Grade System

The academic year is divided into two semesters of two nine-week periods each. Report Cards, consisting of marks and comments, are given at the end of each nine-week period. After the first and third marking periods, parents pick up report cards at Parent/Teacher Conferences.

In addition, at the mid-point of each marking period, interim reports may be sent, either informing parents of improvements in academic work and/or conduct, or advising them of difficulty in these areas.

Smart Start, Junior Kindergarten, and Senior Kindergarten have a developmentally appropriate report card which indicates progress in various areas, plus written comments.

In Grades 1 - 8, the following numerical marking is used:

100 - 90 (Excellent)
89 - 80 (Good/Very Good)
79 - 70 (Average/Satisfactory)
69 - 60 (Poor, but passing)
Any mark below 60 is failing

In Foreign Language, Art, Music, Computer, and Physical Education courses: Grades K - 3 receive participation grades and comments; Grades 4 - 8 receive numerical grades and comments.

Students in grades 3 - 8 with an overall average of 87 or better and no Fail marks are eligible to be on the Honor Roll. Those students in grades 4 - 8 with an overall average of 93 or better and no Fail mark are on the Headmaster's List.

In grades K through 8, conduct may be rated as SATISFACTORY or NEEDS IMPROVEMENT. If no notation or comment is made, conduct is satisfactory.

The Country Day School does not promote a student to the next grade unless there is assurance that he/she is adequately prepared to be reasonably successful there. Parents will be warned in advance of such a possibility.

In some instances, the Head of School may decide that, for the welfare of the child or the school, the student may not return the following year. Should this be the case, sufficient notification would be given.