Midterms and Finals Information

At the end of the Second Quarter, all students take midterms for their classes, unless otherwise notified. The midterms take place within the span of four days. On each of the four days, students take two midterms, with the exception of the day(s) when they have their study hall (when they would take just one). Students arrive at 7:30 a.m. for the first exam of each day, and the school day ends as if it were a half day, at 12:00 p.m. The same goes for all students at the end of the Fourth Quarter, when they take their finals.  

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GPA and Grading Information

Grade Point Average (GPA) is a measurement of a student's grades. A student’s GPA is determined by their letter grade in each course, the number of credits the course is worth, and whether or not the course is Honors/AP. At Joel Barlow, a weighted GPA system is used, meaning that Honors and AP courses are weighted more than other classes, and a student has the possibility of having a GPA higher than a 4.0. Students are unable to access their GPA in PowerSchool, however, they can find it in Naviance by going to My Account under the About Me section.

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Writing Center

The Writing Center staff provides students with individual help on any of their writing assignments. In order to make an appointment with a staff member of the Writing Center, students simply go onto the JBHS website under the School Resources tab to locate the link to the Writing Center homepage ( Writing Center Homepage Link ). The Writing Center itself acts as a quiet area for students to work where there are computers and printers available.

 

FAQs

 

What if I’m late to school or need to leave early?

 

• If you are ever late to school, you must check in at the security desk located in the main lobby. They will provide you with a pass to give to your first period teacher.

• If you have a note to leave early, drop it off at the Security Dest in the front lobby at the start of the day. 

 

Where should I go during study hall/break?

 

• In a normal school year, you would have a choice of going to the library or the lunch room for study hall. However, it is also a possibility that the auditorium and upper gym will be available as well.

 

What are Activity periods?

 

• Activity is a time when you can participate in clubs that meet during school hours related to a skill or passion. Check out the Activity Fair in September and feel free to try out a few different clubs, or start your own!

 

What happens in advisory?

 

• In advisory, your advisor will review upcoming events and schedule changes (a.k.a the AdMinIt). You will have the opportunity to ask any questions and to talk with some of your peers. Your advisory is meant to have an open environment allowing all students to feel comfortable sharing out.

 

How do I find my bus?

 

• Your advisory will have a diagram of the bus lineup on the first day of school, and there are teachers outside on the first day to direct you. When you find your bus, don’t wait to get on it, because they all leave at the same time shortly after school gets out. 

 

How does the student drop off/pick up work?

 

• Both the student drop off and pick up happens in the front of the school. The car lines are usually long so it’s recommended that your parents arrive somewhat early.

 

When should I visit my counselor?

 

• You can visit your counselor in Student Services at any time to ask a question, discuss/fix your schedule, or just to talk (if they are available). It’s great to email them ahead of time to make an appointment. You’ll also have designated times when you’ll be called down to meet about future class schedules in the middle of the year. It’s a great idea to make an effort to get to know your counselor, as they’ll be able to help you throughout high school and make it easier for them to write a letter of recommendation. 

 

How do you create a PDF to submit for an assignment?

 

• There are two primary ways to do this. The first is by using the Notes app. Once in the app, click on the camera icon, then select scan documents. Once you complete the scan of your work, click done, and then the images can be uploaded as a PDF to your Google Drive. The second way to do this is to take a picture of your work and upload the pictures to your computer. Once they are on your computer, you can convert the images from a PNG to a PDF, combine the separate PDFs into a singular one, and then upload the PDF to your Google Drive.