Philosophy

St. Francis Central Catholic School’s middle school academic program provides early adolescent girls and boys in grades six through eight with an engaging and rigorous academic experience grounded in the Catholic liberal arts tradition. Eighth grade graduates of St. Francis Central Catholic meet and exceed state and Diocesan requirements for promotion to ninth grade, and may be eligible for advanced placement courses in high school. This strong academic preparation is supplemented by a broad range of co-curricular and extra-curricular programs.
In keeping with the school’s mission “to serve; not to be served,” all St. Francis Central Catholic secondary school students must complete a minimum of forty hours of community service and justice projects that are person-centered and approved by the religion teacher.

 

Academic Requirements –Yearly Curriculum Summary

Sixth Grade Academic Curriculum               Seventh Grade Academic Curriculum
Old Testament 1.00                                              New Testament 1.00
Literature I 1.00                                                     Literature II 1.00
English I 1.00                                                         English II 1.00
General Math 1.00                                                Pre-Algebra 1.00
Science I 1.00                                                        Science II 1.00
World Regions 1.00                                             World History 1.00
Electives 2.00                                                        Electives 2.00

Eighth Grade Academic Curriculum
Church History 1.00
Literature III 1.00
English III 1.00
Math I 1.00*
Physical Science 1.00*
West Virginia History 1.00
Spanish 1.00*
Health .50
Electives .50

*High school credits. Physical Science – must pass post-exam test administered by the county.

Elective Courses

Of elective courses, students must complete one (1) credit each in music, art, and physical education. Eighth grade students must also complete one (1) credit of Spanish and ½ credit of health. Elective courses other than in music, art, and physical education will be offered on a rotating basis and according to demand for the course.

Religion Curriculum

The religion curriculum is divided into the following areas: Sixth Grade = Old Testament/Our Ancestors in Faith; Seventh Grade = New Testament/The Life and Message of Jesus Christ; Eighth Grade = Church/History & Doctrine. In addition to the academic curriculum, students must also complete the following: a day retreat in sixth, seventh and eighth grade and a pre-established number of service hours each year of middle school. The service hours must be person-centered and be approved by the school campus minister. The eighth grade clinic at WVU cannot be counted towards the required hours of service.

Grades & Grading Scale

A=4.0; B+ =3.5; B=3.0; C+=2.5; C=2.0; D+=1.5; D=1.0; F=0.0.

Grading System: Students will be assessed on a continual grading system for each subject from the beginning to the end of the school year. A student’s GPA will not reset at the end of each quarter. This allows for the most accurate measure of achievement for your student.

A = 100-93
B+ = 92-90
B = 89-85
C+ = 84-81
C = 80-77
D+ = 76-74
D = 73-69
F = 68-Below

Honor Roll

An honor roll is posted each quarter for those students attaining grades which entitle them to the following:

Principal’s Honor Roll – 3.5-4.0 quarterly GPA
Honor Roll of Achievement – 3.0-3.5 quarterly GPA

Failing Grades

Students will not receive credit for a class they fail. Students who receive a failing grade in a core content area for the entire year will be required to take the failed class the next school year.

Grade Point Average 

A student’s academic progress is expressed by the point-hour ratio for each quarter, semester, and final course grade. The ratio is found by dividing the number of points earned in each course by the credit value of each course as listed above (half credit courses receive half the number of points earned). Each semester grade is the average of the two quarter grades.

A = 4.0
B+ = 3.5
B = 3.0
C+ = 2.5
C = 2.0
D+ = 1.5
D = 1.0
F = 0.0

The following example shows how a point-hour ratio is determined.

Course Title Number Grade Letter Grade Points Earned Credit Earned
Old Testament 95 A 4.00 1.00
Literature I 92 B+ 3.50 1.0
English I 88 B 3.00 1.00
General Math 84 C+ 2.50 1.00
Science I 97 A 4.00 1.00
World Religions 92 B+ 3.50 1.00
Physical Education 95 A 2.00 .50
General Music 98 A 2.00 .50
Sculpture 99 A 2.00 .50
Spanish Prep 95 A 2.00 .50
TOTAL 28.50 8.00

Total points earned (28.50), divided by total credits earned (8.00) equals a point-hour ratio of 3.56.

Homework

Formal home-study is assigned to help students become self-reliant and self-directed. Assignments are designated to reinforce daily lessons, to supplement and enrich class work, and to prepare for certain lessons through various experiences. Every student is required to have a homework assignment book and parents are asked to check it each evening.

Since each student has different capabilities and interests, it would be difficult to denote the specific amount of time to be spent on an assignment. If a problem arises, the teacher should be contacted.

Homework due to Vacations/Planned Absences
The school calendar provides for extended weekends throughout the school year. Parents are encouraged to schedule trips or family outings during these times so as to eliminate the need to interrupt a child’s learning process. Missed assignments are the student’s responsibility. Assignments will be posted on the school’s online school management system (http://www.mystudentsprogress.com/) by teachers.

Assignments may not be given in advance for any time missed by students. Assignments will ordinarily be given when the student returns. It will be the parent’s responsibility to review the skills taught while the student is absent. If an absence is due to illness, work may be picked up from the teacher daily. Work not turned in will result in a zero for all incomplete assignments.

Homework Policy due to Illness
When a student is absent for three or more days, a parent may call the school office before 9:30 AM to arrange for homework assignments. Homework assignments may be picked up at the school office between 3:00 – 3:30 PM. For short absences, students should make arrangements with classmates regarding assignments. Students may also receive missed assignments from their teacher when they return to school. Students are allotted the amount of days absent to turn in missed assignments.

WORK NOT TURNED IN WILL RESULT IN A ZERO FOR ALL INCOMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS.

Final Exams & Portfolios

All core content courses (i.e. religion, math, science, language arts, & social studies) will have a final exam that will figure into the student’s fourth quarter grades respectively as equal to one regular test grade. All elective courses will also have a final exam, though it may not take the form of a written exam. These exams may take the form of portfolios, projects, presentations, performances, etc., and will be announced in detail by the teacher at the beginning of the elective course as part of the course syllabus. In all cases, no student will be excused from taking the exam. Students who are ill the day of the examination will take the exam at a later date to be determined by the school. Parents are strongly discouraged from removing students during the exam week (which is defined in the school’s calendar). In this way, teacher evaluation of overall student academic progress will be more accurate, and students will be better prepared for later high-stakes testing in high school and college.

Graduation

The quality of instructional time for graduates of St. Francis Central Catholic School is as important to them as it is for students at all the grade levels.
Therefore, the final day for graduates shall not be more than three (3) days prior to the last instructional day for the remainder of the students in the school’s program without the permission of the Superintendent of Catholic Schools.
Graduation exercises will be held at the conclusion of eighth grade. In order for a student to qualify for graduation, all academic requirements must be met in full.

Probationary Admissions in Middle School

Students are admitted under probation to the St. Francis Central Catholic Secondary School in the following circumstances:

1. All 6th grade admissions as well as transfers after the beginning of 6th grade;

2. All students who fail a core content area course during the year and pass it during the summer session or next school year (please see “Failing Grades,” above);

3. All students who fail a core content area course during the year, and during either the summer session or next school year, and who successfully appeal to the school administration, designated pastor, and/or Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston for continued admission;

4. Behavioral misconduct that results in an out-of-school suspension.
Probationary admissions are reviewed at the end of each semester by the administration and middle school faculty. At that time, probationary status can either be removed or continued for a period of one semester. If probationary status is continued, the parents and student will be notified in writing as to why probationary status has been continued and what concrete actions must be taken to remove the probationary status.
After the second consecutive semester on probation has ended, the probationary status will be reviewed again. At that time, the status will either be removed, or the student will be required to either withdraw from the school or face expulsion. In these latter instances, the parents and student have the right to a hearing before the Designated Pastor and the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston to appeal the decision. In these cases, the decision of the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is final.

Withdrawal of Students for Academic Reasons

SFCCS may require a student to withdraw for serious academic reasons if the school is unable to meet a student’s needs. If such a request is made, the following conditions must be fulfilled:

  • Sufficient advance notice of the request must be given in writing to the student and parents;
  • The required progress reports shall have been given to the student and parents;
  • The student and parents shall have been given the opportunity to discuss with the appropriate staff personnel the future school placement of the student; and
  • The school must cooperate with any receiving school in matters concerning the placement of the student in an instructional program.