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ACADEMIC INFORMATION AND POLICIESt
The following should provide students and parents with the information needed to build a solid academic plan for the high school years, with the dual goals of meeting graduation requirements and designing a program that challenges each student to meet his or her full potential. Good planning requires ongoing communication among students, parents, teachers, and school counselors.
The Ashburnham Westminster Regional School District prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, homelessness, age, disability, military/veteran status, and any other class or characteristic protected by law and ensures that all students have equal rights of access and equal enjoyment of the opportunities, advantages, privileges, and courses of study. The Ashburnham Westminster Regional School District complies with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations, including but not limited to: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Massachusetts General Laws, c. 151B, c. 151C, c. 76, § 5, and c. 71B.
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While the MCAS is no longer a graduation requirement, it remains an expectation that all students participate in these assessments. Taking the MCAS provides valuable information about your academic progress and helps us identify areas where you might need additional support. It also allows the school to assess the effectiveness of our programs and continue to improve the quality of education for all students.
Furthermore, strong performance on the MCAS can open doors to significant opportunities, such as the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship. This merit-based scholarship provides a tuition waiver for up to eight semesters of undergraduate education at a Massachusetts state college or university. To be eligible, students must achieve advanced and proficient scores on the Grade 10 MCAS English Language Arts and Mathematics tests, and have a combined MCAS score that places them in the top 25% of their district. Students who qualify are notified in the fall of their senior year. While the scholarship covers tuition, it does not include fees, room, or board. We encourage all students to take the MCAS seriously, as it can be a valuable step towards your higher education goals.
Students will take the MCAS Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Science and Technology Tests.
The preliminary MCAS Testing Schedule for the 2025-2026 school year was released in August. As of that time, the following was proposed:
Biology MCAS: February 3, 2026 & February 4, 2026 - For those who take Bio in the fall
English MCAS: March 24, 2026 & March 25, 2026
Mathematics MCAS: May 19, 2026, and May 20, 2026
Biology MCAS: June 2, 2026 & June 3, 2026 - For those who take Bio in the Spring
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Students must earn 26 course credits and meet the graduation requirements for ORHS. For students who have not received a Competency Determination (CD) through successful completion of the MCAS prior to January 1, 2025 the ORHS graduation requirements serve as the district’s standard for CD. The table below shows the minimal credits and required coursework needed to meet Oakmont graduation requirements, but all students have the ability to earn 32 credits. The needs, abilities, and future plans of high school students vary widely. As a result, programs for students should be developed individually with each student receiving a balanced program, which entails some study in each of the fundamental areas of language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. Students intending to pursue post-high school educational opportunities should consider taking the additional recommended courses listed in the table as a minimum for admission to most colleges, universities and technical schools.
Seniors in good academic standing may receive .5 credit to meet their Grade 12 fitness participation requirement by participating in a supervised athletic or fitness activity outside the normal school day.
An athletic or fitness activity must meet the following conditions to qualify:
- Be supervised by a licensed fitness professional or coach
- Result in increased physical fitness
- Extend for at least 60 hours
- Take place during first semester
Participating seniors must fill out a senior fitness waiver form and return it to their school counselor before the end of the second week of the fall semester, and complete fitness hours before the end of semester one of their senior year. Seniors who do not complete the activity or fail to meet the participation hours will be scheduled for a fitness class during the second semester.
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The Oakmont Regional High School graduation ceremony for the class of 2026 will take place on Friday May 29th 2026. It is held on the Arthur I. Hurd Memorial Field, weather permitting. The ceremony will be moved inside to the gymnasium or rescheduled to an alternate day or time if the weather is uncooperative. Complete details will be provided to Seniors and their family members.
The class president will address parents and classmates at the commencement ceremony. Other speakers will be determined by the administration and faculty.
Students will be seated and receive their diplomas in alphabetical order by last name.
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Students must earn the following minimum credits by the beginning of the academic year to be considered a member of each academic class:
Freshman Class (9th Grade) Successful Completion of 8th Grade
Sophomore Class (10th Grade) 6 Credits
Junior Class (11th Grade) 12 Credits
- Senior Class (12th Grade) 18 Credits
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Students and parents can monitor student progress at any time via the online portal. Even though students and parents can check grades 24 hours a day / 7 days a week, teachers will be expected to update their grade books regularly.
Students will be issued numerical grades on report cards. Grades between 60 and 100 are considered passing and will allow a student to earn credit for the course. Any grade between 0 and 59 is considered failing and will not earn the student credit for the course.
DEFINITION OF OTHER GRADES
GRADE DEFINITION
I Incomplete
P Pass
X No Grade
W Withdrawn
Report cards and progress reports will be available on the portal at various times during the semester. The table below provides an approximate timeline of when grades will be reported:
Semester 1: September-January
Day 22: Progress Reports posted online
Day 45: Semester 1 Term 1 Report Cards posted online
Day 67: Progress reports posted online
Day 90: Semester 1 Term 2 and Final Course Grades posted online
Semester 2: February-June
Day 112: Progress Reports posted online
Day 135: Semester 2 Term 1 Report Cards posted online
Day 157: Progress reports posted online
Day 180: Semester 2 Term 2 and Final Course Grades posted online
Please refer to each course syllabus for specific details on how grades are determined in each class.
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In case of incomplete coursework, the following will apply:
1. An “I” may be recorded on a report card when a student has not completed the required term coursework.
2. The student will be given two weeks (10 school days) after report cards are issued to make up for the missing work at the end of the first semester only. If the work is not made up within the two-week time frame, all missing work will earn a zero and the course grade will be changed accordingly.
3. In extraordinary circumstances, the teacher, school counselor, and the student will design a makeup contract if work cannot be completed within the ten-day timeframe outlined above. All work must be made up and completed by this schedule, or missing work will earn a zero.
4. Under special circumstances, a student may make arrangements with their teachers along with guidance and administrative approval to complete work during the summer vacation or to attend summer school.
5. All senior work is to be completed and submitted to senior teachers by the deadlines teachers announce in individual courses. No Incompletes will be issued to Seniors except for special circumstances approved in writing by the Principal.
6. All incomplete grades must be resolved by the last day of the school year. No incomplete grades will be issued except for special circumstances approved in writing by the Principal.
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Students who have failed a course and want to retake it in summer school must have a semester average of 50-59% to be eligible to take the course in summer school. Only summer schools that have classes that meet for a minimum number of hours as approved by School Counseling and Administration may be approved to replace a failure. Summer school enrollment must be approved by the School Counseling before a student begins classes. For a student to receive credit for a summer school course, the student must earn a final grade of C- (70% or higher). While a summer school grade of C- or better may restore the academic credit for a failed course, summer school grades are not factored into grade point average (GPA). All summer school costs will be incurred by the parent/guardian.
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Course grades are un-weighted and are based on a 4.3 scale. A copy of the GPA system is available in the school counseling office upon request.
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The honor roll exists to recognize academic achievement. A student must have a minimum of three (3) blocks of academic credit from courses offered at Oakmont Regional High School to qualify for the Honor Roll.
Honor Roll eligibility for grades 9-12 is as follows:
- Highest Honors - Students having all "A" range grades (No grades less than a 90)
- High Honors - Students having all "A" range grades (90 or above) with no more than one "B" range (80 or better) grade.
- Honors - Students receiving all "A" or "B" Range grades (80 or better)
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Good communication between parents and the school will improve a child’s chances for success at school. Parents are encouraged to contact teachers whenever they have a question or concern about their child’s experience or progress. Oakmont Regional High School believes that parent concerns, issues, and complaints are best handled and resolved as close to their origin as possible and that professional staff should be given every opportunity to consider the issues and attempt to resolve the problem before the involvement of the administration.
Therefore the proper channeling of concerns or complaints regarding instruction, discipline, or learning materials should be as follows:
1. Speak to your child first. Have your child speak to their teacher for clarification.
2. Parent/Guardian may send one email or call the teacher and expect a response promptly.
ORHS - Who to Contact and When
Contact your child’s teacher when...
• you have questions about your child’s grade
• you have questions about your child’s assignments
• you have questions about your child’s placement
• you have a question about a teacher assigned detention
• you have a question about an incident that occurred in class
Contact the School Nurse, Mrs. Heffernan when...
• there is any change in your child's medical status or medication/or if your child is hospitalized.
• you have a question about your child’s Health Record
Contact a Department Head when...
• you are concerned about the actions of a teacher and have found that direct contact was non-productive
• you have curriculum questions
• you have questions about a change in your child’s level in a subject area
Contact the Main office when...
• you have questions about financial obligations
• you have questions about daily attendance
• you have questions about work permits
• to report your child absent or tardy
Contact your child’s School Counselor when...
• you have a question about your child’s schedule or course selections or college planning
• you want to inquire about credits received from another school
• you want to initiate a special education referral
• you are troubled by a personal problem your child has
• you want to discuss standardized test scores
• you have questions about your child’s status in regards to credits or graduation requirements
Contact the Athletic Director, Mr. Dawley when...
• you want to contact a coach directly*
* Your student athlete should FIRST speak to their coach
• you have questions about athletic eligibility
• you have a question about interscholastic athletic events
Contact an Assistant Principal (Mr. Cote or Mr. Buswell) when...
• you have questions about MCAS testing
• you have a question about an attendance matter or credit loss
• you have questions about an assigned office disciplinary referral
• you have a concern about an action of a teacher that has not been responded to satisfactorily by the teacher or the Dept. Head
Contact Principal Lizotte when...
• you have not received an adequate or helpful response from the appropriate staff
• you have a suggestion that may improve the school
• you have a complaint or concern about school policy
• you don’t know whom else to call
Contact the Superintendent, Dr. Stewart when...
• the problem cannot be resolved at the building level
Course Offerings and Academic Opportunities
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Students in grades 9 through 11 will be contacted by the School Counseling during the second semester to select courses for the following year. At that time each student will be given instructions on how to access the “Program of Studies” guide and complete the online course selection sheet. Students should complete this online process with their parents/guardians. When preliminary schedules are available, counselors will review them with their students. If a course change is academically necessary, it can be made at that time. Parental concerns should be directed to the school counseling office before the master schedule is finalized in mid-May.
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We strongly recommend that parents and students carefully choose courses because changes during the school year limit options and jeopardize academic success. Fall and winter course changes will be limited to computer errors, incorrect academic placement, or course failures and must be done within the first five days of the semester. Course availability is limited. Therefore the following students will receive priority for course changes:
1. Students who are scheduled for fewer than 8 courses.
2. Students who have failed a course and did not attend summer school.
3. Students who are scheduled for courses out of sequence.
4. Students who are scheduled for a course they have already completed.
Student requests to change a course for any other reason after schedules have been published will require both add/drop teacher approval, parental approval, and administration approval. Courses dropped after ten (10) school days in a semester will be recorded as withdrawal on the student’s permanent record at the discretion of the Principal.
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Dual Enrollment programs are educational programs that afford high school Juniors and Seniors who meet Oakmont Regional High School qualifications the opportunity to enroll in college-level courses. Juniors are only eligible for part-time study at a college and must carry a total of 4 courses each semester. Seniors, however, may participate either part-time or full-time in the program.
The student and their parents/guardians must agree to the following conditions for participation in Dual Enrollment with participating colleges and universities:
1. The student meets the following prerequisites before enrolling:
a. A student in 11th grade must:
i. Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.2 at the end of 3 semesters for fall enrollment and 4 semesters for spring enrollment. To continue in the program, a 3.0 GPA must be
maintained in the college courses.
ii. Passed the ELA, Math, and Science/Technology MCAS exams prior to enrollment. iii. Be enrolled in the Oakmont grade 11 curriculum in 20th Century US/WorldHistory, English, & two other full-credit electives at Oakmont.
b. A student in 12th grade must:
i. Have earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0. The 3.0 GPA must be maintained to remain eligible for the program.
ii. Taken the ELA, Math, and Science/Technology MCAS exams prior to enrollment. iii. Be enrolled in English 12 at Oakmont unless enrolled as a full-time Dual Enrollment student, in which case an English course must be taken at the college.
iv. Enroll in courses equivalent in number to those carried by all Oakmont seniors (4 each semester), a minimum of eight courses (4 each semester), or 24 college credits over one year. Seniors are expected to be enrolled in four credits per semester, unless otherwise approved by administration
v. Have completed all courses necessary to fulfill all graduation requirements at Oakmont or enroll in courses at the college to fulfill the requirements.
2. The college or university has accepted the Oakmont student into its Dual Enrollment Program. 3. Student schedules must be approved by his or her school counselor before the start of classes. Schedule changes are not allowed unless approved by the counselor. Any exceptions, due to an extenuating circumstance, must be approved by the Counselor and Administration. College course enrollments that are not approved by school counselors may not be awarded Oakmont graduation credit.
4. Students are required to carry a minimum of 4 three-credit classes each semester and will not be allowed to drop a course unless it is replaced - during that same semester - by a course of at least equal credit value.
5. The student must earn an equivalent number of total credits to meet Oakmont graduation requirements. Seniors must take and pass a full semester of English and remain enrolled in the equivalent of 8 “full credit” courses.
6. All tuition and fees shall be paid by the student/parent.
7. Full participation in Oakmont athletics and activities, including clubs and senior activities, is encouraged and will be permitted provided that the student can meet the requirements for that activity and any additional M.I.A.A. requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to remain informed of class activities and deadlines. Seniors are responsible for keeping themselves updated regarding deadlines and requirements for graduation.
8. A total not to exceed 4 courses each semester will be included in the Oakmont GPA and Honor Roll To be eligible for honor roll a student must be taking a full course load of 4 courses or equivalent.
9. It is the responsibility of the student and/or parent to have official transcripts of their college work sent to the Oakmont School Counseling no later than five days before the end of each Oakmont semester and ten days before Oakmont's graduation ceremony in June for seniors seeking a diploma. Failure to comply with these timelines may result in course failure, exclusion from the Honor Roll, ineligibility to participate in graduation ceremonies for seniors, or denial of permission for further participation in Dual Enrollment for juniors.
10. Should an Oakmont senior fail a Dual Enrollment course that is an Oakmont graduation requirement, the student will have to make up needed credits before an Oakmont diploma is granted.