Parent Handbook 2019-2020

©2019 Kolbe Academy. All Rights Reserved.

Kolbe Academy

1600 F Street, Napa, CA 94559-2226 Tel: (707)255-6499 Fax: (707) 255-1581

homeinfo@kolbe.org https://www.kolbe.org/

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

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Table of Contents

Mission Statement ...................................................................................................................................................1

Contacting Kolbe Academy ....................................................................................................................................2

Kolbe Identifying Codes: HSLDA and CEEB (College Board) .............................................................................3

Subsidiarity ................................................................................................................................................................3

Online Courses Policies and Procedures ...............................................................................................................3

Admissions/Enrollment ...........................................................................................................................................4

Student Age Requirements/Residence Requirement ......................................................................................4

New Student Application Process .....................................................................................................................4

Returning Student Enrollment Process .............................................................................................................4

Academic Preparation and Prerequisites ..........................................................................................................4

Official Course of Study List ...............................................................................................................................5

Transfer Students .................................................................................................................................................5

Academic Services ...................................................................................................................................................6

Special Needs .......................................................................................................................................................6

Enhanced Evaluation Service (EES) ....................................................................................................................7

Official Grade Records/Transcripts/Letters of Verification of Enrollment ..................................................8

Testing .......................................................................................................................................................................9

Standardized Testing ...........................................................................................................................................9

Grade Level Assessment Tests ...........................................................................................................................9

Subject Placement Tests .....................................................................................................................................9

Academic Integrity ................................................................................................................................................ 10

Planning and Record Keeping at Home.............................................................................................................. 10

Reporting Grades to Kolbe .................................................................................................................................. 13

High School Credits .............................................................................................................................................. 17

Diplomas ................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Eighth Grade Diploma ...................................................................................................................................... 17

High School Diplomas ...................................................................................................................................... 17

Withdraws/Refunds/Returns .............................................................................................................................. 20

Withdraw and Tuition Refund Policies ........................................................................................................... 20

Bookstore ........................................................................................................................................................... 21

Course Plan Resale and Copying Policy ......................................................................................................... 21

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Mission Statement

With the purpose that each student:

• achieve salvation;

• deepen in intellect and character;

• grow spiritually;

• develop the ability to win others for Christ; and

• perceive and elect his or her God-given vocation.

This will be accomplished by providing the primary educator of the student with the support to develop

his or her full capacities as a teacher, by offering:

• a dedicated staff of academic advisors;

• assistance in setting and meeting reasonable and challenging goals;

• an academically rigorous curriculum;

• detailed lesson plans for all subjects that interject Catholic teaching when desirable;

• education in the Catholic faith at all grade levels;

• inspection of work and examinations;

• comprehensive record-keeping, official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and diplomas

for 8th and 12thgrade;

• an Enhanced Evaluation Service for grading support; and

• standardized testing to aid in evaluating student progress.

Our Mission Statement

In loyalty to the Magisterium, guided by the Ignatian

principles of education, under the principle of

subsidiarity, the mission of Kolbe Academy is to assist

the home educator form young men and women according to the

unbroken tradition and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

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Contacting Kolbe Academy

Departments Telephone E-mail

Book Store 707-255-6499 ext. 4 orders@kolbe.org Academic Services (Advisors) 707-255-6499 ext. 5 advisors@kolbe.org Accounting 707-255-6499 ext. 3 accounting@kolbe.org Enrollment 707-255-6499 ext. 1 registration@kolbe.org Online Courses 707-255-6499 ext. 1 onlinecourses@kolbe.org Admissions 707-255-6499 ext. 2 admissions@kolbe.org

Topic Contact Information Admission and Enrollment Information admissions@kolbe.org or call 707-255-6499 ext. 2

Book Store: https://books.kolbe.org orders@kolbe.org or call 707-255-6499 ext. 4

Home School and/or Online Course Withdrawals

advisors@kolbe.org or call 707-255-6499 ext. 5

Home School Course Information, Changes and Enrollment

registration@kolbe.org or call 707-255-6499 ext. 2

Online Course Information, Changes, & Enrollment

admissions@kolbe.org or call 707-255-6499 ext. 1

Self-Paced Course Information admissions@kolbe.org or call 707-255-6499 ext. 5

Special Needs ccuellar@kolbe.org or call 707-255-6499 ext. 125

Submit Sample Work and Grade Reports for Home School courses

By email: qreports@kolbe.org or Mail:1600 F Street, Napa CA 94559

Submit updates to Course of Study

https://fs11.formsite.com/KolbeAcademy/form117/index.html. A link may also be found on our website homepage.

Diploma Questions & Graduation Requirements advisors@kolbe.org or call 707-255-6499 ext. 5

Transcript Requests parchment.com

Payment plans (Smart Tuition management) https://www.enrollwithsmart.com/

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Kolbe Identifying Codes: HSLDA and CEEB (College Board) HSLDA Discount 295160 CEEB: PSAT, SAT and ACT 052084

Subsidiarity The principle of subsidiarity states that nothing should be done by a larger and more complex organization that can be done as well or better by a smaller and simpler organization. Nowhere has this found greater expression than in the home schooling movement. Kolbe Academy Home School has embraced the principle of subsidiarity by offering an educational program that you implement in your home. We are not a correspondence program. With Kolbe, the parent is the teacher and is truly in charge of the child's education. This is in keeping with the dictum of Pope John Paul II that "the parents have been appointed by God Himself as the first and principal educators of their children...their right is completely inalienable" (Familiaris Consortio 40). It is the goal of Kolbe Academy Home School to encourage every home schooling family to be independent, self-reliant, and totally confident in the education of their children in the home. Kolbe Academy understands and appreciates that parents, in making the decision to home school, have chosen not to abdicate nor delegate their responsibility as the primary educators of their children, but to embrace that responsibility. The skills and talents needed to fulfill the role of educator is not granted in the issuing of a teacher "credential." Rather, the charisms necessary come through the grace of the Sacrament of Matrimony and the giftedness of parenthood. Not all families, especially those who are new to home schooling, possess the confidence that permits complete independence and self-reliance. Kolbe Academy serves the needs of those families who want to be enrolled with a program and have their student grade records and cumulative folders maintained by that program. Kolbe Academy offers parents a general framework within which they have the freedom and responsibility to make the day-to-day decisions in their children's education. The principle of subsidiarity is at work as parents are free to adapt all Kolbe materials to suit their situation and are best able to determine the pace at which a student progresses.

Online Courses Policies and Procedures To look up policies and procedures for our online courses, please refer to the Kolbe Academy Parent and Student Handbook for Students Taking Online Courses.

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Admissions/Enrollment

Student Age Requirements/Residence Requirement Kolbe Academy has no specific minimum age requirements for students enrolled with us. However, the maximum age that a student may earn a high school diploma with us is 19. Special needs high school students may be able to graduate later than age 19 based on a case by case evaluation of an individual student’s educational history with us. A student is expected to live with parents or an adult guardian while enrolled with Kolbe Academy. Kolbe Academy does not provide adult education classes.

New Student Application Process Kolbe Academy’s application process begins on our website. After completing an Enrollment Application on our website, it will be reviewed by an Academic Advisor. Once the review is complete, you will receive an e-mail with a link to complete an enrollment form and request course plans, online courses or self-paced courses for each enrolled student. Please visit our website or contact an Advisor in the Academic Services Department for more information about the application and enrollment process and our tuition, rates, and fees.

Returning Student Enrollment Process Parents of students enrolled in Kolbe during the previous school year will receive a re-enrollment e-mail from Kolbe Academy. This e-mail is usually sent in early March. The e-mail will contain a “snap code” which may be used to link to an enrollment form pre-populated with contact and academic information specific to each individual student.

Academic Preparation and Prerequisites Kolbe Academy allows parents to select course plans two years above or below their student’s enrolled grade level for kindergarteners through eighth graders. You may choose to have your child take Kolbe’s informal grade level or subject assessment tests to help determine the best placement for your student. Standardized testing is also available through Kolbe using the Terra Nova. For more information, please see our website, www.kolbe.org under the Testing tab or call or email the advisors at 707-255-6499 ext. 5 or advisors@kolbe.org In Junior High and High School, some of the math, science, and language courses have pre-requisites or co-requisites for enrollment. Please see course descriptions for details. Parents will have an opportunity during the enrollment process to complete and upload a Course Eligibility Worksheet when enrolling in any online courses that have prerequisites.

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Official Course of Study List Kolbe Academy requires that parents submit a Course of Study for each student. The Course of Study is a list of courses and course materials that each student will use during the school year. In High School, students are permitted a maximum of 8 academic courses per semester. The Course of Study is submitted on the student’s enrollment form. It is comprised of the Kolbe Academy courses that the student is enrolled in as well as the courses entered on the enrollment form that the student will take using course materials outside of Kolbe Academy’s curriculum. For high school students, an Academic Advisor will review the Course of Study submitted through the enrollment form to ensure that all materials will be eligible for high school credit and meet the student’s graduation requirements. To update the list of courses and course materials entered on the enrollment form, please submit a Course of Study Change Form using this link: https://fs11.formsite.com/KolbeAcademy/form117/index.html. A link may also be found on our website homepage.

Transfer Students Kolbe Academy welcomes transfer students at all grade levels. Grades 1-9 Transfer Students There are no special requirements that must be met by students transferring into Kolbe Academy in grades 1-9. We will provide you with a “Request for Release of Records and Transcript of Credits” form after you enroll with us. You may use this form to transfer your student’s records to us if you would like us to keep them in the cumulative files for your student. You are not required to send previous grade records to us. However, for a student to earn an 8th Grade Diploma with us, we must have grade records for 6th, 7th and 8th grade in our files. Grades 10-11 Transfer Students Students transferring into Kolbe Academy in grades 10 and 11 must have a transcript evaluation completed by an Academic Advisor at Kolbe Academy. The transcript review will take place during the admissions application process. Based on the transcript review, an Advisor will make curriculum choice recommendations which will enable the student to earn a diploma with us at the end of Senior year. Please visit our website for fee information.

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Grade 12 Transfer Students Students transferring into Kolbe Academy in grade 12 must have a transcript evaluation completed by an Academic Advisor at Kolbe Academy. The transcript review will take place during the admissions application process. Based on the transcript review, an Advisor will make curriculum choice recommendations which will enable the student to earn a diploma with us at the end of Senior year. Transferring 12th grade students are also required to take at least 5 full-year academic courses (50 credits) during their Senior year, at least 2 of which must be Kolbe courses from the subject areas of English, Literature, Theology or History.

Academic Services

Special Needs Not all students learn the same way. Kolbe Academy offers tremendous flexibility in our curriculum allowing most students to benefit without additional help. However, some students do need more help. It's for these students that Kolbe's Special Needs Department was formed. The Special Needs Department at Kolbe is designed in a consultative manner. Parents collaborate with our special needs advisor to help answer questions regarding the education of their student. We provide advice in selecting and/or modifying a program to meet your student's educational needs. Kolbe is also accumulating resources for learning disabilities, especially for dyslexia. If your student has an IEP, we can provide assistance in writing your yearly goals. If necessary, we will work with you to develop an Accommodation Plan. This document will outline any accommodations or modifications your student requires to best meet their educational needs. This plan will be included in your student's records, where it may be useful for requesting accommodations for standardized testing, or for a re-entry to public school. For our high school students for whom Kolbe's Standard Diploma is out of reach, we offer our Special Diploma. The requirements for this diploma are individually chosen for each student, based on their IEP goals and their academic potential. Parents will consult with the Special Needs Department to create a Graduation Plan outlining these requirements. If you feel that the Special Needs Department can help you in the process of educating your student, or if you just have questions, you can contact us to begin a dialogue. We look forward to working with you. This service is available to our registered families at no extra cost.

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Enhanced Evaluation Service (EES) The Enhanced Evaluation Service (EES) is an optional service that allows a family to have their own personal evaluator from Kolbe Academy to aid in grading their student's work.

• Families may purchase blocks of 20 or 40 submissions. • You tell us which students will be using the service. • Parents decide how to distribute samples amongst their students. • Students are assigned a dedicated advisor to evaluate submissions. • Sample work may be submitted between September 1 and June 30. • Additional blocks of samples may be purchased at any time during the school year.

However, unused submissions will not be refunded. • Sample work can be from any subject of the parent's choice. • Sample work can include assignments, papers, tests, or daily work from the Kolbe

Academy curriculum. • Sample work can include compositions from outside the scope of the Kolbe Academy

curriculum, for example, research papers, essays, and book reports etc. • A sample piece of work is defined as 2-3 pages, double spaced, 12pt font. If a longer paper

is submitted, it will be counted as two samples. • To get the most out of the service, we recommend sending in no more than two samples

per week.

An EES Evaluator gives feedback in the following ways:

• Takes into account the grading requests and concerns of the parent. • Grades both objectively and subjectively depending on the assignment and the request of

the parent • Gives personalized feedback on the student's work, especially writing. • Suggests how to weight grades in your student's overall quarterly grade • May ask a student to redo an assignment and resubmit. A resubmission at the request of

an evaluator does not count toward the student's sample allotment for the quarter.

To enroll in the Enhanced Evaluation Service (EES), a family must first enroll with Kolbe Academy. A section on the Kolbe Academy registration form includes an optional area to enroll in EES. All EES fees must be paid in full at the time of enrollment. If you have already enrolled your child(ren) for the school year and later decide to enroll in the EES program, please contact the Academic Services Department and they will assist you with enrollment.

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Official Grade Records/Transcripts/Letters of Verification of Enrollment

Registered families who desire verification of grades and coursework for official grade records or transcripts must file home school grade reports each quarter for students in grades K-6 and each semester for students in grades 7-12. It is important to remember that home school grade reporting is a service of Kolbe Academy Home School, not a requirement. If reports are not filed, however, grades assigned by parents on the report card and courses studied cannot be validated for the purpose of issuing diplomas or providing an official grade record. Elementary Official Grade Records

A grade record is issued for Kindergarten through 8th grade when parents need official records sent to another school. Please contact the Advisors in the Academic Services Department to request elementary grade records. There is no charge to request elementary official grade records. High School Transcripts Kolbe Academy offers transcript and record keeping services for all enrolled high school students. Credits and grade point averages are assigned to courses on high school transcripts Kolbe transcripts lists coursework done within and outside of the Kolbe Academy curriculum including academic and non-academic coursework as well as elective coursework. To receive credit on a transcript for a home school or self-paced course, a parent must submit sample coursework to Kolbe or a transcript of credit from another institution. Students enrolled in an online course with Kolbe Academy will automatically have a Kolbe transcript generated for their online course(s). All requests for high school transcripts are processed through Parchment.com. and may be delivered by mail or electronically. Please access the link on our website to request a transcript. Letters of Verification of Enrollment Letters of verification of enrollment are issued upon written request. Please contact the Advisors in the Academic Services Department to request letters of verification. There is no charge to request a Letter of Verification of Enrollment.

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Testing

Standardized Testing Terra Nova®, The Second Edition Complete Battery Achievement Test TerraNova®, The Second Edition is a nationally-recognized, norm- and criterion-referenced standardized test administered to elementary and secondary school students in public, private, and home schools across the country. This edition uses 2005 norms for scoring. It is one of numerous standardized tests available to chart the progress of students. The primary benefit of the TerraNova®, The Second Edition is its usefulness as a diagnostic tool to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in a student's academic profile and to chart progress from year to year. This is not a survey test, but rather a full battery test covering content areas in reading, spelling, language, math, science, and social studies. Tests are available for grades K-12 (Kolbe currently does not offer testing for Kindergarten). Please check your state testing requirements at www.hslda.org. You do not need to be an enrolled Kolbe Academy family to register for the Terra Nova test. More information on how to register for the Terra Nova test and the fees that apply are available on our website.

Grade Level Assessment Tests Grade level assessment tests and answer keys are available on our website free of charge. These tests are a resource to help you gauge the what grade level will be a good fit for your student. These tests are administered by the parent and graded by the parent. However, you are welcome to contact an Advisor in the Academic Services Department if you would like to discuss the results of the assessment tests. Please keep in mind that you are able to customize a curriculum for your student based upon their grade level in individual subjects.

Subject Placement Tests Subject placement tests for Latin and Math are available on our website free of charge. These tests are a resource to help you gauge the correct level of both of these subjects for your student. You are welcome to contact an Advisor in the Academic Services Department to receive advice about our curriculum options in these two subject areas.

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Academic Integrity Kolbe Academy takes academic dishonesty very seriously. Parents of students who are suspected of academic dishonesty may be contacted by an advisor.

Plagiarism and cheating are two examples of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is the use of another's words, ideas, and/or research without proper attribution to the source of that information. Plagiarism can be the deliberate representation of another's work as one's own or the unintentional failure to give credit to the proper source for borrowed information. Cheating is an unwarranted use of materials in one's academic work. Unoriginal student work can include either plagiarism or cheating, or simply be the unbalanced usage of material from outside sources in a student's work. As a general rule, a student's work should not contain more borrowed information than the student's own original research, reason, and thought.

Please make sure that you know how to avoid plagiarism and are aware that plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses that can follow students in their academic records.

Examples of Academic Dishonesty include:

• Using Google translate or other web translators for language courses. • Copying Wikipedia or other internet sources to answer homework or test

questions. • Copying another student’s work and presenting it as one’s own. • Generally speaking, any student work that contains more borrowed information

than the student's own original research, reason, and thought can be considered academic dishonesty.

Not sure if something is considered plagiarism or academic dishonesty? Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does my work reflect my own knowledge, thoughts, or research? If it doesn't, have I properly cited the knowledge, thoughts or research of the source?

• Does including this material put me in a position to receive a grade that I did not earn?

Planning and Record Keeping at Home Organizing the School Year Ordinarily the school year is divided into four quarters of nine weeks each, with 45 days per quarter (or two semesters of 18 weeks each, with 90 days per semester for junior high and high school). State requirements may vary. Please also note that the Kolbe course plans and tests are organized with 36 weeks of instruction divided into four quarters (for grades K-6) or into two

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semesters (for junior high and high school). If you prefer to establish your 180 days in a different way, or add more days, you are completely free to do so. The pages headed “Establishing the Course of Study” (located in the elementary and junior high grade reporting packets) and “Developing the Course of Study” (located in the high school grade reporting packets) offer specific suggestions about how to organize the school day. For grades one through three, three hours is enough. Four to five hours is suggested for grades four through six, and five to seven hours for junior high and high school. Field trips, seminars, academic camps, and independent tutoring outside of the home school may be counted as school time. Utilizing Kolbe Course Plans The syllabi and course plans are optional guides to help parents organize lessons for the school year. You may choose to emphasize or de-emphasize certain material based on the particular academic needs of your children. For kindergarten through eighth grade students, parents should feel free to stretch the material over a longer period of time or increase the pace of a course to provide a challenge for the student. There is no requirement that all the work listed in a given course plan be completed; nor must you complete all the work in any given textbook. For High School students, parents still retain the ability to adjust the work load in the course plans. However, High school students pursuing the (K) or (H) designation for a course or who are enrolled in the Summa Cum Laude diploma plan need to complete the particular requirements in the individual course plans for those options. The Kolbe syllabi and course plans are copyrighted material. Families are asked not to reproduce them or share them with others. Organizing a Grade Book Kolbe Academy recommends the use of a grade book to help parents with record keeping. Teachers’ Planning and Grade Books are available at most office/teacher supply stores, or you can create your own in Microsoft Excel or a similar program. The following model could be a good starting point: WEEK 1

Subject Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Tests Total %

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To use this template (or when using a grade book), fill in the daily grades for homework, other exercises, and tests for each week. Two of the most common methods are:

1. Weighting Tests and Daily Grades Evenly

• Calculate a number grade for each assignment, test, etc. in each subject. • For each subject, add all the grades for the week together and divide by the total number

of assignments (see the example 1 below).

2. Weighting Tests and Daily Grades Proportionately

• Calculate a number grade for each assignment, test, etc. in each subject. • For each subject, add all the grades for the daily assignments for the week together. • For tests or special projects, add the grade in twice. • Divide by the total number of assignments (see the example 2 below). • This method can be used in reverse to weight daily work more heavily, if you so choose.

Subject Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Tests Total %

Example 1 Religion 95 85 92 87 86 90 535 ÷ 6 = 89%

Example 2 Math 86 91 96 89 90 92(2) 636 ÷ 7 = 91%

You can continue down or across the page for each week. At the end of the grading period, total up each week’s average and divide by the number of weeks. You can add in the tests by either method above and then divide accordingly and convert the percentage to a letter grade for the report card, as follows:

WEEK

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Exam

Subject Total % and Grade

Ex 1 Religion 89 85 92 87 86 80 90 91 90 790 ÷ 9 = 88% = B

Ex 2 Math 91 91 96 89 90 85 97 88 98(2) 923 ÷ 10 = 92% = A-

Parents may weight grades in any manner they choose. This is a matter of personal preference and may vary depending on the subject. No one way is “the right way” and different methods may be used for the same student for different subjects. Parents are often concerned that their grades may not be “accurate.” It is important to remember that grades are somewhat subjective and vary from school to school and even from teacher to teacher. Grades should be both a scale that parents can use to measure student performance and a motivational tool that provides clear, consistent standards for students.

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Grade Scale Kolbe Academy provides courses which suit many student abilities and areas of interest. A grade in a more challenging course (i.e. Honors/AP) is not considered equivalent to the same grade earned in a less challenging course with the same course title. All Kolbe Academy Honors and AP courses are weighted with an additional 1.0 points per letter grade as outlined in the following table. Students are encouraged to match their abilities with the challenges of a course in a realistic manner. Serious consideration should be given to selecting student coursework, since the grade of a course is the basis for computing the student’s GPA.

Grade GPA Weighted GPA

Percent Grade GPA Weighted GPA

Percent

A+ 4.0 5.0 97-100 C- 1.7 2.7 70-72

A 4.0 5.0 93-96 D+ 1.3 2.3 67-69 A- 3.7 4.7 90-92 D 1.0 2.0 65-66 B+ 3.3 4.3 87-89 F 0.0 0.0 0-64 B 3.0 4.0 83-86 B- 2.7 3.7 80-82 P - - Pass C+ 2.3 3.3 77-79 W - - - C 2.0 3.0 73-76 I - - -

Reporting Grades to Kolbe The following outline explains how to send grade reports and samples to Kolbe for verification. HOME SCHOOL GRADE REPORTS CONSIST OF: I. QUARTER/SEMESTER GRADES If you are submitting sample student work and grades, Kolbe requires letter grades in each subject as assigned by the parents and reported for each quarter (for grades K-6) or semester (for junior high and high school). The grades must be reported on a Kolbe Academy Report Card. Please note that the courses listed on the report card should match the Course of Study provided on the student’s enrollment form. Please submit any updates to the original Course of Study on a Course of Study Change Form, using this link: https://fs11.formsite.com/KolbeAcademy/form117/index.html. A link may also be found on our website homepage. Suggested options for grading systems:

1. The developmental grading system is recommended for Kindergarten only: M (Mastered Skill), S (Satisfactory Progress), I (Improving), N (Needs Improvement), and NE (Not evaluated).

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2. The "1, 2, 3" system noted on the report card is designed only for the "class work" and “personal deportment" sections.

3. The Pass/Fail system is an alternative for non-academic subjects such as P.E., music, art, drama, or other electives. This system, however, may not be used for high school academic subjects.

4. The "A" through "F" system outlined on the Kolbe report card is best suited for academic subjects in grades 1-12.

5. In high school, the Semester grade is used to compute the high school GPA. Honors and AP classes will be weighted.

Keeping good records is essential since, as the teacher, you are the primary guarantor of your student's grades. Please keep copies of the report cards and samples you send to Kolbe Academy! If you receive your Welcome Packet by mail, it will include one cardstock report card as well as four copies on white paper for each student in grades K-6 or two copies on white paper for each junior high and high school student. Fill in grades and sign the CARDSTOCK report card. Keep this card for your records. If you receive the Welcome Packet electronically, simply print out the number of report cards that you need each year for each student. Be sure to keep a signed report card for your records at home. Submit grades for each quarter or semester to Kolbe on the white paper report card sheets. These documents will become a permanent part of your student's cumulative file, so be sure to note the student's name and grade, as well as the quarter or semester and academic year for which the grades are being reported. The "class work" and "personal deportment" sections on the left side of the report card are optional but recommended for younger students. One of the stated goals of Ignatian education is the training of the will to produce men and women obedient to the will of God and attractive to others for the cause of Christ, and this optional section allows you to reflect your student’s progress in that area. Sign and date all report card forms which attests that your student has completed all work on his own while adhering to Kolbe Academy's honor policy. FOR HIGH SCHOOL REPORT CARDS

The high school report card requires a few more details than grade school and junior high report cards.

• Parents should be sure to check the diploma type that their student is pursuing (Summa, Magna, or Standard).

• If a student is seeking the Kolbe Core (K) or Honors (H) designation for any courses, the parent should be sure to mark each course appropriately with the (K) or (H) in the column labeled “D” for designation (see individual course plans for more information on these designations).

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• If a student is taking a college course for high school credit, the parent should be sure to mark “C” in the column labeled “D” for designation and include an official transcript from the college for the course.

• Course titles should be filled in rather than just listing the subject (e.g. Intro to Sacred Scripture; Literature of Christendom: English: Composition and Rhetoric 10; Geometry; etc.).

• For science, be sure to specify if a lab has been done in addition to the course by marking the appropriate space with an “X.” Include two lab report samples in addition to the two samples of work from the science course to have the lab listed on the transcript. Science labs do not receive separate grades or credit.

II. SAMPLE WORK Grade all samples sent to Kolbe. All samples will be reviewed to verify the grade reported. Please keep copies of all samples submitted. Samples will not be returned. If you wish to receive specific feedback on a work sample from a Kolbe advisor, please attach a note to the material. Please note that sample work sent in a student’s grade report is NOT retained in the student’s cumulative file. This includes any original work done by the student. You are welcome to send copies and keep the original work for your records. EACH SAMPLE MUST BE LABELED WITH THE STUDENT’S NAME, DATE ASSIGNMENT WAS GIVEN, SUBJECT AND BOOK, PLUS PAGE OR LESSON NUMBER. KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS: Written samples are optional for Kindergarten students. However, you are welcome to submit one sample of written work per subject per quarter. A single paper or daily assignment is acceptable as sample work. GRADES 1-6: Please submit ONE sample of written work per subject per quarter. A single paper, daily assignment, or quarter test done during the quarter for which grades are being submitted, is acceptable as sample work. JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS: Please submit TWO samples of written work per subject per semester. Any two papers, daily assignments, or tests done during the semester are acceptable as sample work. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS: Please consult each course’s syllabus for exact sample requirements for Kolbe Honors (H) and Kolbe Core curriculum courses (K). For college courses (C), a transcript from the college must be included for credit. If no designation is desired, any TWO written and graded samples of work per course will suffice for credit each semester. For some courses, particularly those in music, art, physical education and drama, it may be difficult to submit a sample of work. For these courses, it is acceptable to include a brief description of the activity. It is especially important at the high school level to provide documentation of any elective course, including art, music, physical education, etc. Please refer to Parent As Counselor

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for guidelines in planning for high school. This handbook is sent to all registered families with students in grades 8-12. III. ATTENDANCE RECORD An attendance record is provided in the Welcome Packet materials and should be filed with our office for each student. One Kolbe Academy Home School Attendance Record per student is provided in the welcome packet. Please mail us a signed and dated copy with your fourth quarter home school grade report for grades K-6 or second semester home school grade report for Junior High and High School students. Please check your state’s minimum day requirements when planning your school year. IV. GRADE REPORT CHECKLIST A Homeschool Grade Report Checklist is provided in the Welcome Packet to help you organize your grade report packets throughout the school year. Be sure to fill out the information in the top portion of the page. As you assemble the components of a grade report packet, please check off the appropriate lines on the checklist on the bottom half of the page. Including a checklist with each grade report greatly aids our Academic Advisors in speedily returning your reports. If you are submitting more than one quarter or semester of work at one time, you only need to include one Grade Report Checklist. Simply mark in the squares at the upper right-hand of the page which quarters or semesters are include. V. SENDING GRADE REPORT PACKETS TO KOLBE ACADEMY When you have assembled the necessary grade reporting forms and samples, you may send them to Kolbe Academy by US Mail or by e-mail.

You may submit your grade report packets by mail to: Kolbe Academy 1600 F Street Napa, CA 94559

OR, you may submit your grade report packets by e-mail to: qreports@kolbe.org

VI. ADVISOR REVIEW OF HOME SCHOOL GRADE REPORTS All home school grade reports are reviewed by an advisor. The review consists of an accounting of quarter or semester home school grade report. The review sent to the families is a verification of grades as assigned by the parents using the listing of subjects reported on the report card. All grades and attendance materials sent in by parents are maintained in a cumulative file at Kolbe Academy. The cumulative folder is established for all students upon registration and contains student academic records, including records requested and transferred from previous schools.

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Please note: The cumulative file does not contain samples of work submitted in home school grade reports. It is from the cumulative file that a diploma, official grade record or transcript of credit is issued. Diplomas, grade records or transcripts of credit are available upon request. Grade records from grades K-6 and junior high or high school transcripts may be requested by a family at any time but are usually requested when the student is applying for admission to a high school or college. When a student has completed the elementary or high school course of study, a Diploma Request may be accessed on our website. Please contact an Advisor in the Academic Services Department should you have any questions about how to report grade records to us.

High School Credits Passing grades in academic courses receive 5 credits per semester per course. A passing grade is D or above at the end of the semester for all diploma types. A grade of D or above will count towards the graduation requirements for the Standard and Magna Cum Laude diplomas. A grade of C- or above at the end of the semester will count towards the graduation requirements for the Summa Diploma. Please note that semester grades are calculated into the GPA.

Diplomas

Eighth Grade Diploma Kolbe Academy issues Eighth Grade diplomas for our 8th grade graduates. In order to receive a diploma for graduation from 8th grade, a student must:

1. be enrolled with Kolbe Academy for all of the 8th grade year. 2. be taking at minimum 5 academic courses including Religion, English, and Math. 3. have on file with Kolbe Academy the 6th and 7th grade student records from Kolbe

Academy, from another school, or from your own home school.

High School Diplomas Kolbe Academy offers three different high school diploma types: Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, and Standard. To earn a diploma from Kolbe Academy, students can use any combination of home school courses taught by a parent, self-paced courses, online courses, or other sources such as community college, home school co-ops, or alternate home school curriculum or curriculum providers. A student who would like to earn a diploma should make sure to fully enroll in Kolbe Academy and choose classes that will fulfill the requirements of the desired diploma type. If a student is transferring into Kolbe Academy in 10th-12th grade, please be sure to obtain a transcript review from a Kolbe Academy Academic Advisor prior to choosing classes.

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Choosing a Kolbe Academy Diploma The high school diploma types exist for the sake of helping families decide what sort of course of study they want to follow with their high school students. The diploma types are not the equivalent of receiving Summa Cum Laude or Magna Cum Laude ranking in school. However, they do reflect various levels of rigor in the courses of study pursued. Each has a different aim and focus, and thus, different graduation requirements. Kolbe offers different options so that families can use and tailor the program to meet whatever goals they have. Each diploma has a specific course of study and has a minimum number of courses required in each area for graduation. Students are always welcome, and even encouraged, to exceed these minimum requirements. Summa Cum Laude Diploma The Summa Cum Laude diploma is for the student who wishes to pursue the most challenging course of study. It requires that the student use Kolbe's exact curriculum for all four years and requires four years each of math, science, literature, English, theology, history and foreign language. Additionally, of the core subjects of literature, English, theology and history, one honors course must be taken as a freshman, two as a sophomore, three as a junior and all four must be taken with honors as a senior. The Summa Cum Laude exceeds the requirements for college entrance and thoroughly prepares students for the rigors of a 4-year college or university. Approximately 5-10% of Kolbe's High School Students choose to pursue the Summa Cum Laude diploma.

The Summa Cum Laude diploma is our least flexible course of study. As such, Summa Cum Laude students must follow the Kolbe curriculum as laid out. This includes seeking the Kolbe Honors (OH or H) or Kolbe Core (OK or K) designation in all coursework and with the following minimum honors course stipulations:

Subject Credits Course Requirements (Home School or Online Courses)

Theology 40 Intro to Sacred Scripture; Mass & the Sacraments/Church Hist I; Apologetics/Ch Hist II; and Morality/Ch Hist III

English 40 4 high school English courses, taken at home, self-paced, or online

Literature 40 Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman, Literature of Christendom, and Modern Era Literature

History 40 Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Era of Christendom, and US & Modern History

Mathematics 40 including PreCalculus or higher Science 40 Biology w/lab, Chem w/lab, Physics w/lab, Elective

Science Foreign Language 40 Either 20 credits of Latin and 20 credits of another

foreign language, or 40 credits of Latin Visual/Performing Arts 20 Physical Education 20

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ALL substitutions to Kolbe Academy curriculum must be PRE-APPROVED in writing by an Academic Advisor from Kolbe Academy. Note that substitutions are generally not approved for Theology, English, Literature, or History, and typically only college course substitutions are approved for Math, Science, and Language if pre-approved. Magna Cum Laude Diploma The Magna Cum Laude is our college preparatory diploma and is designed to exceed the admission requirements of most state universities. It provides an academically rigorous course of study while allowing for more flexibility than the Summa Cum Laude diploma. Students are required to take five combined classes in English and literature, four in theology and three in math, science, history and foreign languages, including requirements for specific subject areas within each discipline. Students and parents may substitute other high school level courses in place of the courses that are offered by Kolbe as long as they are grade-level appropriate. The Magna Cum Laude is the perfect diploma for the student who is preparing for college and may not want the full workload of the Summa or wishes to have greater flexibility than the Summa diploma allows. Students may opt to follow the Kolbe curriculum as closely as they desire. They may choose to seek the Kolbe Honors (H or OH) or Kolbe Core (K or OK) designation in their coursework, but they are not required to do so. To graduate with the Magna Cum Laude diploma, students must fulfill the following course requirements by using either Kolbe courses or other high school level courses: Subject Credits Course Requirements Theology 40 English & Literature 50 at least 20 credits of Literature History 30 at least 10 credits of World History and 10 credits of US

History Mathematics 30 Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II or higher Science 30 Biology, Chemistry, and a Physical Science Science Lab - one year each of Biology and Chemistry labs Foreign Language 30 at least 20 credits in the same language Academic Electives 20 from academic subjects only Visual/Performing Arts

10

Physical Education 20 Standard Diploma The Standard Diploma exceeds the State of California's high school graduation requirements and is appropriate for the student who wishes the greatest flexibility in choosing their curriculum, or

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who may be entering the military or the work force after graduation, or perhaps needs to make significant changes to Kolbe’s curriculum. It offers the greatest flexibility of our diplomas while still providing the opportunity for an academically rigorous education, albeit in a highly customizable fashion. Students may choose to follow any, all, or none of Kolbe's core curriculum so long as the minimum subject requirements are met. It is important to note that the minimum graduation requirements for the Standard Diploma may not meet the admission requirements of many four-year colleges. Students may opt to follow the Kolbe curriculum as closely as they desire. They may choose to seek Kolbe Honors (H) or Kolbe Core (K) designation in all their coursework, but they are not required to do so. Online or Self-Paced classes are open to those working toward a Standard diploma. To graduate with the Standard diploma students must fulfill the following course requirements by using either Kolbe courses or other high school level courses: Subject Credits Course Requirements Theology 30 English/Literature 30 History 30 at least 10 credits of World History and 10 credits of US

History Mathematics 20 at least Algebra I or higher Science 20 at least 10 credits of a Biological Science and 10 credits

of a Physical Science. Foreign Language or Visual/Perf Arts

10 students may either take one year of foreign language or 2 years of visual or performing arts

Physical Education 20 Electives 20 may be academic (4 semesters) or non-academic electives

(8 semesters) or some combination totaling 20 credits

Withdraws/Refunds/Returns To Withdraw from any of Kolbe’s programs, please contact an Advisor in the Academic Services Department at 707-255-6499 ext. 5 or advisors@kolbe.org.

Withdraw and Tuition Refund Policies

Kolbe Academy respects the fact that life is unpredictable and that it may become necessary for you to withdraw. However, we have secured teachers and staff based on enrollment. In consideration to you, we offer the following refund policies: Terms and Conditions can be found here on our website: https://www.kolbe.org/admissions/enroll-today/terms-conditions/

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Refund and withdraw policies can be found here on our website: https://www.kolbe.org/admissions/tuition/withdraw-refund-policies/

Bookstore Book Return and Reselling Used Books Information Information on returning books and reselling used books may be found here on our website: https://kolbe.org/book-store/book-returns-and-resale/

Course Plan Resale and Copying Policy The Kolbe Academy course plans and all accompanying materials are not intended for resale or copying. Copying represents copyright infringement, which is illegal. Regarding reselling the materials, Kolbe Academy relies upon the continued purchase of our course plans for financial stability. As a Catholic Apostolate, we ask you to refrain from reselling Kolbe's course plans. While we cannot stop you from copying or reselling our course plans, we do strongly implore you not to do so. Please note that individual course plan purchases are non-refundable.