The students of Shadow Ridge can expect to see a difference in semester exams this year as the semester exams will take place at home. The exams will occur the week before Winter Break with the schedule of Monday, December 14th being exams 1,3, Tuesday, December 15th exams 2,4, Wednesday the 16th will be used for makeup exams and independent study time, Thursday, December 17th exams 5,7, and Friday, December 18th exams 6,8.

Shadow Ridge’s policy used to enforce semester exam percentages to be 20 percent, but in the past couple of years, students and teachers have seen another change in percentages. Last school year, semester exam percentages dropped to 15 percent of student’s grades. As grades are calculated from the first and second quarter being 42.5 percent of a student’s grade, semester exams will count for only 15 percent of a student’s grade.

The only major change for this year is that students and teachers will have semester exams virtually. Missy Shipp, an assistant principal at Shadow Ridge High School, stated “There will only be a difference in exam make-up days, as the make-up day will take place on Wednesday.”

Wednesday the 16th will be the day for independent work time as students can contact teachers to answer any questions for any assignment. Any student who may have missed an exam can make-up that time during Wednesday’s independent work time by scheduling with their teacher an appropriate testing time. “It should not be chaotic at all,” Shipp commented. 

As teachers and students brace for the end of the semester, there are deadlines to be met. There are only three weeks left before the semester ends, and teachers are reminding students to turn in work before it’s the last minute to get the best grade possible. Students need to use this time now, while available, to turn in any missing school assignments. It’s easy to procrastinate and fall behind, especially when school assignments are online. This is a time to be patient with teachers, as they are drowning with assignments to grade. Hopefully this year, both students and teachers can see improvement in students’ academic testing.