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Introduction to High School

Introduction to High School. 2011-2012 School Year. Registration Materials (given out 4/1/11). Freshman Course Catalog Freshman registration form 4-Year Plan. What do I do with all this “stuff”?.

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Introduction to High School

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  1. Introduction to High School 2011-2012 School Year

  2. Registration Materials (given out 4/1/11) • Freshman Course Catalog • Freshman registration form • 4-Year Plan

  3. What do I do with all this “stuff”? • Everything should be taken home and shown to your parents. They will play an important part of this process. • Become familiar with the information located in the course catalog. • Become familiar with the important dates • Make sure you and your parents discuss all decisions.

  4. Scheduling Definitions Pages 3-4

  5. Credit (page 3) • A student earns CREDITS for successful completion of each course. • Students will have the opportunity to earn 7 or 8 credits during their 9th grade year. • A credit is also formally called a Carnegie Unit.

  6. Core Course (page 3) • Those courses that are required for graduation • English • Math • Science • Social Science

  7. Prerequisite (page 3) • A course that must be “passed” to move forward in a sequence of courses. • EXAMPLES • English 9 must be passed before English 10 is taken. • Algebra must be passed before Geometry can be taken. • Biology is the “prerequisite” for every science course except Physical Science.

  8. TeacherRecommendations • Recommendations are made to provide each student with the best match for success in a specific course. • Recommendations are based on the students performance during the school year. • Students should get recommendations from their math, science and English teachers.

  9. Recommendations • Teachers will announce when they will be signing registration forms so it is the responsibility of each student to bring their form and get it signed. • Recommendations must be gotten BEFORE you can start filling out the registration form or the 4-year plan

  10. Recommendations • If it is decided that a different course other than the one recommended will be taken then the parent should fill out the override section of the registration form. • Please give overrides careful thought. Once a student is placed in an override course then they will not be able to “drop” that course.

  11. Course Selection (page 4) • Course selection is very important. • Students planning on going to college are encouraged to contact several colleges in which they are interested to determine the academic requirements for admission. This should be done early and reviewed each year.

  12. Course Fee • A fee is required for certain courses to assist with the cost of maintaining equipment, and purchasing lab materials. • No fee will be collected for courses required for graduation. • Please check the course catalog to see if there is a fee attached to that course.

  13. Points Of Interest Pages 4 and 5

  14. Advanced Placement (page 4) • Only offered at Bob Jones • Accelerated in rigor and pace • Allows students to complete college level studies while in high school. • AP test is required

  15. What background does my child need in order to succeed in an AP Course? • The content of AP courses is more sophisticated than that in typical high school honors courses. • Students should have had practice in analyzing content, drawing comparisons, and reasoning through problems. • They must be able to read perceptively and independently.

  16. AP Background • Students will need to be proficient in writing clear, concise essays. • Students who are not skilled in these areas must be even more highly motivated to make up the deficiencies at the same time they are taking more rigorous courses. • The keys to success are motivation, self-discipline, and academic preparation.

  17. Honors Courses • Designed for the advanced college bound student • Curriculum is covered in an accelerated pace • They follow the Alabama Course of Study but also include enrichment activities, extra projects, research, and/or lab experiences. • LMS offers English 9 Honors and Biology Honors and for those students successfully completing Algebra 1 in 8th grade then Geometry Honors/Algebra II w/Trig Honors.

  18. 9th Grade Testing • PSAT- Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test • This test measures verbal and mathematical reasoning • Test is administered in October • Open to all 9th grade students • Fee required

  19. Testing • ACT Explore- • EXPLORE is the first part of a testing system that goes on to include PLAN and the ACT. • Typically, students take EXPLORE in the 8th or 9th grade, PLAN as 10th graders, and the ACT as juniors or seniors. • All three test you in English, math, reading, and science. However, the material tested in each program gets more difficult.

  20. Testing • AHSGE-Alabama High School Graduation Exam • 8th graders passing Honors Algebra 8 will test in the fall • 9th graders passing Algebra 1 and/or Biology first semester will test in the spring.

  21. Procedures Related to Grades/Credits(Page 6-7)

  22. Grade Placement • Sophomore- A student must have earned a minimum of 6 credits. • Junior- A student must have earned a minimum of 12 credits • Senior- A student must have earned a minimum of 18 credits and be on track to graduate.

  23. Progress Reports and Report Cards • Students receive progress reports every three weeks during a nine week period. • At the end of a nine week period a student will receive a report card. • The grading calendar is published on the Madison City web site. • Parents may use Inow daily to review grades, attendance, and homework for their student.

  24. Attendance • Good attendance enhances learning • Almost all core courses are only 18 weeks in length. • Excuses must be turned in within 3 days of returning to school • After the 3rd day the absence stays unexcused • All unexcused absences result in zeros for any grade taken on those days. This could lower your grade and GPA.

  25. Weighted Grading Scale • Students electing to participate in the rigorous academic courses such as Honors, Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment are given additional weight on the grading scale. • The weighted GPA will be recorded on the students’ report card, transcript and included in the students’ overall GPA calculation.

  26. Grading Scales

  27. Final Exams • Final exams are given the last two days of each semester. • Final exams will count 20% of the final grade. • PLEASE do not make travel plans during final exam dates. The 2011-2012 school calendar is already published on the Madison City web site.

  28. Diploma and Endorsements Options for the State of Alabama Pages 9 and 10

  29. First Choice- The State Expectation • Under First Choice, all 9th grade students will automatically be enrolled to pursue the Advanced Academic Endorsement. Having the Advanced Academic Endorsement puts all students in position to strive for a higher standard.

  30. Madison City Schools Graduation Requirements No Endorsement vs. Advanced Academic Endorsement

  31. English - 4 Credits

  32. Math - 4 Credits

  33. Science - 4 Credits

  34. Social Studies - 4 Credits

  35. World Language *Must be 2 credits of the same foreign language.

  36. Other (2.5 Credits) * Substitutes for the state requirement (.5) Health course are the following: Health and The Foundations of Health Science. **A Substitute for the state requirement (.5) computer applications is the (1) credit Business Tech Applications.

  37. Additional Electives

  38. SAMPLE SCHEDULES

  39. Freshman Course Descriptions

  40. English Core – page 18 • English 9 -18 weeks/1 Credit • English 9 Honors- 18 weeks/1 Credit • Weighted Honors Credit Awarded • Recommendation for Placement • Teacher recommendation • 80 average in Adv. Language Arts 8 or 85 in Language Arts 8 • Score in the 80th percentile or higher on Total Reading on the SAT10 A teacher recommendation alone does not guarantee placement in to English 9 Honors.

  41. Who should take Honors English 9? • Students who are motivated, have a strong work ethic, and who have at least an 80 % or above on your SAT scores in reading. • This class requires quite a bit of reading and studying outside of class in comparison to English 9. • We read and write more than is required in the basic curriculum, and we will work hard!

  42. Honors English • The class is designed to challenge students who excel in and have a passion for language arts. • You are really encouraged to consider work habits as well as test scores when signing up for honors classes.

  43. Who should not take Honors English 9? • Students who do not enjoy reading, • Students who struggle with reading comprehension, • Students who struggle with language, or • Students who struggle with writing skills compared to their peers, • and students who are not intrinsically motivated to do well in school.

  44. Summer Reading- English 9 • ENGLISH 9 (Rising 9th Graders) • REQUIRED: • Animal Farm by George Orwell • CHOICE:(choose 1) • The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, • Somewhere in the Darkness by Walter Dean Myers, • Driver’s Ed by Caroline B. Cooney

  45. Summer Reading- Honors English 9 • HONORS ENGLISH 9 (Rising 9th Graders) • REQUIRED: • Animal Farm by George Orwell AND • All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

  46. Math Core - Option 1 • Algebra 1A - 18 weeks/1 Credit- Teacher recommendation- First of a two part course sequence that satisfies the Algebra 1 requirement. • Algebra1B -18 weeks/1 Credit- Teacher recommendation. Second of a two part course sequence that satisfies the Algebra 1 requirement. • Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 1A

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