Pinewood - The American International School’s secondary division offers a complete American college-preparatory program in Grades 6-12, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.  The secondary division is devided into the Middle School Division (grades 6-8) and the High School (grades 9-12). The school is dedicated to striving for educational excellence and preparing students for challenging university study in the United States, the United Kingdom or other universities abroad.  As students progress through the secondary school programs, they become increasingly more knowledgeable, self-directed, responsible, and self-disciplined.  Students are encouraged to excel in academic, athletic, leadership, and student governance activities while also becoming involved in all aspects of school life.

The Program of Studies for the Secondary can be downloaded here:  Program of Studies

Grading  Systems

The secondary school uses the following grading system:

ESL - English  as  a  Second  Language  Grading  Scale

Students enrolled in ESL classes shall receive modified grades as per guidelines approved by the school board.

ESL 1 and ESL 2 have specially modified work and tests given to them.

ESL 3 students may be awarded a discretionary 10% plus, depending on the style of the task.

ESL 5 students cannot be given an ESL grade.

Alternative  Grades

In exceptional circumstances, the following grading alternatives may be utilized with the prior approval of the Pinewood Director:

I = Incomplete

An incomplete grade indicates that the student has not completed all the required work for the course, and must complete it to earn a quarter grade.  The work must be completed in a predetermined time frame.  If it is not completed within that time frame, the student receives an “F” for the quarter.  Incomplete grades are communicated to the Main Office and a new report card will be issue by the Main Office once the incomplete grade has been changed to a letter grade by the teacher involved.

P = Pass

F = Fail

The “pass” grade may be given to a student with special circumstances dependent on a student’s effort and not on percentage grading.  It indicates that the student is “working” or “making adequate progress.” However, the grade will not be a factor in the student’s grade point average. The grading process is consistent for the entire semester in this course.  A student will receive a P or F  for each quarter.

NG = No Grade

This grade is given to a student for whom a teacher is unable to grade, due to insufficient information.  An NG grade must be changed to a letter grade by the next grading period.

The following system is used in averaging grades for the semesters and for final grades:

First Semester Grades

Second Semester Grades

Final Grades

Academic  Probation

A student will be assigned to academic probation if:

1. The overall grade point average falls below 60%;

2. The student receives three or more failing grades in a report period;

3. The administration believes that the student’s performance will be improved through the placement on academic probation.

Students on Academic Probation will be ineligible for participation in any extra-curricular activities during the period of the academic probation, including overnight field trips and athletics.  A student on academic probation may become eligible at the end of the quarter by meeting normal eligibility requirements (see above under eligibility).

The  length of academic probation will be for one semester and students on Academic Probation will automatically be referred to the school’s Leadership Council for screening, evaluation and possible remedial services.

If the terms of the academic probation are not realized, the student may be asked to withdraw from Pinewood - The  American International School.

Academic  Calendar/Daily  Schedule

The school year is divided into two semesters. The first semester runs from September 2 through January 22, and the second from January 25 through June 18. Exams are taken in all courses at the end of each semester. The secondary schedule is structured around a modified block. Each core subject will meet for two double and two single periods on a weekly basis (SEE SCHEDULE AND CALENDAR BELOW).

Seminar Time

There is an unstructured time block every Wednesday called Seminar Time when opportunities are provided to students for advisory meetings, group college counseling, life and study skills workshops, library research, career planning, school assemblies, performance venues, and intramural competitions. Each secondary student is assigned to a particular activity during Seminar Time and is required to attend.

Advisory  Groups

Advisory in Grades 6 - 12 is a short time set aside each morning for our students to positively interact with their peers. Through Advisory activities and discussions under the guidance of a grade-level faculty advisor, the goal of Advisory is to provide a welcoming, positive environment where each student feels comfortable and to offer academic and personal support for each student. At Pinewood, we firmly believe that no two students are alike. Thus, by forging strong student-teacher relationships, we are better able to assist in the success of each individual.

Test  Schedule

Students are not required to take more than two major tests on any day and all secondary teachers are required to record upcoming tests on the school’s Test Calendar in order to regulate test frequency.  Quizzes are considered to be twenty minutes or less in duration and may be on any given day.

Homework

While the school recognizes that students undertake many learning experiences outside school hours, Pinewood requires that some of this time be set aside for school-initiated homework. This may be of two kinds - formal or informal. Formal homework is work directly assigned by a teacher, while informal refers to a variety of activities, including personal reading, writing, research and practice/review.

The following times are recommended as a minimum total per night:

Grade 6:  one and one-half hours per night
Grade 7:  one and one-half hours per night
Grade 8:  one and one-half hours per night
Grade 9:  two hours per night
Grade 10:  two hours per night
Grade 11:  two and a half hours per night (IB students four hours + per night)
Grade 12:  three hours per night (IB students four and a half hours + per night)

Grade  Advancement

As a general rule, the following policy will apply to all students in the Secondary school:

Students must obtain at least 4 credits by the end of grade 9 to advance into grade 10.
Students must obtain at least 9 credits by the end of grade 10 to advance into grade 11.
Students must obtain at least 15 credits by the end of grade 11 to advance into grade 12.