Academic Policies

Curriculum Guide/Academic Policies

Curricular policies and the full GRCHS curriculum guide can be found on the GRCS website at grcs.org under the “Academics” menu. 

Responsibility Period 

Responsibility period (RP) is intended to be a collaborative and flexible environment for students to learn essential academic and behavioral skills that will help them be successful beyond high school. Therefore, the primary goal of RP is to provide students an environment to learn independence while also providing them with the level of academic support they need to be successful in their classrooms.

Teachers are present at each RP to supervise and be ready to assist students with academic needs. Peer tutors are also available to help students. There are “zones” set up for students who need various academic structures to complete work. Zones include group study, quiet study, intervention zone for homework completion, a writing lab, and reassessment. 

Students who cannot work in that environment are assigned to an academic coach where academics and behavior can be more closely monitored.

Office Hours

Office hours are a student-driven time where teachers are available in their classrooms for the last 20 minutes of lunch break on Wednesdays and Fridays for students who wish to come in for assistance. 

Students can also use this extended lunch period as meeting time for groups, activities, and clubs. Reservations for meeting locations can be requested to the dean of students by the group advisors. GRCHS Food Service is willing to create box lunches for clubs wishing to use the entire hour for their meetings. The group advisor can make those arrangements three days ahead with the food service manager. 

Focus Period

Focus period is adult-driven, flexible time that takes place after lunch on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.  Students do not all learn at the same pace and flexible time in the schedule must exist for each learner to get what they need. Some focus sessions are for academic intervention or while others are for enrichment. 

Students must check their focus app during “business time” on days when focus sessions are offered. If they have not been requested by a staff member, they should select a session of their choice. 

Attendance is required and failure to report to focus period is treated as an unexcused absence. Focus period is managed as a regular class period and all academic and attendance policies apply.