EES Academics

CURRICULUM Epiphany Episcopal School strives to provide each student with an education based on the acquisition of basic skills. Consequently, administrators and teachers give serious consideration when choosing suitable curricular materials. The curriculum is subject to annual review and revision by the teachers at each grade level. Our curriculum is aligned with the TEKS. A hard copy of the curriculum is available for perusal by parents at any time. It should be understood that the curriculum is strictly a guide and does not give day-to-day lesson plans.

TESTING A standardized achievement test is administered each year in Kindergarten through fifth grades for the purpose of student assessment and for accreditation through SAES. The classroom teacher will schedule a conference as soon as the results have been received.

PROGRESS REPORTS AND REPORT CARDS Parents/guardians of Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students do not receive a report card for the first nine-week period of the year. These teachers will schedule conferences with parents to discuss their child(ren)’s progress. Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students will receive report cards at the end of the second, third, and fourth nine-week grading periods. Teachers in grades first through fifth will send out written progress reports the Wednesday following the fourth week of the current nine-week grading period for each child. These teachers will schedule conferences at the end of the first nine-week grading period. Teachers in enrichment classes will send progress reports the Wednesday following the fourth week of the current nine-week grading period ONLY to the students who may be having difficulty. Report cards are issued for 1st through 5th grade students at the end of each nine-week grading period.

GRADING SYSTEM Students are given grades for academic work, classroom behavior and social skills. The grading system is detailed on the report card. Pre-K & Kindergarten: Assessment in Pre-K and Kindergarten reflects the developmental diversity, which occurs in our younger students. “Explosions of growth” in cognitive, social/emotional and physical domains occur during these early childhood years. The grading scale described below allows our teachers to communicate individual growth in each domain while maintaining a consistent scale to record progress of all children in the early grades. M Mastered skill or does it most of the time P Skill is emerging or does it part of the time N Has not yet emerged * Skill has not been introduced yet Grades given in Spanish, P.E., computer applications, art and music will follow the same grading system as the self-contained Pre-K or kindergarten classroom. First Grade: The students shall receive letter grades. A 90-100 C 70-79 B 80-89 D 69-Below Second through Fifth Grades: The students shall receive numerical grades. A 90-100 C 70-79 B 80-89 D 69-Below Grades given in Spanish, P.E., computer applications, art and music will be letter grades based on the guidelines listed above. In grades First through Fifth, classroom behavior and social skills will be assigned the following grades: G Good S Satisfactory N Needs improvement

HONOR ROLL • Pre-K and Kindergarten: Shining Star awards will be given to each student. • First through Fifth Grades: Eligibility for the “ALL A” and the “A-B” Honor Roll will be based on grades earned in all subjects including citizenship. Students who qualify for the Honor Roll (every 9 weeks) will be recognized on scheduled Honors Awards Assembly Days. Other certificates may be given at the discretion of the classroom teachers. • YEAR-END HONOR ROLL Students who have maintained an average of 90 to 100 for the first, second, third and fourth week grading periods will be recognized with a certificate at the final awards assembly for making the All “A” Honor Roll all year. Students who have maintained an average of 80 to 100 for the first, second, third and fourth nine week grading periods will be recognized with a certificate at the final awards assembly for making the “A-B” Honor Roll all year

HOMEWORK Homework is given as an extension of daily lessons at school when it is a fitting continuation of the day’s work. It is not given as busy-work to fill the hours in the evening, but rather it is assigned for the purpose of establishing independent study habits, of practicing skills already correctly established, for memorizing material necessary for further understanding in class, or to develop individual creative assignments. All lessons are explained to students in class. New work is never assigned for homework. Children having difficulty with a lesson should ask the teacher for help the next day. The child must bring to class the work attempted, so that the teacher can identify the specific problem. When a student is absent, he/she is required to make up all work within the time equal to the number of days missed.

CONFERENCES If you desire a conference with the teacher during his/her planning period, please call the office first to schedule an appointment.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS Computer Applications, Beginning Spanish, Music, and Art are a part of the curriculum and are conducted regularly by teachers specialized in these fields.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION Teaching basic physical fitness skills and encourages healthy living are the goals of the Physical Education program at Epiphany. It is not a competitive program. All students participate in Physical Education each school day. The program encourages children to develop a Christian, sportsman-like attitude, both as a participant and as a spectator. Children are expected to participate each day unless parents send a note requesting the child be excused due to illness or injury. Students who miss Physical Education classes due to illness or injury will be required to produce academic work as a substitution at the discretion of the Physical Education teacher and/or the Head of School.

FIELD TRIPS Parents will be notified ahead of time of any field trips. It is essential that parents or guardians volunteer to assist in transporting students to and from different events. Without this support, we would be unable to participate in these enrichment activities. Parental permission is granted when the parents sign the Field Trip Permission Form at the time of registration for local field trips. Field trips requiring vehicular transportation require a special permission form sent home by the student’s teacher. Parents are reminded that school uniforms are required for field trips, even for those that occur on Fridays. Parents/guardians who restrict students from attending field trips will be responsible for making alternative arrangements for child care while their child’s class is on field trips. The school reserves the right to reschedule or cancel any field trip at any time. The school further reserves the right at the teacher’s discretion to deny field trips to a student as a consequence of inappropriate behavior. Parents or guardians driving on field trips will be required to keep a copy of their driver’s license and current proof of insurance on file in the school office. The teachers are in charge of all field trips. They will establish or approve the itineraries and agendas for all trips. Parents are expected to follow these plans and remain with the group at all times. While on the field trip, parents must not provide students with extra snacks, treats or souvenirs. The classroom teacher is responsible to ensure all students receive similar field trip benefits. All school field trips are considered an extension activity of the school. Therefore all rules and guidelines that are appropriate for school will apply.