As the seasons change, so does the grading period.
The first school quarter ended on Oct. 8, with many departments scheduling assessments in its final week. Although not by much, it’s the shortest quarter of the year, so time can be tight.

Students have felt that the first quarter went by in a flash. “I think that [the end of quarter 1] came really quickly, it doesn’t feel like we’ve been in school so long yet,” freshman Ava Schluender said.
Individual quarter grades aren’t officially recorded on a report card (unless you’re a senior applying early action or early decision), so people who are unhappy with their scores still have time to pull them up before the end of the semester. Still, the many tests and quizzes that happen to fall around this time can add academic pressure.
“It’s been stressful just on top of the other things I’m doing outside of school and college applications,” senior Kishori Patel said. “After the quarter ends, hopefully, things will start moving in a much slower manner.”
However, stress isn’t as much of a concern for Schluender. “I came from a school that had the year separated into quarters for the grading periods, so it doesn’t feel as stressful as that… [The quarter grades] were put on our report cards,” she said.

It may seem strange to separate the semester in half if transcripts don’t record quarter grades, but it’s not without reason. Teachers need time to check in about performance before final exams, and students can see how they’re doing in a class before it’s too late to change anything.
“We look at quarter grades as being an update for students and families about where they are at this moment, not as something that’s a definitive statement on what a student is capable of doing in the class,” Academic Dean Tom Anderson said. “The midpoint [gives] a point for everyone to reflect on where things are.”
Quarter grades were released Oct. 15, but Patel told underclassmen to use these scores as a chance for growth rather than something to stress about. “Your worth is not defined by your grades, and every assessment you take, [each] assignment, is a learning opportunity… something that you can say in the future, ‘do differently.’”

Q1 conferences are scheduled for Oct. 28 and Nov. 1. Students will not have school.