It’s been a couple weeks since HHS began the 2025-’26 school year, and at this point, September has bid us adieu and October begins to welcome us with open arms. With the midway point of this new month already upon us, this means that time is ticking when it comes to the conclusion of quarter one. By Friday, October 31st, the ten week marking period will have been reached and our first report cards of the year will begin to be produced by school staff.
Progress reports gave students an idea of where they stood in terms of scores and such, and even more so with the Powerschool website finally being accessible. With these resources now at our fingertips, it’s easier than ever to stay on top of the performances we put into our assignments and classes overall. That’s the place where we’re expected to start. Not all students are content with the grades they viewed on their progress reports, and have high hopes for getting their marks up. Those who are content, however, are now held at the expectation to keep those grades at the point they’re currently at, or to improve them even more if they’re not the highest they can be. Of course, an A+ is not always the grade being aimed for, as students have a vast variety of different expectations for themselves depending on what they know. Encouragement by staff is always going to be a positive constant, but what can you, the student in question, do to get or keep your grades at the point you want them to be?
Attendance
We hear it everyday when we enter our school building, and as students, we tend to make fun of and overlook it, but attendance does matter. Having eighteen or more absences for the year will critically affect the scores given on your report cards, as you’ll receive an NCA (No Credit Awarded) rather than a legitimate grade. Combatting an NCA can be difficult for some students, as the only way their missed work can only be made up is via teacher office hours, attending Gear Up when available, and various other resources offered by the school. Most of these events occur during after school hours, and not every student is always available during those times. As humans, we have our own priorities and schedules which can clash with the need to buy back the amount of missed time that’s been summed up. For students with available time to make these assignments up, the energy to do so is not always guaranteed, and for some of us, there’s also the simple act of “not wanting to do it.”
Building up absences builds up missed work, which can easily pile up the amount of stress students go through. Attending every day of school is not always easy, and of course, we can take mental days every now and then. However, staying on top of your attendance can be considered the foundation of keeping your grades where you would like them to be. To put in your best work, the first step is showing up to do so.
Time Management
Ninety minute classes seemed crazy when we initially heard about it. Who wants to be in one room for an hour and a half? It seemed over the top, like it was way more than enough, but as you progress through high school it’s quick to become not enough. Work comes every day of the week, with the occasional study halls if we’re lucky. Another stressor for students is formed when they’re assigned too much work and not enough time to complete it. We’ve all found ourselves in that situation before. Time management can be a make or break when it comes to students keeping their grades up, especially under the weight of due dates.
There are a variety of ways to shape your time management abilities into the best they can be. Taking actions such as planning your schedule beforehand, breaking down large assignments, and prioritizing tasks based on their importance can assist in turning those not-so-long ninety minutes into a productive hour and a half not just for one class alone, but for all eight. If a test is coming up, for example, students are encouraged to study hard, and that’s the sort of advice relating to time management that should be taken. We’re all aware how much one test can impact our grades, so that kind of assignment would be high on the importance list. In this situation, students could also plan specific times for studying, and go through each topic they know will be discussed individually. Inserting these strategies into your work can not only make the outcome score better, but can also relieve you of layers of stress it might’ve caused.
Student-Teacher Relationships
We all have our favorite and least favorite teachers, but did you know that those relationships, efficacious or not, can influence the performance of students all around the world? It can be argued that dreading the time you’ll have in class before you step foot in the room is vastly similar to setting yourself up for failure. Having to listen to the voice of someone you “dislike” for so long can be rough on your thinking capacity, and takes away from the max amount of focus you can have on the subject being taught. However, when faced with a teacher that, in your eyes, is likeable, experiencing the opposite of all that was previously mentioned is almost bound to happen. Students tend to hold grudges following one negative interaction with any of their teachers, as that’s easier to stick in the mind better than any of the positive interactions that may have been had. How can we avoid those bleak interactions in the first place, though?
From a student perspective, it’s safe to assume that all it takes is human decency. Of course, in such large groups of teenagers, a quality like that comes around rarely, yet it’s essential when speaking to any teachers, staff, or adults in general. The term “treat others how you want to be treated” has always lingered throughout many students’ lives, and when it comes to their education, it matters more than ever. Simple acts like paying attention, listening to the speaker, and actually putting in the effort to understand lessons can make a difference in a teachers day and boost their likability for you. These acts also decrease the chance of any disagreements between you and your teacher, which increases likability for them on your end, and frees up space in your brain that would’ve otherwise been used to produce that obstructive view of them.
Conclusion
To sum everything up, your performance grade-wise depends on the amount of effort you put into school as a whole. Every moment matters, whether big or small to the student mind. Your first report card of the year can be a great one if you develop some of the strategies and habits mentioned, and, as staff would say, follow our newly formed Knights Values. Not only can these tactics give us as students a better chance at achieving the grades we desire, but it can help us do so year-round and even in the future of our high school experience, should we keep it up.
