STUDENT HANDBOOK AND ORIENTATION
All current students should read the Student Handbook which will explain things like attendance, grading, how to maintain your immigration status, and who to contact for support! Student Services can be located in the Table of Contents. Please also view our Evergreen Academy Orientation Slideshow Evergreen Academy Orientation Slideshow in order to familiarize yourself with what takes place in the classroom and Evergreen Academy at large.
DOCUMENT REQUEST / VIEW GRADES / TUITION PAYMENT
Transcripts come in two varieties and can be obtained from Student Services. An unofficial student transcript, grades, attendance, and current balance can be viewed in the Student Portal. To sign-up for an account, please click on the “Reset or create password” link and provide your surname (last name) and current email address. You can also review your information and request that corrections be made.
Official transcripts will be sent directly to the intended institution in a sealed envelope. Educational institutions in the USA can only accept a transcript directly from the school to prevent modification.
REGISTRATION
All new F-1 students must pay in full, upon enrollment, the registration fee and tuition for the first session. In addition, those students requesting a change of status (to change their current status to Student, F-1) must pay a change of status processing fee and the tuition fee for the first session at the time of their request. In general, students can choose to take any of the programs that Evergreen Academy offers. However, F-1 students will be given the choice between the Morning
Program, the Afternoon Program, and the Evening Program only if their levels are being offered in those programs at that time.
- New students must register at least 3 business days before the start of the new session, and current students must register at least 14 business days before the start of the new session.
- If a student leaves Evergreen Academy for eight months or longer, he/she will need to register again, including filling out a new application, taking a placement test, and paying a registration fee.
- If a student enrolls after Week 2 of the Session, they may be placed in a level below their Placement Exam score for the remainder of the Session. After the successful completion of the course, the student will be registered in the next level to participate in the entire course.
- If the appropriate class for a particular student is not offered, the student can either postpone enrollment or request a tuition refund. The student will be assisted with transferring out.
- We cannot guarantee that all levels will be offered every session. This is why early enrollment is very important.
CHANGING LEVELS
Within the first week of classes, students may be reassigned to a higher or lower level. This depends on space availability and case-by-case evaluation by the Senior Curriculum Developer or Director. To move to a higher level, the student must demonstrate knowledge of the current level by getting current teacher approval, taking the placement test again, having an oral interview with the Senior Curriculum Developer or Director, and/or taking the current level final exam.
ATTENDANCE AND ACADEMIC PROGRESS
Although class attendance does not directly impact final course grades, students will find that missing classes will make meeting SLOs, returning homework on time, and interacting with other students difficult. Teachers are not required to permit makeup exams for students without an excused absence, and there is a fee for making up exams. Some teachers may allow students to take quizzes or exams after class or during class but this is a requirement of the instructor. Evergreen Academy Student Services may help facilitate a make-up exam for any excusable absence in support of both the student and the instructor. Instructors will provide a minimum of a week of advance notice of any quiz or test date in support of the students for the purpose of studying, practicing, and preparing to take the exam. This additional time will also allow students to make appropriate plans or to inform the instructor if they will be absent.
F-1 STUDENTS AND ATTENDANCE
Evergreen Academy will only pass or hold back students on their academic progress as evidenced by the class assessments. However, F-1 visa students are required to maintain status. This means they must follow student visa laws which require them to attend at least 80% of all classes, complete all coursework, and make reasonable academic progress in order to maintain visa status.
All absences except medical emergencies could affect students’ legal status under the federal student immigration program. In addition, an excused absence must have documentation, such as a doctor’s note.
STUDENT TARDINESS
All students must be on time for scheduled classes. Unless there is a severe weather condition such as a snowstorm, students will be considered late if they arrive six minutes after the start of class. Students arriving 30 minutes after the start of class may not be allowed into class until after the break. In addition, being tardy three times equals one absence and will affect the attendance as well as the F-1 status of the student.
F-1 VISA STUDENT WARNING MEMOS
A teacher warning memo will be given to students with 4 (four) unexcused absences and/or excessive late arrivals to class and to those who fail to make reasonable academic progress. Once a student receives a warning memo, they are expected to attend classes to avoid being put on probation. An F-1 student with lower than 80% attendance will receive a Warning Letter from the school placing the student on Probation for next session or. After 3 (three) warnings, the student will be terminated in SEVIS. Students who raise their attendance above 75% will be moved to lower-level probation. See the attendance calculation section for more information on how attendance is calculated.
F-1 VISA ATTENDANCE PROBATION
In accordance with federal immigration law, if a student has below 80% attendance in a session, they will be placed on Attendance Probation. Students will be notified of their probationary status via email and/or a phone call. Students on Probation may be called in to meet with an adviser. Students on Probation are not able to take vacation or transfer to another institution in good standing and must attend all classes during their probationary period. Student Sponsors (SACM or other agents) will be notified of the student’s lack of attendance and performance. There are three levels to Attendance Probation:
- Level 1: Student will receive a notice placing them on Level 1 Probation. Student must attend class 80% or above to remove Level 1 Probation.
- Level 2: Student will receive a notice placing them on Level 2 Probation. Student must attend class 80% or above to move back to Level 1 Probation.
- Level 3: Student will receive a notice placing them on Level 3 Probation. Student must attend class 80% or above to move back to Level 2 Probation.
- After three warnings without improvement, the student will be terminated in SEVIS. If the student violates the terms of the probation, the student will be considered out of status and USCIS will be notified. Students applying for reinstatement may not be allowed to take an authorized vacation or transfer to another school without restarting the reinstatement process.
F-1 STUDENT ACADEMIC PROBATION
If a student fails a course two times, they will be placed on Academic Probation. Students will be notified of their probationary status via email or phone call. Students on Probation may be called in to meet with an adviser. Students on Probation are not able to take vacation or transfer to another institution in status, and must attend all classes during their probationary period. Student Sponsors (SACM or other agents) will be notified of the student’s lack of academic progress and be subject to their decision.
There are three levels to Academic Probation:
- Level 1: Student will receive a notice placing them on Level 1 Probation if they fail the same class two times. Student must pass their class with a final grade of 80% or above to remove Level 1 Probation.
- Level 2: Student will receive a notice placing them on Level 2 Probation if they fail the same class again. Student must pass their class with a final grade of 75% or above to move back to Level 1 Probation.
- Level 3: Student will receive a notice placing them on Level 3 Probation if they fail the same class again. Student must pass their class with a final grade of 75% or above to move back to Level 2 Probation.
NOTE: If the student violates the terms of the probation, the student will be considered out of status and USCIS will be notified. After three warnings without improvement, the student will be terminated in SEVIS. Students applying for reinstatement are not allowed to take an authorized vacation without restarting the reinstatement process.
NON F-1 STUDENT ACADEMIC PROBATION
At times, circumstances require us to step in and support students in need. Students may be placed on academic probation for continuous tardiness which interrupts or causes disruption in class. Those who do not perform to the proper academic standard may also find themselves on academic probation. Academic probation will require the student to work with student services to support their progress. A student may simply be struggling in one of the four language domains; Evergreen Academy will work to help find a tutor to support the student in that area.