Academic and Arts Grades
At Walnut Hill, grades are issued on a semester basis (January and June) for all courses. The year-end grade for year-long courses is obtained by averaging term grades. For academic courses (all courses offered by academic departments, Music History, and Music Theory), the grading system is as follows:
| A | 94-100 | B- | 80-83 | D+ | 67-69 | ||
| A- | 90-93 | C+ | 77-79 | D | 64-66 | ||
| B+ | 87-89 | C | 74-76 | D- | 60-63 | ||
| B | 84-86 | C- | 70-73 | F | Below 60 |
Courses in the arts are graded according to the following system:
| H | Honors | LP | Low Pass | |
| HP | High Pass | NP | No Pass | |
| P | Pass |
The top grade, Honors, is reserved for extraordinary commitment and achievement. As students are admitted by audition and portfolio review, High Pass should be within the reach of every Walnut Hill student. Pass is an acceptable grade, but indicates the need for an increase in commitment. Low Pass is an unacceptable grade, and can lead to the nonrenewal of contract. No Pass is given to students who ‘failed’ a course, and no credit is earned for it.
Incomplete Grades
A student who, for extenuating circumstances, has not been able to complete course requirements at the end of a semester may be granted an incomplete. Incompletes are granted at the discretion of the teacher, the appropriate department, and the Academic Dean. Generally, fall semester incompletes must be resolved by the first Friday after the term ends; spring semester incompletes must be resolved within a month of the end of the year. Specific deadlines are established by the Academic Dean; a student requesting an incomplete should speak with the Dean. When a student receives an incomplete in a course, the report card will show a temporary notation of “I” alongside the course until all outstanding work is completed and graded. At that point, the “I” will be replaced by the grade earned in the course. Students who do not complete work for incompletes by the deadline specified will receive an “F” for all missing assignments, which are then averaged into the final grade. Students may also receive permanent incompletes in their arts courses (indicated by the notation “INC”). A permanent incomplete indicates that the student was enrolled in the course but was unable to complete the work during the term. Permanent incompletes are granted at the discretion of the Academic Dean in consultation with the appropriate Arts Department Director.
Honor Societies
Conant Society
Students with all A’s or A’s and a majority of Honors grades in their Arts Concentration during the school year are inducted into the Conant Society in the fall of the following year. (Seniors will be recognized at Awards Night.) Students must maintain their excellence in consequent years to remain in the Conant Society.
Bigelow Society
Students who have earned a grade average of at least a B+ with no grade lower than a B, and a majority of High Pass grades in their Arts Concentration during the school year are inducted into the Bigelow Society in the fall of the following year. (Seniors will be recognized at Awards Night.) They must maintain their excellence in consequent years to remain in the Bigelow Society, and if their performance improves for an entire school year, they may move up into the Conant Society the following year.
Academic Honor Roll
Students who have earned a grade average of at least B+, with no grade lower than B, are named to the Academic Honor Roll at the conclusion of the academic year. Students who earn all A’s or A-’s are named to the High Honor Roll.
Graduating With Honors
Seniors who are qualified members of the Bigelow Society for their last three semesters of school graduate with Honors. Seniors who are qualified members of the Conant Society for the last three semesters graduate with High Honors.
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society, a national honor society formed in 1907 and modeled on Phi Beta Kappa, encourages and recognizes learning and sound scholarship in secondary schools. Chapters of the Cum Laude Society are established only in the most selective schools. Walnut Hill School may choose to elect as members those students in the junior and senior classes who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and who have maintained an honors record throughout their high school career. Election to the Cum Laude Society is one of the highest honors Walnut Hill bestows on its students.
Performing Arts Placement and Casting
Performing Arts
Placements occur during opening of school in the fall. Theater classes are generally organized by grade, and all students are re-auditioned to ensure proper class placement. Ballet classes are organized by level of challenge and are mixed grade. Music theory classes are organized by level of challenge and a placement test is administered in the fall. Instrumentalists audition for orchestra placement. The Director of Music also works with incoming student to assign him/her to an appropriate studio teacher early in the Fall.
Level and Course Placement
All arts placements occur during Student Orientation in the fall. Theater classes are generally organized by grade, with some exceptions. All students are re-auditioned every fall to ensure proper class placement. Ballet classes are organized by level of challenge and thus are mixed grade. Music (theory) classes are organized by level of challenge; a placement test is administered in the fall. Students also audition for orchestra placement; students are placed by ability. The Director of Music works with every incoming student to assign him/her to a studio teacher early in the fall.
Performance Casting
We expand the opportunities for casting by mounting many productions and performances. All ballet students are involved with The Nutcracker and the Spring Repertory Performance. All theater students are involved in productions throughout the year, either on stage or on a crew. Lastly, while important, what makes Walnut Hill’s program effective is not the performance opportunities, but rather the day-to-day studio work.
