How Do I Calculate the Grade for the Quarterly Report?

How do I calculate the grade for Section A on the quarterly reports?

Many times, the parent section consists of several specific assignments, so just put your grade in those places. Oftentimes, it just says “Parent Grade” or “Home Grade.” If there are weekly quizzes, you can average those grades.

If there are a couple of end-of-chapter reviews or tests, you can average those. If there are not specific quizzes, but only daily work for a course, then you can give a grade that is more like an overall average of the work done during the quarter. The grade does not have to be exact.

For example, if a student generally receives a B on daily work, then give a B for the week or the quarter. You don’t need to go through every daily lesson and average them exactly. And remember, attitude and effort definitely count, especially for young students!

The parent grade is one part of each quarter grade. Seton averages the grades of all quarter tests or assignments sent to Seton, along with the parent grade, to get the final quarter grade.

If there are exceptions to this rule, as sometimes happens in high school courses, it should be explained in the introduction section of the lesson plan manual.

Can I retake a test or redo an assignment?

Yes, usually. There are a couple of exceptions. You may not redo questions that have only two answers (True/False or picking between two choices). If you are in high school taking a multiple-choice test, you may only redo the test if it has 5 choices. If it has fewer, you will need to take an alternate test. In the elementary grades (1-8) Seton will count the new grade as your grade. In high school (9-12) your new grade and the old one will be averaged.

How do I retake a test?

The most important thing to remember is that you must redo the test in the same manner that you took the original test. If you did an online test, there will be a button for a retake. You only answer the questions you missed.

If you did a paper test, do the questions that you got wrong on a new sheet of paper and attach it to the original test. Mail it in, or upload it, depending on how you turned in the original.

If you are redoing a book report or paragraph, attach the new one to the old one and resubmit. More information can be found under “Resources” on your MySeton account: look for “How to Redo an Assignment.”

Do we turn in the 4th Grade book report for The Small War of Sergeant Donkey?

While you do not have to turn in the book report for Sgt. Donkey, we still very much want you to do the book report! In the first quarter of 4th grade, the Seton lesson plans and the Book Report Handbook teach you step-by-step how to write a good Seton book report.

There are assignments in the handbook not only on how to find information like the title, author, setting, and main characters, but also how to find the main idea, and how to find examples for the topics. We feel it is very important to actually go through these steps by DOING them, and that includes actually writing the book report.

While the assignments that are done for the Book Report Handbook are included in the optional parent grades, there is a required Seton test for the 1st quarter that is based on the work done in the handbook. So while the grades are optional, the work is not, because it would be difficult to do well on the test without doing the work.

As you progress through the Seton program, you will be writing 19 more book reports before entering high school. We want you to learn the proper method for doing these so that you will do well throughout your elementary years.

May I have the answer keys to the Seton tests so I am sure my son has learned all the concepts?

We cannot supply the keys to tests to be graded by Seton. However, as the parent-teacher, you should look over your child’s work and encourage him to review his test answers or compositions before sending them to Seton. In fact, we encourage you to do that, especially to make sure that the student is doing good work.

My daughter is easily upset by some stories about animals. Is it okay if I don’t follow the lesson plans exactly and let her skip these?

The Church teaches that parents are responsible for the education of their children. If you believe that your daughter would be upset by animal stories, such as of animals being mistreated, then it is your right and your responsibility to do what is best for your child.

One benefit of homeschooling is that you can make the best decision for your child and that your child need not be unnecessarily upset. Unless a story is involved with a test, simply skip it. If it is involved in a test or book report, contact one of our counselors for another option.

This leads us to the second part, is it okay if I don’t follow the lesson plans exactly, and the answer is always YES! The lesson plans are meant to be a guide. You know best what your child needs and what she already knows. If she is good with a concept, you can skip the drills for it. If she needs additional review with something, pause the lesson plans and gather some supplemental materials to help her learn this concept.

Use the Quarter Report Forms or your MySeton page to see what you are required to turn in for a subject, and make sure she is prepared to do those assignments. The rest is at your discretion.