<p>My son, who is a senior this year - (and doing VERY WELL), had a not-so-stellar junior year. He'd "come out of the closet" and became mr. social, not mr. scholar... in any event, he's written a letter addressing & taking responsibility for the slip in gpa last year that will be going out with his applications.</p>
<p>Anyway, while playing the roll of mr. social, he'd actually failed his 1 marking period health class! He was told that if he'd take a Red Cross course and passed, he would get a "C" to replace the failing grade. He did just that. </p>
<p>Now, after all applications are ready to go, I asked to see his transcript and discovered that the failing grade was NOT REPLACED. They'd only added the "C". So, it shows he failed the course, then received a C.</p>
<p>The Guidance Counselor (who we love), told me that he'd talked to the Asst. Principal last year and was told the failing grade would be REPLACED by the C... but now was told "that's not the school's policy." I now have a call into the Asst. Principal to see if I can somehow make him honor what he originally told my son's GC last year...</p>
<p>IF he does not come through, and my son's transcript goes out with a failing grade in a one marking period health class (mandatory in NJ), how will it look????!!!!!!</p>
<p>Lela: I guess there's no way for us to know for sure, but I'm guessing that the F in one marking period probably won't affect him, esp if it's not factored into the GPA. (those health classes are a joke, mostly, though it's too bad he didn't do what he needed to do.)</p>
<p>And I was also afraid he had "failing health", too!</p>
<p>If it's not a final grade, he should be fine - eespecially with an explanatory letter. Our school reports only end of semester grades; there are 3 6-week periods in each semester, but only the final semester grades are recorded on transcript.</p>
<p>Don't many colleges calculate their own HS GPA for each applicant, based on academic solids? If so, then a PE or health class would probably not be included, and I would think that the explanatory letter would be sufficient.</p>
<p>In my son's high school, each year the students have 3 marking periods of Physical Education and 1 marking period of Health. Therefore, it is the "final" grade for Health... although they have entered in the "C" grade from the Red Cross course - which is the grade that is used for his GPA. So, I suppose, the only problem is that it is revealed that he did fail a course.</p>
<p>Well, I have not heard back from the Asst. Principal yet to find out if IT can be taken off his transcript... BUT - all of you have made me feel a little better about the failing grade for Health being revealed.
THANKS!! :-)</p>
<p>In our school, PE is Pass/Fail. If the overall PE grade is okay, the F in a single marking period should cause no concern. Many colleges do recalculate grades and focus only on the core academic classes (English, social studies, math and sciences). Some, however, do not. So they take the GPA as is. Also, when a student applies for scholarships, the GPA may not be recalculated. So it may still be worthwhile for the GC to write something to the effect that your S's coming out affected his performance in PE but that he recovered and went on to do very well.</p>
<p>I would ask your gc, but I believe the advice that you have gotten is correct. My friend's D was quite ill and missed PE for several weeks. The PE teacher was not happy about her being in school and not participating (even with doctor note). Apparently she received a low grade even though she had to write a report on a sport for each period missed and did the work! Mom went to guidance to complain. GC dealt w it by saying that it did not matter b/c colleges recalculate gpa based upon the subjects they require for admission. All other class grades are supposedly thrown out.</p>
<p>At one college info session we attended, they actually said that we are glad if you learned how to weave baskets in your basket weaving classes, but we do not use them when recalculate the gpa for admission or merit scholarships.</p>
<p>I have talked with the Asst. Principal and he told me that he doesn't remember ever telling my son's Guidance Counselor or myself, that he said the C grade for the Red Cross course would REPLACE the failing one. He said it is "simply not possible." My son's Guidance Counselor told me that he will still try talking to the Asst. Principal... BUT I am not holding my breath.</p>
<p>I know that it is ONLY HEALTH - but it just looks bad that he FAILED a class - period. Thankfully, and hopefully, his letter and his Guidance Counselor's letter or recommendation will explain any negative feelings or reactions regarding this. </p>
<p>lelalellen -- being an eternal optimist, I wonder if you can use this to your son's advantage somehow -- not necessarily in his essay, but in the letter to explain the F. You could look at it as another chance to show what kind of person he is, and to showcase his writing skills. This might be a chance to insert a little, tasteful humor. He failed health, but as far as he knows he's made a miraculous recovery?</p>
<p>Thanks sjmom... but he's already written his essays (all truly wonderful, I might add). He really didn't want to write about his "coming out" or his less-than-stellar-junior-year. He instead, opted to write about something more positive - which showcases a more important part of who he.</p>
<p>He did however, write a letter that will be going out with all of his applications which explains why he didn't do his best last year (All Cs & Bs ... and that little teeny f). In the letter, he accepts the responsibility of his little slip-up, and points out he will do a turnaround in his senior year - which he certainly has!!! </p>
<p>LELALELLEN - you may want to search out the policies of the school system - the written one - and check to see if this policy is there - In our school district - we each receive a copy of this - about every 2 years - maybe your answer is there.</p>
<p>I agree with many of the others in that this is a minor subject - and will not be considered in the re-figuring of the GPA that the schools do - and look at the positive - the little f turned into a C - which is a passing grade - shows improvement at least.</p>