|  | Teaching and Learning at Porter's Spotlight on: Teaching and Learning at Porter's Porter's is a dynamic community of teachers and students, all of whom are learners. Our educational focus is on developing students' initiative, independence, and imagination. We believe that the single-sex classroom is a powerful place where students can risk success and failure while learning to work collaboratively with one another.
Our goals for all of our students are the same, but the way by which they achieve them will be entirely their own. We develop our students’ initiative, independence, and habits of mind to prepare them for their unique paths. Our educational focus relies on seeing across lines — understanding ideas across the curriculum, building respect for diversity of viewpoints, and developing a global perspective across borders. |
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| As a student and member of the Miss Porter's School community, I promise to uphold the tradition of honesty and fairness that this community has taught since 1843. I will be truthful. I will be respectful of others, their property, and their opinions. I promise to foster these values in the community.
Trust and integrity are important parts of a boarding school community, and intellectual honesty is essential. At the start of each academic year, each student at Porter's reflects on the Student Honor Code with her advisor before she signs it to renew her commitment to the code and spirit of its content. It is expected that this commitment will live in the manner in which a student approaches her assessments, produces her papers, engages in discussion with adults and other students, cooperates as a resident in the dormitory, competes on the athletic field, and conducts herself on or off-campus as a representative of Miss Porter's School. |
| | | Q. | What is the grading system at Porter's? | | A. | Letter grades are given in all courses. The numerical equivalents are as follows:
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A+
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97–100
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A
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93–96
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A-
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90–92
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B+
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87–89
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B
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83–86
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B-
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80–82
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C+
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77–79
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C
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73–76
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C-
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70–72
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D+
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67–69
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D
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63–66
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D-
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60–62
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E
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below 60
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The lowest passing mark is D-.
A weighted cumulative GPA is calculated on a four-point scale for inclusion with transcripts sent to colleges. Grades earned in AP courses are adjusted with an additional 0.5 points. The GPA includes only those grades earned at Porter's.
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| Q. | Does Porter's award honor rolls and academic prizes?
| | A. | Miss Porter's School publishes Honor Rolls at the end of each semester. All full- and half-unit graded courses are included in computing the Honor Rolls.
High Honor Roll
A- average or above (minimum 3.67 GPA)
with no grade below B
Honor Roll
B+ average or above (minimum 3.33 GPA)
with no grade below B-
Each school year begins with an Opening Convocation during which returning students are honored for academic achievement, service, and leadership in the previous year.
In the spring before Commencement, Porter's holds an Awards Ceremony during which seniors are honored for excellence in academics, the arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities.
Cum Laude Society: Founded in 1906, the Cum Laude Society is dedicated to honoring the highest scholastic achievement in secondary schools for the purpose of promoting excellence (Areté), justice (Diké), and honor (Timé). According to criteria published by the Society, membership is to be extended to students with an excellent academic record who have also demonstrated good character, honor, and integrity in all aspects of their school life. No more than 20% of each graduating class is eligible. Half may be selected at the end of the junior year, and the remaining students will be chosen at the end of the senior year.
A student who has been on the High Honor Roll for two semesters during her freshman and sophomore years becomes a member of the Sarah Porter Honor Roll.
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| Q. | How much homework should I expect to have? | | A. | Students should expect regular homework assignments in all courses. Weekly assignments will be designed to balance the importance of practicing new skills and engaging with the material on a different level than is accomplished in the classroom with the limits imposed on students by their full daily schedules. Because our students work at different rates, at different times of the year, in different courses, the homework policy should be viewed as a guideline toward which students and their teachers will work together. The goal is to make the time parameters achievable for the majority of students most of the time.
Weekly assignments for a beginning-level course should take approximately two hours, for an intermediate-level course 2 hours and 40 minutes and for an advanced-level course 3 hours and 20 minutes. Homework for AP courses may take as long as four hours each week. These times are for courses that meet four days per week; assignments will be reduced accordingly for half-unit courses and short weeks.
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| Q. | How do I obtain a copy of my transcript? | | A. | All student grades and permanent records are maintained in the Academic Office. If you are a student, parent or Ancient and wish to request an official transcript or a letter confirming a student's current status, please contact Pam Stavola, Registrar (phone: 860-409-3667; fax: 860-409-3516; pam_stavola@missporters.org) and include the following information:
Name (including maiden name, if applicable)
Year of graduation
Telephone number
Address to which the document(s) should be mailed
Specific documents or information being requested
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