Beginning on Tuesday, Aug. 18, the citizenship grade is in place to help students become better citizens and remind them that actions have consequences.

As of August 2015, the Academy has adopted a citizenship grade for students to practice good behavior and learn to abide by school rules. Many public and private schools in Hawaii have already adopted such policies.

New Vice-principal Kinga Sanders believes this system will benefit the students.

“The citizenship grade gives students an opportunity to see their behavior reflected as a letter grade,” said Sanders.

At the beginning of each semester, every student starts with 100 percent, or an A. If a student fails to follow school rules, an infraction will be given. Infraction notations will be given by teachers or administrators and will be sent to the vice-principal. Offenses include improper or incomplete uniform, chewing gum and tardiness among others. The number of infractions depends on the severity of the offense. More serious offenses will earn more than a single infraction.

At the end of the semester a letter grade will be reported on Edline with semester grades. The percentage equivalent to the letter grade is the same as the school grade scale.

Citizenship grades will be included on regular progress reports on Edline and will be visible on report cards and transcripts.

Students will have an opportunity to eliminate 50 percent of the infractions once a semester by completing a 3-hour work period on a day designated by the vice-principal.

Sanders has high hopes for the new grade.

“My goal is to have all students end the semester with an A in citizenship,” she said. “I really hope this will create excitement in the students and have them strive to continue to be good citizens.”