More Than a Grade: Understanding Your Elementary Child’s ICS Report Card

By: Andrew Hobbs, Elementary Principal

At Intermountain Christian School, our mission is to be a Christ-centered learning community that exists to equip and inspire students to thrive in God’s world. One way we support that mission is by giving families meaningful information about student learning and growth through our elementary report cards.

A Snapshot of Learning and Growth

At ICS, we think of a report card as a snapshot of your child’s learning and growth at this point in the school year. It should communicate more than just a grade—it should help families understand where a student is doing well and where they are still growing.

Why Do K–2 and 3–5 Use Different Grades?

In Kindergarten through 2nd grade, core academic subjects receive an E for Excels, S for Satisfactory, N for Needs Improvement, or U for Unsatisfactory. In these younger grades, we intentionally want the emphasis to be on learning and developing skills rather than earning a particular letter grade.

Beginning in 3rd grade, when it is more developmentally appropriate, students receive traditional letter grades in core academic subjects.

How Do Enrichment Classes Work?

Enrichment classes, including STEM, Art, Music, PE, Library, and Spanish, do not receive overall or letter grades. Instead, progress is communicated through specific skills. This allows families to see how students are developing in the areas that matter within each class without reducing that learning to a single overall grade.

Understanding Skill Sets

Across grade levels and subjects, families will see individual skill sets. A grade gives you a summary, but the skills tell you the story behind it.

Skill sets are marked using the following indicators:

• +  Skill is learned and competent

• /  Skill is emerging and developing

• –  Skill is not yet evidenced and additional support is needed

• N/A  Skill has not yet been taught

These marks reflect where a student is at this point in the year—not where we expect them to be by the end of the year. An emerging skill is part of the learning process and gives teachers and families useful information about what a student is ready to work on next.

More Than Marks on a Report Card

Families also receive narrative comments from their child’s teacher each quarter. These comments provide additional context about a student’s progress, strengths, and areas for continued growth.

If a student is struggling significantly, the report card should never be the first time a family hears about it. We want communication between families and teachers happening throughout the quarter so we can partner together to support each student.

How Can Families Help?

When your child’s report card comes home:

• Celebrate where they are doing well.

• Encourage them in the areas where they are still growing.

• Ask them about what they are learning.

• Reach out to their teacher with any questions.

A report card is a snapshot, not the whole story. It helps us celebrate how far your child has come, understand where they are today, and support where they’re growing next. When families and teachers work together, we can equip and inspire our students to thrive in God’s world.