Academic Support and Resources

Students, parents, teachers, school counselors, and other support staff are ALL part of the team when thinking about an individual student's success.  At CHS, we want to offer as much academic support as possible to our students.

In high school, first and foremost, we want students to be empowered to monitor their learning and to have initial conversations with their teachers.  Identifying areas of need, self-advocacy with teachers, and implementation of teachers' suggestions of how to be more successful are all vital skills to build before you leave CHS.

That said, we do have a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and Freshman Academy-specific supports that are more formally preventative (all students receive Tier 1 support) and responsive to student needs (Tier 2 supports target groups of students with similar struggles and Tier 3 supports are individualized for each student who is not progressing with Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports). And, your school counselor is always available as an academic resource.

We hope that the tips and resources below are helpful.

We borrowed and modified the following tips from Chapel Hill High School:

1. Attend your classes.  The importance of being at school and in class cannot be overstated.  Missing class is the #1 barrier to academic success for CHS students.
2. Try your best.  Being present in class is crucial, but physical presence alone is not enough.  Lack of effort is the #2 barrier to academic success for CHS students.  It's high school—you will not pass and earn credit for the course, be promoted, or graduate without earning it.
3. Get organized.  If you're doing the above two steps but still aren't as successful as you want to be, then not submitting completed assignments on time and lack of preparation for quizzes and tests are most commonly the problems.  Use an agenda or planner to keep track of daily homework, due dates for longer-term assignments, and quizzes and tests.  Come up with a consistent method of organization that works for you and your classes:  dividers and 3-ring binders, spiral notebooks and folders, whatever works.  Take the time and energy to do this.  If your bookbag or binders are chaos with loose papers everywhere, then you are not setting yourself up to be successful.
4. Self-monitor via PowerSchool and Canvas, and self-advocate.  There is no reason you shouldn't know how you're doing in each class and whether or not you have any missing assignments.  If you aren't happy with your grade, have that conversation with your teacher about what ideas they have for what you can do differently or additionally.
5. Use the resources that are available.  In addition to open communication with your teachers, take advantage of the resources that are available to all students:
   
   • Flex Time - use your Flex Time with purpose!
   • Lunch Office Hours - every department, or subject, has a specific day when teachers are available for extra help.
   • After-school tutoring - get help from volunteer tutors after school from 4:10-5:10pm in the Media Center twice weekly.
     • Usually available after the first few weeks of school. Transportation usually not provided. After-school tutoring has not been available since 2022-23.
   • Other teacher availability - some teachers are available for extra help on other days at lunch or before or after school on certain days.
   • Online resources - from Khan Academy, to YouTubeing lessons, to teacher-recommended sites like Tyler DeWitt's Chemistry site, there's a lot of good stuff out there!
     • Students have access to certain resources via the Public Library.
   • Private tutoring - we do not endorse any private vendors over another, but we can provide information about vendors who have advertised their services to us to families upon request.