Every assignment must clearly show that it's YOUR intellectual effort and achievement!

For worksheets and course materials:

• Always sign and date your work in the top left corner (or top right if there's a design element obscuring the normal space)
• Include: Your full name, course name, date completed, and page number
• On multi-page assignments: Write at least your last name and page number on each additional page

For essays, papers, and formal assignments:

• Use standard MLA format in the top left corner:
  • Your full name
  • Course name
  • Instructor's name
  • Date completed

Remember: Unsigned and undated work is incomplete and cannot receive credit. Your name and date proudly declare this work as the fruit of your intellectual labor!

When you include ideas or words from others, proper citation shows academic maturity and respect for other scholars.

• All quotes, paraphrases, and borrowed ideas must be clearly embedded, punctuated, introduced, cited, and explained.
• Learn these skills through our Quotes Can't Float article in High School Orientation and other Writing Skills resources.
• When in doubt, cite it! This protects you and shows your research skills.

St. Thomas Aquinas Academy discourages the use of A.I. in all high school work and does not accept for credit student writing created with the help of A.I.

Spellcheck: Always acceptable and encouraged!

A.I. Grammar Tools (Grammarly, etc.): If these A.I. grammar tools are used, they must be used only with direct parent supervision. These tools do much more than fix spelling - they rewrite sentences, and you need to learn to evaluate and revise your own writing. It is important to establish an in-home policy to govern how, when, and by whom A.I. grammar checkers are used on paragraphs, essays, and papers. All A.I. changes should be highlighted so it's clear what you wrote versus what AI wrote, and any A.I.-suggested words should be looked up in a collegiate dictionary before being used in the assignment.

Reflection on Artificial Intelligence from Pope Francis

On the topic of A.I., consider these words from Pope Francis' address to the G7 in June of 2024:

"Finally, I would like to indicate one last area in which the complexity of the mechanism of so-called Generative Artificial Intelligence clearly emerges. Today, no one doubts that there are magnificent tools available for accessing knowledge, which even allow for self-learning and self-tutoring in a myriad of fields. Many of us have been impressed by the easily available online applications for composing a text or producing an image on any theme or subject. Students are especially attracted to this, but make disproportionate use of it when they have to prepare papers.

Students are often much better prepared for, and more familiar with, using artificial intelligence than their teachers. Yet they forget that, strictly speaking, so-called generative artificial intelligence is not really 'generative'. Instead, it searches big data for information and puts it together in the style required of it. It does not develop new analyses or concepts, but repeats those that it finds, giving them an appealing form. Then, the more it finds a repeated notion or hypothesis, the more it considers it legitimate and valid. Rather than being 'generative', then, it is instead 'reinforcing' in the sense that it rearranges existing content, helping to consolidate it, often without checking whether it contains errors or preconceptions.

In this way, it not only runs the risk of legitimising fake news and strengthening a dominant culture's advantage, but, in short, it also undermines the educational process itself. Education should provide students with the possibility of authentic reflection, yet it runs the risk of being reduced to a repetition of notions, which will increasingly be evaluated as unobjectionable, simply because of their constant repetition."

(Pope Francis' entire address can be found on the Vatican website.)

What this means for your education: Pope Francis reminds us that true learning comes from your own authentic thinking and reflection, not from A.I. rearranging existing ideas. When you wrestle with difficult concepts, write your own sentences, and develop your own arguments, you're building the critical thinking skills that will serve you throughout life. A.I. cannot replace the irreplaceable work of developing your own mind and voice. Your education at STAA is designed to nurture this authentic intellectual growth!

Your brainstorming and planning work shows your authentic thinking process and must accompany all writing projects (paragraphs, essays, reflection papers, research papers, book reviews, in-class tests, etc.).

Why This Matters

• Demonstrates your original thinking and reflection on course materials
• Guards against internet or AI-generated content
• Shows your growth as a writer and thinker
• Prepares you for college testing (many colleges are returning to handwritten, blue book exams and other in-class forms of assessment; no one wants doctors or engineers who cheat their way through school or police officers, lawyers, or judges who can’t think for themselves)

What to Submit

• Handwritten brainstorming, prewriting, and draft work with every assignment
• In math, all lessons and tests must be accompanied by neat-and-complete show-your-work paper. Mental math skills are important, but formal lessons and tests require that you show all of your steps so your instructor can trace your thinking and see what went right and what went wrong in your math work.
• Brainstorming, prewriting, and draft work may be messy and informal, but it must show you used proper writing procedures from your STAA writing classes (Resources: History-based Writing Lessons, Format Writing, Great Writing: A Reader for Writers, Writing Handbook, the High School Orientation, etc.)

Live Class Students

Submit scanned handwritten work as a separate PDF or insert photos into your Word document.

Important:  Assignments without handwritten prewriting cannot be accepted as work samples.

We want every student to succeed! If there are concerns about an assignment:

Learning Opportunity

Schedule a meeting with your high school advisor to discuss the assignment and review your brainstorming work together.

If Revision Is Needed

• If a writing assignment is partially or completely plagiarized, it cannot serve as a work sample and must be rewritten from scratch. The student must start with a fresh brainstorming and prewriting session completed with pen and paper under direct adult supervision.
• Complete the entire assignment with parent oversight. Resubmit the assignment with a note from the supervising adult. The new prewriting must be included with the new version of the assignment.
• Supervised revisions that are resubmitted after the original plagiarized work may earn up to 70% credit or may be averaged with the original score of 0%, but should not be given full credit.  Use whichever method is most appropriate given the severity of the original infraction and conversations during the supervised assignment completion.  The student's quarter grade should be adjusted accordingly.
• Must be submitted within 30 days of the original submission or by July 14, whichever comes first.

Remember:  These steps help you learn and grow as a scholar. We're here to support your success!

These email guidelines help us maintain excellent communication while keeping our focus on great learning.

Getting Started

• Student Email Required: Each live class student needs a personal email address that they can check regularly.
• Automated Class Reminders: Our appointment scheduler will send you helpful email reminders about your upcoming class meetings (these go directly to students, not parents).

Communication Channels

For Attendance Matters

• Student Zone Mailbox: Use the special mailbox on your Live Class page to send private attendance notifications to your advisor (parents are automatically included on all messages).
• Voicemail Option: You may also call 209-863-8400 ext. 801 to leave attendance-related voicemail messages.

For Course Questions and Discussions

• Use the Q&A Forums on your individual course pages for all course-related and assignment questions. Post on the forums to give your advisor a heads-up about discussion topics for your next class, and ask questions during your scheduled meetings.
• Advisor Meetings: Work with your parents to schedule additional meetings with your high school advisor when you need extra support.

Our Communication Approach

Live classes prioritize real-time guidance and meaningful conversations during your scheduled class time and advisor meetings. Open email boxes are incredibly time-consuming and take away from the focused attention we can give you during classes and meetings. When email messages are received from parents or students, our staff will schedule an advisor meeting to provide proper support. If you didn't intend to meet about the matter, you can simply cancel the meeting and the time will be returned to your family's advisor support package.

When Your Advisor Contacts You

• Rare but Important: If your course advisor needs to reach out by email due to unusual circumstances, parents will always receive a copy.
• Who Contacts Students: Only your course advisor (Bethany Boedecker - Miss Bethany or Miss B.) or her assistants under her direct supervision will send students emails.

School-Wide Communications

• E-newsletters and Updates: Your email will be subscribed to school-wide notifications like our STAA e-newsletter. Unsubscribe links are always provided so you can control what you receive.
• Technology We Use: We use trusted services like JotForm, Moodle, Acuity Scheduling, Shopify, and Mail Chimp to keep you informed about news, classes, and appointments.

Your Privacy is Protected

St. Thomas Aquinas Academy never shares or sells your contact information with any other institution or entity without express written permission from your parent. Your privacy and safety are important to us!

Our live classes are special opportunities for rich discussions and shared learning! These guidelines help create an environment where everyone can participate meaningfully and grow together.

"Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." (Proverbs 27:17)

Coming Prepared and On Time

Each meeting begins promptly with a prayer from the front of the STAA Study Guide. Plan to log in at least five minutes early to test your sound, microphone, and connection. This helps ensure you're ready when class begins and shows respect for your classmates' time.

Managing Your Audio Environment

You're responsible for managing the sound in your environment so it doesn't interrupt our class or hurt anyone's ears. When called upon to share, please unmute your microphone, share your thoughts clearly, then mute again to help keep background noise to a minimum.

Noisy Environments

Sometimes life happens! If you're in a noisy environment during class (in a car, near siblings at play, during music practice, etc.), you're welcome to connect and listen. However, since we won't be able to call on you to participate, your assignment points for that class discussion will be adjusted accordingly.

Participating in Discussion

Since we can't see each other's visual cues like in a physical meeting room, please wait to be called upon to share your response unless it's an open, volunteer discussion time. This helps everyone feel heard and respected.

Staying on Topic

Great conversations sometimes wander, and that's natural! When sharing personal stories or examples, focus on the parts that directly connect to our discussion topic. Think of it like writing a good paragraph - keep everything connected to your main point. This helps us practice sharing ideas concisely and precisely, which is a valuable skill for college and beyond!

Patience and Kindness

Our live classes bring together students with diverse skills, backgrounds, and learning styles - just like when you attend events at your parish! Each student is expected to show kindness and grace toward classmates while they speak and share their ideas.

 

Behavioral Issues

St. Thomas Aquinas Academy maintains high standards for student conduct to ensure a productive learning environment where all participants can learn and grow together.

Our Approach

We want every student to succeed! However, we do not maintain administrative staff to address ongoing behavioral issues, so clear consequences help maintain our positive learning community.

Disciplinary Procedures

• After three documented instances of disrespectful, inappropriate, offensive, or aggressive behavior, students transition to QUIZZES & GRADED-only status
• Severe violations result in immediate status change
• QUIZZES & GRADED status means: No live class attendance, no forum posting, but assignments and quizzes remain available

Forum-Specific Violations

When students violate forum safety regulations, posting access may be suspended (viewing privileges retained). Communication with advisors must then occur through parent-arranged meetings.

Financial Policy

No refunds are provided when student status changes due to documented behavioral violations. GRADED status may be terminated without refund for inappropriate coursework submissions.

Getting Support

Teaching-parents may schedule appointments with the course advisor to discuss behavioral concerns or other class-related matters. Enrolled families may use their enrollment package codes; others may schedule pay-as-you-go meetings.

These assignment submission policies are designed to help you stay on track and receive timely, helpful feedback from your advisor that you can apply to your next activities. Our goal is to help you avoid assignment pile-ups and maintain steady progress throughout your courses. Here is what is important to know if you are registered for advisor-grading in any of your live classes.

Where and How to Submit

STAA Student Zone is your home base: All assignments must be submitted through the STAA Student Zone so our system can properly document when you submitted your work and that it's ready for advisor evaluation and grading.

File Format Guidelines: Submit assignments as Microsoft Word .DOCX files unless the assignment specifically requires a .PDF file or special template. If you're not using Microsoft Word, explore your software's "Export as Microsoft Word .docx" and "Export as PDF" options.

Need Help with Submission? The process for uploading and submitting assignments is covered in your class orientation meeting and in the High School Orientation resource on the Student Zone.

Assignment Due Dates and Schedules

Regular Course Assignments:

• Wednesday and Thursday courses: Saturdays at 11:59 PM
• Writing and reasoning courses: Fridays at 11:59 PM (these subjects are prioritized to support your academic growth)

You're always welcome to submit early! While submitting assignments weeks in advance isn't encouraged, you can always turn work in days early. Your advisor will evaluate and grade assignments once the due date has passed.

Special Policies for Starred (★) Assignments

What Makes Starred Assignments Special: The most important assignments each quarter (your essential work samples) are marked with star symbols (★). These typically have Friday at 11:59 PM due dates and are the only assignments with late-submission options.

Late-Submission Window for Starred Assignments:

• Standard late window: One week after the due date
• Final week exception: Three days for assignments due in Week 16 (the final week)
• Grade impact: 10% automatic penalty for late submissions
• Purpose: This window is for unusual or emergency situations - please don't plan to submit starred assignments late!
• Parent discretion: Parents may manually remove the 10% penalty if the late submission was due to genuine emergency circumstances

Regular Assignment Submission Rules

Non-Starred Assignments: While these assignments are important, they're worth fewer points than starred assignments. To help you build good submission habits, non-starred assignments cannot be submitted late for advisor evaluation and grading. They must be submitted by 11:59 PM on their Saturday due dates.

Why Friday Due Dates Matter: Writing and Math are the two most important subjects each semester and should receive priority over all other coursework. Their Friday due dates help ensure you give these crucial skills the attention they deserve.

Important Note About Assignment Extensions

Clear Windows, No Additional Extensions: Our live classes provide clear and dependable assignment submission windows, including the late-submission options described above. However, we do not offer assignment extensions beyond these established windows. Assignments that cannot be submitted through the Student Zone before the submission window closes will need to be graded by the student's parent rather than by the STAA advisor.

Sundays Are for Rest

All due dates and late-submission windows respect our commitment to keeping Sundays free for worship, family time, and rest. While the Student Zone remains accessible on Sundays, you're never expected to use Sundays for coursework.

Weekly Parent Involvement

Regular check-ins are essential for success: Students and parents should meet with each other weekly (or at least every other week) to sign into the STAA Student Zone together, review posted assignments, and read through advisor feedback on meetings, writing assignments, and essay questions. Parental involvement in time management and organizational skills is crucial for student academic success.

Tools to Help You Stay Organized:

• Dashboard and Calendar: STAA Student Zone automatically updates due dates
• Printed Gradebook: Includes space to write in assignment due dates
• Assignment Titles: Course advisors include due dates in every assignment title
• Extra Credit Opportunities: Most courses offer extra credit for gradebook updates with parents in Weeks 4, 8, and 12
• Pre-submission Support: Parents will need to set aside time on Thursdays or Fridays to listen to students read writing assignments aloud before submission

Understanding Grades and Access

How Quarter Grades Work: Your advisor calculates grades based on assignments submitted by due dates or during late-submission windows. Assignments not properly submitted are automatically marked zero by the system.

Parental Authority: Parents may override zero scores by grading late assignments themselves and recording grades manually in the printed gradebook. Since advisors won't have a record of these changes, parents must manually recalculate final semester grades.

Viewing Grades: Sign in to the Student Zone with the student's username, click "My Grades," select the course name. You'll see:

• Reviews and grades for each assignment
• Assignment instructions (click assignment names)
• Submission timestamps and files

Detailed Feedback Location:

• Short-answer/Essay Questions: Click on the student's submitted attempt on the Student Zone course page
• Written Assignments: Detailed evaluations are in the student's private document folder (parents can bookmark this folder for easy access)

Creating Success at Home

"Do not expect what you do not inspect": Regular review and parent involvement are essential for success. Here are the key elements that work together to support your student:

The Four Support Tools:

1. The STAA Study Guide: Weekly marking helps students study away from the computer and share course topics with parents. This printed guide allows students to engage with course content without screen time and gives parents insight into what their student is learning each week.
2. Course Gradebooks (Online and Printed): Track due dates and completion of credit-earning assignments. The online system provides real-time updates, while the printed version allows for manual adjustments and gives parents control over final grade calculations.
3. STAA Student Zone Course Page: Weekly quizzes provide immediate feedback about comprehension. These quizzes help students self-assess their understanding and identify areas where they need additional support before live class meetings.
4. Regular Advisor Support: Q&A Forums and scheduled class meetings add accountability and help develop successful learning strategies. This human connection ensures students aren't just completing work but truly engaging with the material.

Essential Parent Actions for Success:

Weekly Involvement:

• Review Grades and Assignments Together: Log in as the student and check "My Grades" to stay current on progress and feedback
• Monitor Study Guide Use: Ensure students are marking their printed STAA Study Guide weekly to promote active engagement with course content
• Help Prepare for Live Meetings: Assist students in forming and writing down questions to ask during meetings, teaching them to advocate for themselves and take ownership of their learning
• Students Should Independently: Review advisor feedback weekly to prepare clarifying questions for meetings, and develop critical thinking about their own work

Bi-weekly Oversight:

• Comprehensive Gradebook Review: Parents and students should review the entire online gradebook every other week (or at least every four school weeks) to promote communication and accountability about overall academic progress

Ongoing Support:

• Maintain Consistent Routines: Establish daily and weekly school routines during Preparatory Weeks and revisit them when family schedules change. Each course typically requires about five hours per week for scheduled discussions, study, and assignments.
• Advisor Communication: Schedule one-on-one meetings with the course advisor as needed to address specific concerns or provide additional support

Our Educational Philosophy

Consider these words from great Catholic educators:

"Education is a high word; it is the preparation for knowledge, and it is the imparting of knowledge in proportion to that preparation." ~St. John Henry Newman

"It is the duty of good education to arrive at wisdom by means of a definite order." ~St. Augustine

Our Commitment: Whether students take independent study, online classes, or brick-and-mortar classes, success relies on the combined efforts of students and parents. In St. Thomas Aquinas Academy courses, our Preparatory Week activities help prepare students for the proportional and orderly imparting of knowledge through reading, discussion, and writing. We encourage parents and students to work through these activities and regularly revisit the organizational methods to promote student success.

Live Class Academic Integrity Policy - Addendum to the General Policy

Live class students follow the same Academic Integrity Policy outlined earlier on this online form, with these additional points:

• Repeat Violations: Result in cancellation of advisor grading services without refund
• Assignment Deadlines: Submission windows for advisor grading are not extended due to academic integrity violations
• Plagiarized Starred Assignments: Must be restarted from scratch and submitted to parents for grading rather than advisors

Reference: See the General Academic Integrity Policy above for complete guidelines and procedures.

Academic Calendar

• Important Dates: Academic calendar and meeting schedules are available at https://staahomeschool.com/live and printed in your STAA Study Guides.
• Final Deadline: All coursework must be completed by Day 5 of Week 16 (or within the three-day late window for starred assignments due that week).
• No Extensions: There are no discounts, credits, or refunds for missed, skipped, or forgotten assignments or class meetings.

Course Cancellation Policy

• Books and Materials: Registration fees cover live class instruction only. Parents purchase books and materials separately. STAA Study Guides are printed on demand and non-returnable except for printing errors.
• Refunds: Available until semester begins, minus $50 cancellation fee plus credit card processing fees (typically 3%). Registration fees are not prorated.
• Your Responsibility: Request refunds in writing before the first orientation meeting.