Frequently Asked Questions

Weston High School calculates GPAs on a 4.0 scale. Beginning with the Class of 2023, only an overall unweighted GPA will be calculated and reported. The unweighted GPA includes all courses taken at Weston High School with letter grades without any additional weight for Honors or AP.

Up through the Class of 2022, both an overall unweighted GPA and a weighted GPA will be calculated and reported. The weighted GPA includes only subjects worth 2.5 or 5.0 credits (with the exception of AP Music Theory) and is calculated according to the table below.

Students attending Weston High for at least four semesters have their GPAs computed five times:

• a 4-semester GPA determined at the end of sophomore year;

• a 5-semester GPA determined at the mid-point of junior year, averaging in the first semester;

• a 6-semester GPA determined at the end of junior year;

• a 7-semester GPA determined at the mid-point of senior year, averaging in the first semester; and • a final GPA upon graduation.

Weston High School does not rank students.

Parents/guardians are to call the 24 hour Absence Line, (781) 786-5299 before 10:00 a.m. on the days their child is absent from school, tardy to school or to be dismissed from school, in order for the absence, tardy or dismissal to be excused. The phone message should include the full student’s name, grade, the parent/guardian’s name, the date and reason for the absence, late arrival or dismissal. Students will be allowed to make up work missed during excused absences, tardies and dismissals.

Parents can also email attendance at HSattendance@weston.org and should include the student’s full name, students grade, the parent/guardian’s name, the date and reason for the absence, late arrival or dismissal.

The Attendance Office is located in the corridor off the main lobby. In lieu of a phone call, parents/guardians can provide the student with a note that includes the date, time, and reason for their student’s absence, late arrival, or dismissal and signed by parent or guardian.

The following circumstances constitute an excused absence, tardy or dismissal:
1.  Illness
2. Visit to physician
3. Bereavement for family or friend
4. Religious holiday
5. College visit with advance notification and college appointment letter provided to the Attendance Office
6. School sponsored activity/field trip
7. Significant family events: parents to notify the Attendance Office in advance
8. Special exemptions granted by the Principal only

Regarding classes missed due to unexcused absence, tardiness or dismissal, students will not receive credit for work assigned and/or due that day in the classes missed and will be given a grade of zero for that day for tests, quizzes, presentations and participation.

Students arriving at school tardy must report immediately to the Attendance Office and sign in on the Tardy Register.  Disciplinary consequences will be issued to students who fail to sign in immediately upon arrival.  The Attendance Office is located in the corridor off the main lobby.  Students who are late to school must report there immediately upon arrival to sign in and be given a pass to class.  Students who are dismissed with parental permission for an appointment must report there to obtain a dismissal pass and to sign out.

All students arriving at school tardy must verify that their parent/guardian is aware of their tardiness by a phone call from said parent/guardian before 10:00 a.m. that day.  Students who have unexcused tardies will not be given credit for work missed.
• Minimum consequence: one hour of after school detention for the third and each subsequent tardy arrival to school in a term.
• Repeated violations may result in one or all of the following consequences: loss of free periods, Senior Privileges, and/or permission to drive or have a motor vehicle on the high school/middle school campus, ability to participate in extra-curricular activities, and suspension from school.

Tardy arrivals pre-arranged with the Attendance Office at least a day in advance will not be included in this tally.

The following circumstances constitute an excused tardy:

1.  Illness
2. Visit to physician
3. Bereavement for family or friend
4. Religious holiday
5. College visit with advance notification and college appointment letter provided to the Attendance Office
6. School sponsored activity/field trip
7. Significant family events: parents to notify the Attendance Office in advance
8. Special exemptions granted by the Principal only

NC Rule Attendance Policy     Absences (absence = excused or unexcused)

The NC rule is an attendance policy that stipulates a student receives a grade of NC in a course when they meet or exceed the number of absences from the list provided below. A NC is a grade indicating that a student was absent from too many classes to be fairly assessed and given a regular letter grade on his/her report card.

7 absences or more in a class per term in a 5 block course (meets 28 times) = NC 

5 absences or more in a class per term in a 4 block course (meets 22 times) = NC 

3 absences or more in a class per term in a 2 block course (meets 11 times) = NC

Seniors: 4 absences or more in a class in the fourth term in a 5 block course (meets 15 times) = NC

Implications of an NC

• An NC is an attendance grade. There is a letter grade behind the NC: A, A-, B+, B, B, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, or F.

• If a student earns only a NC in a full-year class, he/she receives a regular letter grade as a year-end grade. All four-term grades are averaged, including the grade behind the NC.

• If a student earns two NCs in one class during the year, or one NC in a one-semester course, he/she may receive an NC as a final grade. 

• A student who earns a NC as a final grade in a course does not receive credit for that course.

• A course required for graduation must be repeated. An NC cannot be made up in summer school

• A senior who earns an NC in a course for the fourth term will receive a NC on his/her transcript as a final grade for that course. 

• Appeals are granted by the Principal and are extremely rare and for extraordinary circumstances.  

• A student may only initiate an appeal after he/she has received 2 NCs in a full-year course or one-NC in a 1 semester course. 

Exceptions to the NC rule

Religious Holidays

MCAS and AP testing

Special Education meetings and testing

School-sanctioned field trips 

Students suspended from school

Exemptions granted by the assistant principal and/or principal

REMINDER: There are no sanctioned out-of-school “skip days.”