Dear MLWGS Students and Families,
Due to the inclemate weather and loss of significant instructional time, the scheduled midterm exams will be cancelled. January 25, 26, 29, and 30 are now regular school days. The 31st will remain a student holiday. There is a point where lost instructional time outweighs the need for a major assessment. While some may disagree, losing four days of instructional time, with the possibility of losing more later is a significant problem. If we lose additional days after the scheduled exams, there is no real way to effectively make up the time. We can adjust the schedule, but adding a few minutes here and there does not have the same impact as a full class of instruction. By cancelling a mandatory exam, at least 6 days of potential instruction (exam days plus review days) are being put back into the hands of the teachers. They are the professionals and will best determine how to use that time. Some teachers may choose to give a “semester cumulative assessment” at the end of the 2nd marking period. The normal assessment policy will be in place, allowing students with more than two assessments on a day to seek relief. Any cumulative assessment will be counted as a 2nd quarter test and will be a part of the 2nd quarter grade. If you are enrolled in one of the VCU Dual-Enrollment Semester Classes, such as Gender, Politics, and Consumerism, Western World Religions, Topics in Technology Applications, Theory of Probability, Statistics, and Research, or Introduction to Mathematical Reasoning, an exam is required by the university. Your teacher will have the details. If you have any questions, please feel free to email any of the administrative team. Thank you and as always, Go Dragons!
Dr. Robert Lowerre
