JSERRA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 26351 Junipero Serra Road. San Juan Capistrano. CA. 92675. Phone: (949) 493-9307, Fax: (949) 493-9308. www.jserra.org Parent Student Handbook Online Education 2016-2017
JSerra Catholic High School was founded in 2003 with a vision to advance young adults in pursuit of academic excellence. From the first class of 156 students in 2003, the dedicated staff and administration has worked tirelessly to develop innovative and exceptional academic programs. Enrollment has remained consistent over the last few years with over twelve hundred students. Of these twelve hundred traditional students nearly ten percent of students supplement their daily traditional classes with non-traditional online classes. JSerra continues to thrive and grow as its students and alumni become leaders in their families, neighborhoods, churches, and professional communities. MISSION STATEMENT OF JSERRA ONLINE To foster, support, and promote excellence in online education. To encourage scholarship of innovative teaching and learning practices that meets the needs of today s diverse learners. EXPECTED SCHOOLWIDE LEARNING RESULTS JSerra Catholic High School is an accredited private Roman Catholic school whose mission is to develop students who are: 1. Responsible Christian Citizens who: Demonstrate knowledge of the Catholic Church Experience the Sacramental expression of Christ s mission Perform Christian service to their community Practice respect of self, others, and community Demonstrate Gospel values through actions 2. Academic Achievers who: Read, write, speak, and listen effectively Demonstrate higher order thinking skills Solve problems creatively and analytically Utilize appropriate technology to support learning 3. Collaborative Workers who: Use effective leadership and interpersonal skills to foster, develop, and maintain relationships within diverse settings Establish and accomplish appropriate goals with others 4. Effective Communicators who: Demonstrate fluency in multiple modes of communication Demonstrate understanding of purpose and audience awareness 5. Lifelong Learners who: Manage and direct their own learning Value and pursue postsecondary education Establish personal priorities and achievable goals Develop an awareness of varying world views JSerra High School Online Page 1
OVERVIEW More than likely you will be required to take an online class during college. Online classes can be an excellent way to supplement brick and mortar classes taken at JSerra High School. However, taking a class online can be more challenging than expected. You must be proactive, self-motivated, and have excellent time management and communication skills. The online department at JSerra is dedicated to helping our students become successful online. Below are the guidelines and expectations for taking an online class. HOW TO SIGN UP FOR AN ONLINE CLASS Students must complete two steps prior to registering for an online class: First, you must meet with a guidance counselor to fill out the Online Course Request form (right). This must be signed by the counselor, student,. Second, full payment must be submitted and received prior to registration. The link to payment can be found at www.jserra.org/onlineducationpayment COST OF AN ONLINE CLASS Online classes are not included in the brick and mortar tuition at JSerra. An online semester class is $700 and one full year (two semesters) is $1,400 in addition to the regular tuition. AP testing fees are an additional $100. START AND END DATES All students must be enrolled and active in their class for a minimum of five weeks. Fall and spring semesters: Online start and end dates follow the same schedule as our brick and mortar start and end dates. Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to start a class early or extend their class after the set deadline. Please see a guidance counselor for specific start and end dates. Summer semester: If a student is taking one semester long online class during the summer they will have the months of June and July to complete their online class. Please see a guidance counselor for specific start and end dates. Year long, or two semesters are not permitted during the summer. AP classes: If a student is taking a second semester AP class during the second semester at JSerra, the end date of their online class will be May 1st. This date is subject to change pending the dates of the AP exams. JSerra High School Online Page 2
DROPS/REFUNDS Students may drop their online class during the brick and mortar add/drop period without penalty. Refunds will not be given after this time. Any student needing to drop a class after the drop date will not receive a refund and will have a withdrawal fail (WF) recorded on their transcript. Refunds will not be given for failed or incomplete online classes. ONLINE ROOM In the event that a student chooses to substitute an online class for an on campus class during the regular school day, the student is required to complete their online class in the online room. The online room is monitored by a JSerra faculty member at all times and is an excellent way for a student to remain on pace throughout the duration of their class. The online room is not offered during the summer. A student interested in taking an online class during the beginning or end of the day may opt out of sitting in the online room. A student must seek parent permission to be off campus during this time. The Off Campus Consent Form (right) is required of a student interested in being off campus during their online period. Daily attendance is required for a student choosing to utilize the online room. A student with an unexcused absence will be considered truant and subject to disciplinary action. STUDY HALL Following the designations of the D s and F s responsibilities of students listed above, students in online courses at JSerra also are subject to Mandatory Study Hall to complete their academic production in a timely manner. At specific times during grading periods (progress reports 25%; quarter 50%; progress report 75% expected completion), the online monitor sends out progress notifications to students who fall behind or appear in danger of not completing their required coursework. Students and parents receive an email directing the student to mandatory study hall to seek help and/or set aside time to work on their coursework with JSerra classroom teachers. The mandatory study hall is a proactive effort by JSerra to provide students with the opportunity to focus their attention on the online course work. Students must attend a minimum of two 45-minute sessions of study hall until the workload is caught up with requirements laid out by the online director. If the student does not complete the two sessions per week, that student will be assigned a one-hour after school detention by the deans. FAILURE TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE CLASS JSerra High School Online Page 3
Failure to complete a class within the designated start and end dates will result in an F. Students are not permitted to take the final exam without completing all classwork. Failure to complete the final exam will result in a grade of F and will go on the student s permanent transcript. This class may not be remediated again online. ONLINE CLASS DESCRIPTIONS Please visit www.jserra.org/onlineclasss for a complete list of online classes and class descriptions. AP & HONORS REQUIREMENTS The AP and honors online requirements are the same as brick and mortar AP and online requirements. Please see a guidance counselor regarding the criterion to take an AP or honors level class. The minimum entrance requirements for all Honors and Advanced Placement classes include, but are not limited to, the following: A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. This is the minimum standard for consideration in the pool of candidates. The students selected for Honors and AP classes have qualifications and achievements far above the minimum. Grades of B+ or better in both semesters in the academic discipline for the previous year. For example, a sophomore seeking enrollment in junior AP US History must have had B+ grades or better in sophomore World History. This is the minimum standard for consideration. A teacher recommendation from the previous teacher in the subject area. This recommendation might cite the student s superior motivation, attitude, and quality of work, as well as his/her ability to handle the pressure of an accelerated class with heavier reading and expectations. The Head of Curriculum, in consultation with teachers and Department Chairs, approves any exceptions to the listed requirements. Students may also be required to take a test to determine the suitability of placement into an AP class for that student. All students are required to take the AP exam in May. The AP exam fee will be collected prior to the student taking the AP exam. All Online AP students are required to take their semester one and semester two final face to face with the Director of Online Learning. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY Academic integrity and ethical behavior are expected from all JSerra students. Academic dishonesty and unethical behavior are contrary and counterproductive to the philosophy and goals of JSerra. Academic integrity means producing original work on all examinations, and in all papers, projects, homework, and oral recitations. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as the theft and use of another's ideas or writings as one's own, with or without the knowledge of the other person. JSerra High School Online Page 4
Cheating: Cheating is defined as having unauthorized notes, materials, and/or resources of any type for any exam, quiz, paper, and/or homework assignment. Allowing another student to obtain information from one's own exam, paper, and/or homework is also considered cheating. Obtaining an unfair advantage: Stealing, reproducing, circulating, or otherwise gaining access to examination materials prior to the time authorized by the instructor. Aiding and abetting academic dishonesty: Providing material, information, or other assistance to another person with knowledge that such aid could be used in any of the violations stated above. Consequences: First Offense: The student will receive no credit on test/assignment. The student will copy the ethics section of this handbook. The Deans of Students will contact the parents to discuss the incident and to discuss any future class of action the school will take if their son s/daughter s behavior continues. The final exam must be taken face to face. Second Offense: The student will receive no credit on test/assignment and will be suspended for one day. The student will receive written notification regarding the consequences of the third offense. The final exam must be taken face to face. Third Offense: The student will receive no credit on test/assignment and will face the Disciplinary Review Committee for possible dismissal from JSerra Catholic High School. The final exam must be taken face to face. Fourth Offense: Immediate dismissal from JSerra without right of appeal. PROFILE AND TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS For students requesting online class transcripts please add the class provider (International Connections Academy or Florida Virtual Global School) to the NCAA profile as a past school attended. Students that have taken classes with Florida Virtual Global School may request and send their own transcripts by setting up an account on www.parchment.com. JSerra High School Online Page 5