2020-21 Academic Bulletin fall

ATTENDANCE POLICIES
ADD/DROP POLICY
For the fall term, students may add or drop courses until the fifth day of classes. After that point, it is no
longer the student’s prerogative to make changes. In rare cases, however, the Director of Studies may
grant exceptions after consulting with the teacher and student’s adviser. Class sessions missed due to late
enrollment still count against the 5-4-3 Attendance Rule so it is wise to learn as much as possible about
each course prior to enrolling.
Permission to withdraw from a course may in some cases be granted by the Director of Studies after the
drop/add period is over; however, a student may not withdraw solely to avoid a failure. A withdrawal
appears permanently on the student's record (W), but does not affect the student's grade point average. A
student who withdraws from a class with an Academic Warning range grade (D+ or lower) is placed on
Academic Warning for the remainder of the trimester.
PLANNED ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL
Missing class is detrimental to students’ academic work. They miss important material, lose the
opportunity to ask questions, and often fall behind on tests and quizzes. While some of this work can be
“made-up” (i.e. readings can be done at home and quizzes taken at a different time), many aspects of a
class simply are lost. Science labs, for example, cannot be recreated for one student and class discussions
or lectures cannot be reconstructed no matter how many conference periods are attended. We do not ask
our teachers to be responsible for remediation of a student who has missed school. Furthermore, most
courses at Solebury include class participation in calculating an average and absence from class weighs
negatively in this area.
When students miss school, no matter the reason, they must realize that they are risking their academic
success.
We recognize, however, that occasionally situations arise that may necessitate an absence. When that
happens, families need to request permission from the Director of Studies (or the College Counselor if the
absence is for college visits) at least two weeks in advance. Even with this advance warning, the
aforementioned difficulties still apply but there will be no punitive consequence. If the request is made
less than two weeks in advance, Solebury School may treat the absence as unexcused.
COLLEGE VISIT PROCESS
Visiting colleges is essential. Ten minutes on a college campus talking with actual students will reveal
more about the school than reading an entire admissions catalog. Schedule as many visits during
Solebury vacations as possible, and try to visit when the college’s classes are in session. Summer visits
are also encouraged to help minimize absences from Solebury classes. Some colleges offer Saturday
tours and interviews during the academic year. In addition, we do recommend staying overnight during
the college’s academic year because this is an excellent way to experience campus life. Many schools
have overnight hosts to facilitate this process.
In order to be excused from school for a college visit, students must meet with the College Counselor to
discuss their plans and fill out the College Visit Form. At least two weeks before their visit, students
must have each of their teachers sign the form and then must return it to the College Counselor. After
their visit, students must provide written verification on college letterhead to the college counselor,
confirming the date and time of their visit. If students do not follow this procedure, they risk having any
absence treated as unexcused.
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