The Academy
Parish Plus would like to introduce The Academy. The Academy will serve as the umbrella for all academic programming taking place outside of the regular school day.
These classes and programs are for students from PreK-12th grade, both from Parish and from the greater Dallas community. Future programs will include workshops and learning opportunities for adults as well as for our existing student audience. The Academy is directed by Dr. Ann Morgan, who currently oversees the Parish Virtual program. She can be reached via email if you have any questions.
Our Programs
Many existing classes will now be housed in The Academy, including the summer for-credit offerings formerly known as Parish Virtual courses. As the classes we offered evolved, in part due to lessons learned during pandemic-induced virtual school and life, leadership of the program felt that Parish Virtual, or PV as it was often called, was no longer the most accurate description of the offerings. We have new ideas about how we can advantage students with innovative learning that goes beyond the previous model of Parish Virtual. As we developed new courses for Summer 2023, we realized that the program title “Parish Virtual” no longer encapsulates the breadth of exciting learning opportunities our students will be able to experience. The amount of on campus in-person, synchronous and asynchronous learning varies by course, so please look over each course to learn how it will be taught. We invite you to see our program!
You can view all offerings for Summer 2023 on our Browse Programs page. To learn how to filter specifically for The Academy check out our step by step guide.
There are many non-credit choices in summer 2023 offered by The Academy for students in all academic divisions. Many are aligned with the schedule for Parish Summer, so that families can select an Academy course for half their child’s day and Day Camp, a specialty or other “for fun” class for the other half. This approach to summer provides a balance between vacation mode and the dreaded summer brain-drain! Other workshops that are not best suited for a traditional day camp schedule will be offered in alternate formats. A few of the programs will be familiar, we’ve just moved them! Examples include Upper School Onboarding, Math, Reading or Writing and World Language workshops as well as updated versions of the “Get Ready” lower school camps. Many other programs are new for 2023, and we invite you to browse our programs to see what your child can learn this summer.
In addition, there are non-credit, school-year outside-of-school-day classes offered by The Academy this spring. These classes include Reading & Writing Workshop, Fun with Math and Hola Amigos for Lower School students and both SAT and ACT Prep for Upper School students. We will have a greater selection of workshops and classes offered in future school years as we expand this program. These programs can be enrolled in now (unless full), see our Browse Programs page for more information. To learn how to filter specifically for The Academy check out our step by step guide.
All non-academic classes can be found under Extend or Parish Summer, depending on the time of year. Included in those programs are our year-round offered programs: Explorations, Extended Care, Athletic Academy, Dance Academy (led by Jessica Robinson) and the Music Academy and Parish Drives (led by Andrew Jennings) as well as our Parish Summer Day Camp and school year PreK Extension. All questions regarding Extend or Parish Summer should be directed to Jessica Rodriguez.
The Study will continue to be the location for Lab and Link under the leadership of current director Phillip Page.
The Academy FAQs
When are classes held? Do I have to attend all classes?
Classes are held throughout the summer for year-long courses and Health. Most trimester electives are offered in one 6-week session; session 1 is June 1 to July 8 and session 2 is July 5 to August 12. Students must attend a minimum number of classes in order to receive credit for the course. The number of required sessions varies by course. Please review the in-person attendance expectations and scheduled classes in each course description before registering. Students may only attend class meetings that are offered in their registered session and taught by their teacher of record.
While teachers try to work around students’ schedules, students are expected to keep pace with the class and the workload as scheduled. If students anticipate summer travel, they will need to plan ahead, coordinate their schedules (and attendance requirements) with the instructor, and work diligently to meet the expected deadlines.
The beauty of a for-credit Academy course is that much of the work can be done asynchronously. These courses are designed for self-paced learning and the majority of material is available for students from the first day of class so that they can work ahead; however, because modules and assignments build on previous ones, students need to allow time for instructor feedback and guidance. As such, students should plan to complete modules following (as closely as possible) the instructor’s recommendations over the course of the summer session.
Classes that require in-person attendance will have the option to learn from distance if the student is travelling or out of town. Approval of virtual attendance must be coordinated with the instructor ahead of time. Please reach out to the class instructor at the beginning of the summer session to make arrangements. Be sure to reference the Upper School Handbook to determine what qualifies for the option to learn from a distance and what the protocols are for unplanned travel.
What is the time commitment for a for credit Academy class?
These Academy courses are for credit and so they maintain the demands and rigor of our in-person, school year courses, but at a concentrated pace. Students should plan to spend five to seven hours per week online to complete each course. This is above and beyond the scheduled classroom time for in-person sessions, which vary from course to course.
Do students earn credit?
Yes, students earn credit for these courses. These courses appear on the transcript year which they have most recently finished (not the following year), and the grades are calculated into their GPA. Elective courses receive .333 credits, and yearlong courses receive one full credit. Once class starts at the end of May, students may not drop the course. Under extenuating circumstances, administration can approve a withdrawal which is recorded on the transcript. While courses do count towards graduation requirements, taking a course in the summer does not exempt a student from a full course load during the regular year.
Can a non-Parish student take a for credit Academy class?
Yes, non-Parish students may participate in these courses. If you are interested in registering, please contact Dr. Ann Morgan. Prior to enrollment, Parish will require confirmation from the student’s current school attesting to the student’s good academic and behavioral standing. Upon successful course completion, Parish Episcopal School will issue a transcript and report card reflecting the course completed via summer Academy.
Can a student drop or withdraw from a for credit Academy class? Are there any refunds available if a student drops a for credit course?
The class descriptions and the registration system clearly state that summer schedules must be coordinated so that students can attend at least the minimum number of classes. They are encouraged to attend all in-person sessions if possible.
- The $25 registration fee and the $50 per class deposit will be retained for all canceled registrations. If The Academy cancels a class, all fees will be refunded.
- After registering for a For-Credit course with The Academy, students may drop the course any time before May 1st without academic penalty. Prior to May 1, all class fees, less the deposit, will be refunded.
- Between May 1st and the first class day (not orientation) of the course, students may drop the course without any academic penalty. After May 1st but before the class start: 50% of class fees, less the deposit, will be refunded.
- After the first class day, students cannot drop the course but must withdraw. At the time of withdrawal, a student’s grades will be assessed and the transcript will reflect a W/P (withdrawn while passing) or a W/F (withdrawn while failing).
- After the first class day, no refunds will be issued since a class spot has been taken and a teacher has been engaged.
Director of The Academy
Ann Morgan
Ann is the Director of The Academy and is in her 5th year at Parish. In addition to overseeing The Academy, Ann teaches all levels of Latin in the Upper School; she also serves as the Subject Area Coordinator for World Languages. As Director of The Academy, Ann coordinates with Parish faculty to offer a wide range of courses to our students over the summer through innovative blended learning environments; she oversees course offerings, scheduling, and program development. Ann has a M.Ed. in Educational Technology from University of Arkansas, as well as a Ph.D. in Classics from University of Texas at Austin.