December 3, 2021

Dear Upper School Families,

Hopefully last week gave you and your children time to relax before heading into December and the stretch leading into midterm exams and projects. For my family, it was a good chance to reconnect, decorate for the holidays, break out some board games and test out a long-lost family pound cake recipe. Apparently for my mother and grandmother, no amount of butter was too much, and by the speed with which we enjoyed it, we were okay with that!

The schedule for Upper School Exam Week, starting December 13, is below. Please note that MS and US exam schedules operate independently. For students who take the bus or carpool with siblings who have different schedules, know that we are still open at the same time in the morning and here in the afternoon as usual. Lunch will be provided between morning and afternoon exams, and for those who finish in the morning, they may stay and eat at school or go home after their exams. Students with two exams should stay on campus until both exams are completed.

All students are expected to take their exams at the scheduled times unless make-ups are required under extenuating circumstances (make-up times are included in the schedule below).

Additional exam week reminders:
  • Students are to come in dress code.
  • Students should report directly to their assigned exam locations (no regular morning check-in).
  • If students do not have exams on a given day, then they are not required to report to campus that day.
  • If students have exams and are unable to come in, parents/guardians must still report their absences on SchoolPass or notify the upper school office directly by emailing Jennifer Lange at langej@columbusacademy.org.
  • Any exams not completed by December 16 will be delayed until our return in January.
US Exam Schedule
More items for your December calendar:

  • Week of December 6 – PSAT Scores for grades 10-11 mailed home. Sophomores and juniors should watch for their test booklets and information about how to access scores to arrive at their homes the week of December 6. There will be information included to help understand the scoring and the type of questions that were missed.

  • Weekend Study Time on Campus – For students looking for a change of scenery or a chance to study with a friend in a familiar environment, the Upper School will host exam study time on Sunday, December 12, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. This is not a review session but rather an opportunity to study in a place other than at home. It’s voluntary, requires no advance sign-up, and students may study alone or with a friend for whatever length of time they wish. Hot cocoa and tea will be provided. Students should enter through the senior lounge doors to access the US library and lounge spaces. Several faculty members will be on hand for supervision.

  • School Pictures – For families that ordered school photos from Irish Eyes Photography, the first batch that has arrived at school has been passed along to advisors to give to their students. More are coming. If you have questions about the status of your ordered photos, please contact Erin Foster at 740-504-0509.

  • Report Cards – Midterm exams and Semester 1 grades will be available on our MySchoolApp at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, January 7.

For our senior students, we are coming upon the halfway mark of the year, and it’s a good time for a reminder about service hours. The requirement is 45 hours of service off campus and five hours on campus. Please check your CA Google account for your recorded hours so far. The due date for all off-campus hours is Wednesday, April 13, 2022. If you’re looking for more information regarding service, click here (see tabs on the site for FAQs, proposal/completion forms, site suggestions, and more).

These weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break tend to go quickly. We hope students enjoy the short sprint to the next vacation and also find the energy to focus and finish the semester strong. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Warmly,

Head of Upper School