Registration Policies

COURSE PLACEMENT INQUIRY Cardinal Gibbons High School uses guidelines from academic departments to place students in courses for the upcoming school year. These placements are determined by one or more of the following prerequisites: Semester 1 grade, IOWA test scores, PSAT scores, evidence-based reading and writing, a readiness test, and/or a placement test.

Students seeking a change in placement must complete the Course Placement Inquiry Form. This online form requires both student and parent signatures and provides space for comments. Upon submission, the system will automatically email the educator a copy of the student’s course placement inquiry. Educators will then respond by either updating access and allowing the student to enroll in the desired course or by requesting further discussion with the student and/or parent. Educators enable access for the student to enroll in the desired class through PowerSchool.

All Course Placement Inquiry Forms must be completed by February 13th (one day prior to the course registration deadline). Students seeking a change in placement from February 14th through March 31st must contact their college counselor.

COURSE CHANGES All course changes require approval from a student’s parent and school administration. Work on the master schedule for the following school year begins in May, and course sections and educator assignments are based on student requests made during the registration process. It is difficult to reassign educators and adjust the master schedule when class enrollments change unexpectedly.

Therefore, course changes are approved only for sound academic reasons. Cardinal Gibbons does not accommodate requests for specific flex periods, course order, teachers, or lunches. Students seeking a change in course selection after April 1st must complete the Course Change Inquiry Form on the school website. The registrar or a college counselor will contact the student regarding the requested change. These course changes are subject to a $75 fee. FINE ART EXEMPTION A student pursuing four years of computer science or technology may be exempt from the Fine Arts requirement. To qualify for this exemption, the student must not have room for a Fine Arts class during senior year due to the fourth year of computer science or technology.

PE DEFERMENT (FOR FINE ARTS, TECHNOLOGY, OR ENGINEERING) Freshmen at Cardinal Gibbons who wish to pursue an interest in Computer Science, Technology, and/or Fine Arts may do so in lieu of the Physical Education requirement. These students must take two years (freshman and sophomore year) of a course in the above named subjects to fulfill the requirement. The two courses do not have to be consecutive courses.

During the second semester of sophomore year, College Counseling will contact the student to complete the PE Independent Study, which is due before the start of the junior year. If a student does not enroll in a Computer Science, Technology, or Fine Art course as a sophomore, he or she will be enrolled in Men’s or Women’s Fitness.