By now, most teachers have sent out mid-quarter progress reports, called Deficiency Notices, to families of students whose grades have fallen below the C- level. These reports reflect a concern that students need to take extra action to improve their daily work and overall understanding. Their purpose is to give students a chance to catch up, with the help of family and teachers.
Deficiency Notices are certainly an important step in communication, but they are meant mainly as motivation to improve; thus, they are not reflected on a student's permanent record. Following a teacher's guidance should lead students to greater mastery of concepts and a more fulfilling class experience (the byproduct of which is a higher grade at the quarter and semester levels). We aim for students to love learning, and it can be difficult to feel this love when concepts don't make sense.
Tutoring is often recommended, as well as other steps at home and in class that can help students make more of their time. For specific questions about a student's academic status, please feel free to contact teachers. For more general questions, contact our Head of Academic Affairs, Mr. Thoits, at tthoits@veritasprepacademy.org.
