Section 2. Academic Program

Academic excellence is achieved by thorough instruction in the core disciplines, the development of good study habits, and the opportunity to be challenged by increasingly complex subject matter. Because of the quality and experience of the faculty and the careful organization of time set aside for personal instruction and guidance, we believe that a boy will find a superior academic program at Avon Old Farms.

With rare exceptions, all graduating seniors go on to college. Thus, Avon’s graduation requirements closely parallel the admission requirements of many colleges. Avon students are expected to complete the following studies:

English — Four years* History — Three years (including U.S. History) Mathematics — Three years (Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2) Science — Three years with intensive laboratory work (including Living Systems or equivalent biology credit) World Language — Through the second level/year Language Arts — One credit

*The English requirement for graduation is four years, one of which must be either English 4 (two semesters), English 4 Honors, or AP Literature and Composition, taken in the senior or post-graduate year.

Each year, a student pursues a program of studies consisting of a minimum of five courses, including at least four courses chosen from the following core academic subjects: English, history, mathematics, science, and world language. Additional courses could be from either core academic subjects or electives in the performing arts or visual arts. In order to be eligible to receive a diploma from Avon Old Farms, a student must meet the requirements outlined above and satisfactorily participate in Intersession. The School reserves the right to deny a diploma to any student who is not in good standing at the time of graduation due to academic or disciplinary reasons.

Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), and post-AP courses are offered to students who combine academic ability with the desire to pursue the most rigorous course of study. Placement in these courses is determined by the provost and academic deans after considering the student’s request, his previous course of study, and teacher recommendation. Even if a student is recommended by a teacher, final decisions about placement are made only by the provost and/or academic deans and may not be overridden by parent/student requests.

I. Schedule Changes

Changes to a student’s schedule may be made only with permission of Provost Mr. Dowling; Academic Dean Ms. Harrington; or Academic Dean Mr. Stern during the drop/add period or at other times under special circumstances. The drop/add period for all students ends on September 24, 2021. Any course changes made after the end of the drop/add date will result in an Incomplete for the affected courses during the first quarter. If a student has an Incomplete, he will not be eligible to earn a position on the Honor Roll, Dean’s List, or Head of School’s List.

If a student wishes to change a course, he must confer with his current teacher, his advisor, and Provost Mr. Dowling; Academic Dean Ms. Harrington; or Academic Dean Mr. Stern about the reasons for the requested change. Changes will not be made because of teacher preferences. Students are expected to communicate any changes in their schedules to their parents/guardians.

The academic year is divided into two semesters, each comprising two quarters. Final exams occur at the end of the spring semester. Report cards are issued four times a year at the end of the first quarter, first semester, third quarter, and year end, and students may earn one of the following distinctions based on their first-quarter, firstsemester, third-quarter, and year-end grades:

Head of School’s List — Students with a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.80 (with no grade below a B) will be on the Head of School’s List.

Dean’s List — Students with a GPA of at least 3.50 (with no grade below a B-) will be on the Dean’s List.

Honor Roll — Students with a GPA of at least 3.20 (with no grade below a C) will be on the Honor Roll.

Cum Laude Society — The Cum Laude Society is a national honor society for students who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship. The Academic Committee recommends students for membership to the Avon Old Farms chapter of the Cum Laude Society based on their strength of schedule, scholastic achievement, academic integrity, and commitment to learning. These students are inducted as part of a formal awards ceremony during Commencement Weekend.

Academic Concern, Warning, and Probation — The faculty will review the report cards of each student, and a student may be placed on academic concern, warning, or probation according to the recommendation of the faculty. A student placed on academic concern, warning, or probation will be notified of his status and an improvement plan will be developed to provide additional support and monitor his academic work more closely. The student’s parents/guardians will be included in this communication. If a student placed on academic concern, warning, or probation does not show sufficient improvement as determined by the provost or appropriate academic dean, his re-enrollment may be at risk.

In addition, the faculty may make a recommendation to the associate head of school to place a student on academic concern, warning, or probation in other circumstances, such as a student who is found to have engaged in academic dishonesty or a student who has been a discipline problem in the classroom.

III. The Baxter Library

The Baxter Library is a full-service library that supports the school’s academic curriculum with traditional print and web-based resources. Students are expected to observe quiet study conditions in the library. A library account is set up for each student from which he is able to borrow library materials for a four-week period. After that time, the student has a grace period to return materials to the library without any further charges. However, if the borrowed material is more than three weeks overdue, the student will be charged for the cost of the item plus a $10 service fee. If the item is returned after a student’s account has been billed, he will be credited for the cost of the borrowed item, but not the service charge.

When school is in session, the Baxter Library hours are as follows, but may be subject to slight change:

Monday – Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Study Hall 7:45 – 9:45 p.m. Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Saturday class days Sunday: Closed

Avon Old Farms has partnered with eCampus to make textbooks available for purchase online. eCampus has created an AOF Virtual Bookstore where families and students will be able to order their textbooks for the school year. Books will be available to purchase beginning Monday, August 23, 2021. The online bookstore link can be found under the ‘Quicklinks’ tab on our homepage by selecting OnlineBookstore. Each student is required to order their books prior to the start of school once his academic schedule is finalized. Books purchased or rented through eCampus may be sold back or returned to eCampus at the end of the academic year.

V. Academic Accommodations

Avon Old Farms School is not able to provide individualized educational programs for students with significant physical, cognitive, or mental disabilities. The School does comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider requests for reasonable accommodations or modifications to school policies as a result of a diagnosed and documented disability.

Students seeking an accommodation or modification to any of the School’s academic policies should contact the School’s Learning Center Director James Reece. Students must provide appropriate documentation to support the request, including a complete and current copy of any relevant testing, evaluation and/or relevant diagnosis. If the information is insufficient, outdated, or incomplete, the School may request additional information or insist that paperwork be updated before activating accommodations. All decisions regarding accommodations are made by the School on an individualized basis through an interactive process with the student’s parents and guardians, relevant members of the faculty, staff, and administration, and outside providers as necessary.

Examples of academic accommodations might include extended time on tests, extra support from the Learning Center, or assistive technology devices that would help the student access the curriculum. No accommodation or modification to any school policy will be granted if it will fundamentally alter the nature of the School’s educational programs or otherwise creates an undue burden for the School. All students, regardless of disability, will be held to the School’s standards for academic achievement and personal conduct. Requests for accommodations that are non-academic in nature should be made to the Health Center and/or Dean of Students Office.

Any student who receives an accommodation or modification due to a disability will be provided with an accommodation plan that is reviewed annually. The annual review will consider any updated information about the student, including information related to the ongoing impact of any disability, the need for continued accommodation, the availability of alternative accommodations to address student needs, and whether accommodations are being used.

VI. Academic Support

One defining characteristic of the academic program at Avon Old Farms is the structured support that we offer our students, beginning with small class sizes which allow teachers to pay closer attention to their individual students.

Enrichment, which serves as another type of academic support, is also part of our daily schedule. During the Enrichment period, teachers are available in designated areas for students to receive extra help with their course work. Enrichment will be offered in the evening at set times.

of the Avon curriculum while learning essential study skills that will assist them on their path to becoming lifelong independent learners. The Bigelow Learning Center works in partnership with families and the faculty, within the established curriculum, to comply with our obligation to provide for reasonable accommodations while serving students with a wide range of learning styles, empowering them to reach their full academic, personal, and creative potential.

Students may visit the Bigelow Learning Center during a free period to get help with individual assignments, to receive assistance organizing their work for the week, or preparing for an assessment. The Bigelow Learning Center is open to all students. While some boys are scheduled to meet with an academic coach on a regular basis, all students are welcome to utilize this academic resource. All are welcome to drop in during a free period to study or make an appointment to meet with an academic coach at a mutually agreed upon time. The peer tutoring program is also run through the Bigelow Learning Center and is another resource for students seeking additional academic support. The Bigelow Learning Center can also assist in coordinating professional, 1:1 tutoring.

Please contact the center director, James Reece, at (860) 404-4286 or reecej@avonoldfarms.com, for more information on the Bigelow Learning Center, peer tutoring or professional tutoring. For further information about other additional academic support, please contact the Provost or academic deans.

VII. Academic Integrity

The School expects that homework, tests, papers, and other assignments are a reflection of a student’s own work and the use of materials belonging to others must be appropriately cited or credited. Students should only collaborate on assignments when permitted and are prohibited from improperly sharing, accessing, or using the work of others in any manner that is dishonest, misleading, or in violation of our core values. Students should not engage in any activity that would dishonestly improve results, or improve or hurt the results of others; this includes but is not limited to: accessing outside sources during online assessments or assignments or collaborating with peers during exercises where individual work is mandated. Academic dishonesty is a serious infraction, and any act of academic dishonesty will have consequences, including the potential for discipline up to and including dismissal from school.

Just as is the case with the rules of conduct at the School, situations of academic dishonesty are classified as either Level 1 or Level 2 offenses. Level 1 offenses are considered major offenses, and Level 2 violations are considered minor offenses.

When there is a concern or allegation of a violation of our academic integrity policy, the issue will be investigated by the department chairperson and the provost or appropriate academic dean.

If the School determines that it is a Level 1 offense, the student will receive a zero on the original assignment, and the student will meet with a group of academic administrators, which may include the academic deans, dean of faculty, and/or provost. The student will be instructed to complete the assessment or assignment again, and this grade will be averaged with the zero on the original assessment or assignment to arrive at the final grade for the exercise.

If the School determines that it is a Level 2 offense, the student will be expected to meet with the appropriate academic dean and will receive a zero on the assignment. For any offense, the provost or academic dean will write a letter to document the incident. The letter will be sent to the student’s home, and a copy will become part of the student’s record at school.

Level 1 (Major) Offenses For an academic integrity violation to be considered a Level 1 offense, the value of the assessment or assignment must be worth 10% or more of the marking period grade. Examples of Level 1 offenses may include: providing a fellow student with a copy of your own work; copying another student’s work; cheating on a test, final examination, or standardized test; plagiarizing; stealing a test or answer key; or committing other serious academic infractions.

The second occurrence of a Level 1 offense during the student’s enrollment will typically result in an appearance before the Discipline Committee and could lead to dismissal from the School.

Level 2 (Minor) Offenses The value of the assessment or assignment must not be more than 10% of the marking period grade. Examples of Level 2 offenses may include dishonesty on a quiz, improper citation on a paper, or copying a homework assignment.

The second occurrence of a Level 2 offense during the student’s enrollment will be considered a Level 1 offense.

VIII. Class Attendance

Attending class is a minimum academic expectation. If a student needs to miss a class, he should communicate that in advance to either the appropriate academic administrator or the Dean of Students Office. If prior communication is not received, the academic deans will determine if a class absence is classified as excused or unexcused. Unexcused absences are not acceptable and accumulation of unexcused absences could lead to dismissal from school. Students who accumulate absences will be held accountable as follows and can expect to have any consequences documented on their record:

• Students who accumulate a second unexcused absence during a single semester will be required to complete community service for 60 minutes. Students will not be permitted off-campus until they complete this work assignment. • If a student accumulates four unexcused absences during a single semester, he will be required to attend a Saturday Night Study Hall. Students will not be permitted off-campus until they serve this consequence. • If a student accumulates six unexcused classes in a single semester, he will be required to meet with the provost and/or academic dean and the dean of students, and he will be required to attend Saturday Night Study Hall and participate in a Sunday Work Crew. Students will not be permitted off- campus until they complete all consequences. • If a student continues to accumulate unexcused absences, he will be required to meet with the associate head of school and the provost/academic dean, who will decide on appropriate consequences for the student, which may include suspension or dismissal from school.

A letter will be placed in the student’s file and sent to his parents/guardians if four unexcused absences occur. This letter will clearly outline the attendance expectations. Additional letters will be drafted to document additional missed classes.

Furthermore, multiple unexcused absences of a single course may result in a loss of points from the student’s quarter average for that class. The criteria for the loss of points will be described within the teacher’s syllabus.

It is in the student’s best interest to make up missed work as soon as possible in order to stay current with course content. The following describes the School’s position on missed work from both excused and unexcused absences: A. In the event of a missed assignment due to an excused absence, the student should meet with the teacher on his return to school to determine a date to make-up/submit the missed assignment for full credit. If the student fails to meet the agreed-upon date without communicating with the teacher beforehand, then it will be treated as a missed assignment due to an unexcused absence (see below).

B. In the event of a missed assignment due to an unexcused absence, or if a student does not submit an assignment on the day it is due without having arranged for an extension ahead of time, the student will have a maximum of five class meetings to make-up/submit the assignment for partial credit. The assignment will be marked as NTI (Not Turned In) in the Veracross gradebook. The student will lose one letter grade or 10% of the maximum score for each day after the original due date. If the student does not make-up/submit the assignment by the end of the fifth class meeting after the original due date, he will receive no credit for the assignment.

X. Intersession/Prep4ward Attendance

Intersession is an essential component of the academic program. As such, each year a student is enrolled at Avon Old Farms his satisfactory participation in Intersession is mandatory as a graduation requirement. Students’ participation is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Under extraordinary circumstances, a student may not be able to participate fully and/or satisfactorily in Intersession, and these circumstances will be reviewed by the School administration to determine alternatives for how then the student can fulfill the Intersession requirement.

Prep4Ward is another essential component of a student’s weekly schedule, and students are expected to attend all scheduled Prep4Ward sessions.