant Principal of Curriculum Instruction or the counselor. Further information on community college classes can be obtained from the Counseling Office.

• Repeating a Course
When a student receives a grade of “D” or “F” in any course, he or she may not repeat that course during the school year. The course must be remediated by completing a summer school course at SMCHS the following summer. If the course is not offered at SM, arrangements may be made to take the course at a community college, an approved accredited local high school, or an approved online class.
Students who wish to earn a diploma from SMCHS (this does not apply to transfer students) may not take more than 20 credits from another outside accredited educational institution unless there is an extenuating circumstance which has been previously approved by the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction. Online classes are permitted on a limited basis only. Written permission from the Counselor must be given.

• Summer School
Any student who receives an "F" grade at the semester in any subject must remediate that "F". In addition, a student receiving a "D" grade in the second semester of any Math or World Language course for which a second or third year is required must attend summer school at SM to remediate the grade and to prepare for the following year.
Because summer school class time is at a minimum in comparison with the regular school year, students are not permitted to be absent during summer school. There are No Excused Absences. Students, who for any reason, do miss a summer school class will be marked unexcused and will not be able to make up tests or quizzes or turn in any work for the missed day or days. Students who are tardy and miss tests, quizzes or other work will be unable to make that up as well.

• Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from SMCHS, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 270 credits of course work. Included within credits completed satisfactorily are the following course requirements:
Religion..........4 years..........40 credits
English...........4 years..........40 credits
Social Studies 3 years..........30 credits
Science..........3 years..........30 credits
Mathematics...3 years..........30 credits
World Lang.....2 years..........20 credits
Fine Arts........1 year............10 credits
Health............½ year............5 credits
Electives.............................45 credits
Physical Education..............20 credits
  270 credits
• Transfer Credits
SMCHS does not accept transfer credits from non-accredited institutions.

Graduation Policy
In order to receive a diploma from SMCHS, a student must:
    • Have successfully completed a minimum of 270 credits of coursework.
    • Have no unremediated grades of “F” on his or her transcript.
    • Have a cumulative academic GPA of 2.0 or better.
    • Be in good standing with the Attendance and Discipline Office.
    • Have no outstanding financial obligations with the Business Office.
    • Have completed all Christian service obligations.
A senior who has the misfortune of receiving a grade of “F” on his or her transcript will not receive a diploma from SMCHS until the “F” has been remediated. In order for this student to participate in graduation exercises, he or she must:
    • Have a cumulative academic GPA of 2.0 or better.
    • Not have more than 2 “F” grades on the transcript.
    • Be in good standing with the Attendance and Discipline Office.
    • Have no outstanding financial obligations with the Business Office.
    • Have completed all Christian service obligations.
All incomplete work must be turned in 2 days prior to the Baccalaureate Mass in order for this work to be calculated into final grades. Any student who has a “School Hold” on his or her diploma will not receive the diploma until the hold is removed. Students who have a “School Hold” on their diploma because of incomplete graduation requirements must have those deficiencies completed by August 31st of the graduation year. If applicable, a transcript from the community college or university must be submitted to SM for the completed work. The date of graduation on the transcript will reflect the year the graduation requirements have been met if not done by August 31st.

• Grades and GPA
Honors classes and/or AP (Advanced Placement) and IB (International Baccalaureate) courses receive an extra grade point. The scale is as follows (pluses and minuses within each letter grade do not change the scale):
Honors Scale            Academic Scale
A - 5                         A - 4
B - 4                         B - 3
C - 3                         C - 2
D - 1                         D - 1
F - 0                         F - 0
The semester exam constitutes 20% of the semester grade.

“I” (Incomplete) is used only in very rare cases when a student has missed work/test due to an excused absence at the end of the grading period. If the Incomplete grade is not made up within 2 weeks, the grade will turn to an “F”.

• Valedictorian and Salutatorian
Valedictorian and Salutatorian are academic awards and are bestowed on the two or more seniors who have achieved outstanding performance in the most rigorous academic program. The decision is usually made in the early spring by the Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Instruction along with the Administrative Board.

• Academic Honesty
See policy under Ethics in the Attendance and Discipline Section of the Parent Student Handbook or Agenda.

• Academic Probation
SM is a comprehensive college preparatory high school. Students are accepted based on the expectation that they are capable of meeting the academic rigors of the curriculum. Therefore, students must maintain a cumulative, as well as semester, academic Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or better. Students are placed on academic probation after the first semester that they perform below 2.0. A second semester of academic work below 2.0 can be reason for dismissal. Freshmen students may be asked to withdraw from SM if they have both semesters of academic work below 2.0 or if the second semester or cumulative academic GPA falls below 1.50. Having a GPA this low so early in the high school program makes meeting graduation requirements almost impossible.

• Academic Withdrawal
When a student has not met the academic requirements of SM, the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction will ask the student to withdraw. Upon withdrawal, the student is required to enroll in another institution or educational program. Final transcripts are provided to the school/program designated by the parent/guardian at the time of withdrawal. No future academic grades for work completed at another institution or educational program will be posted or added to the SMCHS transcript of grades issued at the time of withdrawal. SM is under no obligation to continue to facilitate the continuance of the student’s education at SM or by any agent or representative of SM.

• Withdrawing from School
If, for any reason, a student is withdrawing to attend another school, the parent must contact the Registrar to sign a withdrawal form. Withdrawal grades will be obtained by the Registrar from the teachers and forwarded to the new school.

• Year-End Review Process
At the close of each school year, the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction examines the files of any student(s) for whom there is some academic concern and determines an appropriate course of action.

• Academics and Participation in Athletics
Students must have a 2.0 non-academic GPA (referred to as total GPA on the report card) in the most recent grading period to be eligible for participation in athletics or specified activities. At semester, the semester grades will be used to determine eligibility. In some cases, activities require a higher GPA for participation. These athletic/activities eligibility GPA’s include all courses taken for credit. If 2 P.E. classes are taken during one grading period, the one taken periods 1-7 is used to determine the athletic/activities eligibility GPA.

If a student athlete falls below a 2.0 total GPA, he/she may not represent SM in athletic competition. Should an athlete fall below a 2.0 total GPA, a request for a one-time Waiver for Eligibility to participate in athletic competition may be made by the coach. Students or parents who wish to receive a Waiver for Eligibility should present their individual case to the student’s coach for the particular sport in which the student is participating. The coach in turn will petition the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction for approval. The request for a waiver must come directly from the student’s coach. The Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction will not consider the request for a waiver that comes directly from a student or parent. A Waiver for Eligibility is given only ONE TIME during the student’s high school years. The Monday after grades are submitted, students become either eligible or ineligible depending on their progress grades or semester grades. Progress grades are defined as the grade earned as of the date grades are submitted to the Registrar. A waiver is generally reserved for varsity athletes. Freshmen are generally not given this option. A Waiver for Eligibility is effective for one grading period only. If a student receives a progress report during the grading period, the waiver may be revoked.

A request for a waiver is very rare and is only granted if there are extenuating circumstances (i.e. death in family, illness, discovery of a learning disability, etc.)
 

• Physical Education Policy
All students at Santa Margarita Catholic High School are required to complete two (2) years (20 credits) of Physical Education in order to graduate. This requirement can be met in the following ways:

Regular P.E. Classes
Completion of 2 years (20 credits) in a Physical Education class at SM, either during the regular seven period day, or during summer school (space permitting and first priority given to Seniors). Summer school classes must have a minimum of 20 students and will count as 5 credits per semester or session. Students may take summer school P.E. both sessions if space is available and can earn a total of 10 credits for both sessions.
    • Students may earn 5 P.E. credits per semester by being a Student Athletic Trainer. Space is limited in this semester long course, and students must be recommended by the school’s athletic trainer.
    • Students may elect to take a P.E. class at some community colleges that permit high school students to enroll, however, 10 of the 20 required credits must be earned on the SM campus in P. E. classes during periods 1 through 7 before the option is available.
    • Students may earn up to 20 P.E. credits for 2 years participation in Beginning, Intermediate, and/or Advanced Dance. Freshmen may only take Beginning Dance for Fine Art credit.
CIF-Sanctioned Sports
Participation in a CIF-Sanctioned Sport offered at SM. Only those CIF-sanctioned sports that are offered on our campus will be approved for credit. This includes the following sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball, Water Polo and Wrestling.
  • Two years of continuous participation in a year round sport will satisfy the full 20-credit requirement for graduation. CIF-sanctioned year round SMCHS sports include: Boys Baseball, Boys Basketball, Girls Basketball, and Football. If a student fails to complete the 2 year commitment, 5 credits per semester will be earned. 
  • Four years of continuous participation in a seasonal or semester sport will satisfy the full 20 credit requirement for graduation. CIF-sanctioned seasonal SM sports include: Boys Cross Country, Girls Cross Country, Boys Golf, Girls Golf, Boys Lacrosse, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Girls Softball, Boys Swimming and Diving, Girls Swimming and Diving, Boys Tennis, Girls Tennis, Boys Track and Field, Girls Track and Field, Boys Volleyball, Girls Volleyball, Boys Water Polo, Girls Water Polo, and Wrestling. If a student fails to complete the 4 year commitment, 5 credits per season will be earned. 
  • SM-affiliated activities such as Equestrian and Roller Hockey will receive a maximum of 5 credits per year. These activities must have a minimum of 90 hours per year in order to receive 5 units of credit.
A maximum of 10 credits per year may be earned through participation in the CIF-sanctioned sport. If a student is dropped or withdraws from the sport before meeting the 2 or 4 year commitment (stated above), he or she must earn the additional credits needed to total 20 prior to graduation. These additional credits may not be earned off campus; the remaining P.E. credits needed for graduation must be earned on the SMCHS campus.

Performing Arts
  • Marching Band – 2 years of continous participation (1semester per year) will satisfy 10 credits of P.E. 
  • Color Guard – 2 years of continous participation (2 semesters per year) will satisfy 20 credits of P.E. 
  • Dance Production Team – 2 years (4 semesters) of continuous participation on the Dance Production Team will satisfy the 20 credit requirement for graduation. If a student fails to complete the 2 year commitment, he or she will be required to earn an additional 10 credits of P.E. on the SMCHS campus. 
  • Cheerleading – 2 years (4 semesters) of continuous participation in Cheerleading will satisfy the 20 credit requirement for graduation. If a student fails to complete the 2 year commitment, he or she will be required to earn an additional 10 credits of P.E. on the SMCHS campus.
Under no circumstance will participation in athletic activities outside of school count towards the 20 credit requirement for graduation from Santa Margarita Catholic High School. Only those sports and activities listed above fall within our policy.
 

Honors, AP, and IB Courses
English 1, 2 H English Lang & Comp. AP English Lit. & Composition AP
English HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB Int’l Trends in Cinema H Theory of Knowledge IB
Film HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB Algebra 1, 2 H Geometry H
Precalculus H Math Studies SL IB Statistics AP
Math Methods SL IB Calculus (AB) AP Calculus (BC) AP
Mathematics HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB Biology H Biology AP
Biology SL IB Chemistry H Chemistry AP
Chemistry SL IB Physics H Physics B AP
Physics HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB Cultural Geography MUN H World History MUN H
World History AP US History MUN H US History AP
US Gov’t MUN H US Gov’t and Politics AP Economics MUN H
Macroeconomics AP Psychology AP History HL 1 IB
History of the Americas HL 2 IB Philosophy HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB Spanish 1, 2, 3 H
Spanish Language AP Spanish SL IB French 1, 2, 3, & 5 H
French Language AP French SL IB Latin 1, 2 H
Latin Vergil AP Latin HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB Ancient Greek 1, 2, 3 H
Greek SL IB Wind Ensemble H Music Theory AP
Music Group Perf. SL IB Music HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB Chamber Orchestra H
Chamber Singers H Theatre Arts HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB Dance HL 1 IB, HL 2 IB
Advanced Painting H Painting 3 H IS Art History AP
Modern & Contemporary Art H