Upper School School Hours Upper School office hours begin at 7:45 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays; the first class of the day begins at 8:00 a.m. Students are expected to be in their classes and prepared for the school day when the bell rings at 8:00 a.m. On late start Wednesdays, the first class of the day begins at 9:00 a.m. There are no morning office hours on Wednesdays. School ends at 3:00 p.m. each day. Optional afterschool office hours are from 3:00-3:30 p.m. each day but Friday. Academic Information Whitefield Academy seeks to serve the Christian community by providing a Christ-honoring, college preparatory education of the highest quality with an emphasis on excellence in academics. The entire academic program at Whitefield Academy is designed to prepare our students for college. Thus, a wide variety of rigorous academic challenges and learning experiences are at the core of the Upper School program. A successful academic experience at Whitefield requires all WA students to be familiar with academic policies and procedures, most of which are outlined in the sections that follow. Academic Probation ● Any student who is failing two classes at the end of the first semester will be placed on Academic Probation for the semester and will potentially be considered ineligible for athletics as determined by GHSA guidelines. ● Students on Academic Probation will be held accountable, at minimum, for the interventions as defined for Academic Watch. Students on Academic Watch are required to attend Office Hours in courses where their grade is a 72 or below and work together with the teacher to gain a greater understanding of the content not mastered. ● A student who is placed on Academic Probation following the fourth quarter, meaning he or she will begin the next school year on Academic Probation, will potentially be considered ineligible for athletics as determined by GHSA guidelines. ● This eligibility determination can be adjusted upon the completion of appropriate coursework for credit recovery prior to the first day of the next school year. ● A student placed on Academic Probation after the first semester will have his or her contract for the next school year held so that administration can continue to assess whether the school is the best fit for the student’s academic abilities. The Upper School Principal will make the ultimate decision regarding whether or not to extend a re-enrollment contract to students on Academic Probation. Academic Watch ● Any student who has two grades at or below a 72 or one or more F’s after a grading period (or sooner if determined appropriate by administration) will be placed on Academic Watch. ● Students who are placed on Academic Watch will be expected to engage in established academic support structures, including Tier 2 support or another support plan as identified by the Upper School Principal. Tier 2 support pairs the student with a faculty member who serves as an academic mentor. The student meets with his or her academic mentor for support at a minimum of once a week at a time mutually agreed upon. ● Students on Academic Watch who consistently engage in the required Tier 2 support and demonstrate sustained academic improvement may be released from Tier 2 support. This determination will ultimately be made by the academic mentor. Advanced Placement/Honors Courses Teachers recommend students to take Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses. Students taking these courses must be highly self-motivated, disciplined, and prepared to face academic challenges and Family Handbook 2023-2024
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