Dear MLWGS Students and Parents:
I sincerely hope that this message finds you safe and secure during these challenging times. I know that I speak for all the faculty and staff when I tell you that we miss seeing you at school, in class, on the athletic fields, the stage, and out in the community. It has been a very difficult time for all of us and I know that we are all doing the best that we can to stay safe and do our part to hasten the end of this awful situation.
Here are a few academic updates that we wanted to pass along.
The final day for instruction will be May 29th, 2020. This is to say that no assignments will be placed in Schoology after that date. Additionally, there will be no online class meetings after that date as well. I strongly suggest that students keep up with work and engage in the assignments that are being provided as this will make coursework in the future much easier for you. It also shows the type of initiative that colleges value and would be good material for teachers to include in recommendation letters!
Based upon guidance from the Virginia Department of Education, all students who were taking a course that had a required End of Course SOL test will no longer be required to take that test to earn a verified credit for graduation. As long as the student was passing the course as of March 13th, they will be awarded a verified credit and will not need to take an SOL test for that course in the future.
The Leadership Team met this morning and finalized our plan as to how we would assign final grades for the MLWGS classes for the 19-20 school year. I want to specifically emphasize that this process is only being used for classes that do not have any affiliation with VCU. A separate message will be sent regarding dual-enrollment classes within the next day or two. We are awaiting final approval from VCU as to how they will manage their side of the equation.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MLWGS has created two grade mode options for students:
Option 1: Students may receive the standard letter grade for a course that will be determined by the following:
1st Quarter – 37.5%
2nd Quarter – 37.5%
3rd Quarter – 25%
This is based on the total number of weeks completed in each quarter and provided the best solution to assign an equitable grade. The numeric grade and resulting letter grade will be factored into a student’s GPA.
Option 2: All MLWGS courses will provide students the option for the Pass/Fail (P/F) grade under
these new definitions for the 2019-2020 school year only:
- P: Grade of pass (P) denotes satisfactory completion of requirements equivalent to letter grades A-C. The grade of P is not included in the calculation of the GPA.
- PS: Grade of pass-satisfactory (PS) denotes satisfactory completion of requirements equivalent to the letter grade D. The grade of PS is not included in the calculation of the GPA.
- F: The grade of fail (F) is considered not passing and is included in the calculation of the GPA.
If students choose the P/F option, a final letter grade of A-C will convert to a grade of pass (P) to denote satisfactory completion of course requirements and may be used for graduation. A final letter grade of D will convert to a grade of pass-satisfactory (PS) to denote satisfactory completion of course requirements and may also be used for graduation. A final letter grade of F will remain, no conversion required.
If the P/F option is selected, the MLWGS academic transcript will display the following language in the grade legend for grades of P and PS: “Grades of P and PS denote satisfactory completion of course requirements.”
It will take time to re-formulate Power School to reflect the new percentages that will be used to determine the final grade. This will be completed by June 1st. At that time, if a student wishes to choose the Pass/Fail option, they will need to notify their counselor of their intent by June 12th. Once final grades have been calculated, a message will be sent to alert students and parents as well as to provide specific instructions as to how to request the Pass/Fail option.
It is very important to note that we have no way of knowing how a transcript with both standard letter grades as well as Pass/Fail grades will look to a college admissions officer and the decision to go with the Pass/Fail option is not one to be taken lightly. We strongly recommend a conversation with your counselor prior to making this decision!
I wish you continued health and safety and sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are weathering this situation as best as can be expected. Seniors, please know that we are working hard at developing ways to end your year with the appropriate recognitions that you so richly deserve!
As always, please email with any questions.
Take care,
Bob Lowerre
