HRHS Course Options for Rising 12 th graders

1. HRHS Course Optionsfor Rising 12th graders Please choose your course options carefully!

2. You will be picking your classes this FRIDAY during homeroom BULL time. • You will have to choose: • 8 courses • 3 alternates • Please choose carefully, as we often have to use alternates! Seniors cannot sign up for 1st level courses (unless you sign up for 1st and 2nd level)

3. How important is senior year to college admissions? Very important! Here’s what they said: • “When we look at your transcript, we are evaluating the rigor of your curriculum along with the grades.  We always look at the high school transcript in conjunction with the high school profile (your guidance/college counselor sends this to us along with your transcript and his/her letter) so that we know what sorts of courses were offered at your high school, how you challenged yourself (within your own school context), and what you took advantage of.” Marina Fried, College Admissions Counselor • “Just because colleges may initially only see your first semester grades doesn’t mean that the rest of the year doesn’t matter. Colleges look at grades from all four years of high school, even if colleges don’t see senior year grades right away. Colleges will require you to submit a mid year report and final grade report, and poor grades senior year can keep you out of your dream college.” Kat Cohen, College Admissions Counselor • Plan now for what you want your senior year to look like. • We can’t do schedule changes after the school year starts because you will apply to college at the beginning of senior year with those classes listed.

4. Regular or Honors Level Classes • Some of you will consider taking Honors level classes…but should you? • Consider these clues to your honors potential: • Are you a strong student in that subject? • You have to have achieved a 80 or better in an Honors Class • Or have an 90 average in regular classes. • Are you willing to do more than the minimum amount of work required? • Do you look for challenges outside of class? • Are you always prepared? • **If you currently do not have the prerequisite for the honors level course, we will put you in the regular level course until you return a waiver signed by your parents (1-2 days after you choose courses). You will receive one quality point added to your GPA for Honors classes.

5. Required English Classes • In order to graduate, there are four required English classes: • When you register, your choices will be: • English III (in case you need to retake it) • English IV • Honors English IV • AP English Literature

6. English Electives • You can take an additional English class as an elective: • Speech and Debate • Speech and Debate II (Honors) • Mythology • Creative Writing • Yearbook (teacher approval required) • Intro to Broadcasting (teacher approval required) • Broadcasting II, III, or IV *If you choose a class that needs teacher approval and do not get into the class, we will use one of your alternates.

7. Required Math Classes • Every year, you should take at least one math course (four are required). • Which one you should take next depends on how you are doing in your current math class. Here are the options: • Advanced Functions and Modeling (AFM) • Discrete Math (Honors) • Pre-Calculus (Honors) • Honors Calculus/AP Calculus AB *1st semester/2nd semester pairing • AP Calculus AB/BC *1st semester/2nd semester pairing • AP Statistics • If you have already taken FOUR math classes, please strongly consider going further and taking more than what is required. • If you are going to a 4 year college, they will want a math in your senior year.

8. Required Science Classes and Electives There are three requiredScience classes. You may have already taken all that are required. But you should consider taking another Science: • Chemistry or Honors (if you haven’t already taken it) • Honors Anatomy (Chemistry pre-req) • Honors Forensics (Chemistry pre-req) • Honors Physics (B in H Math III and taking AFM/PreCal) • AP Biology *yearlong (Chemistry pre-req) • AP Chemistry *yearlong (Chemistry pre-req) • AP Environmental (Chemistry pre-req) • AP Physics I/II (PreCal pre-req)

9. Required Social Studies Classes • There are four required social studies classes. • When you register, your choices will be: • American History II • Honors American History II • will be blended on an A/B day (you can not pick your day) • Or, if you took AP US History, you need a fourth SS.

10. Social Studies Electives • You can take another social studies class, in addition to the required class, if you wish. • Your choices are: • Current Events • Old Testament or Advanced Old • New Testament or Advanced New • Holocaust & Genocide • AP European History • AP Psychology • AP US Government and Politics

11. World Languages • World Languages are NOT a graduation requirement • However, you need to take 2 of the same World Language in order to go to a NC four-year College/University. • Most colleges recommend 3 credits of the same World Language and some out of state schools will require it. • Colleges like to see a World Language in your senior year, so consider taking more than what is required for college admissions. • Your options are: • Spanish I, II, III, IV • French I, II, III, IV

12. Health/PE Courses & Electives Required Course • Health/PE *required for graduation Electives • Advanced PE • Modern Fitness (Females) • Strength and Conditioning (Male Athlete Weight Training) • Men’s Weight Training • Women’s Weight Training • Sports Medicine I and II • Sports Medicine III(teacher approval)

13. Cultural Arts Classes Consider these classes: • Visual Art (Beginning-Art I, Intermediate-Art II, Proficient-Art III, Advanced-Art IV), AP Studio Art • Digital Media-Art Focus (Art I pre-req) *description to follow • Painting-Intermediate (preferred before Visual Art Proficient-Art III) • Ceramics(Beginning-Ceramics I, Intermediate-Ceramics II, Proficient-Ceramics III, Advanced-Ceramics IV) • Theatre(Fundamentalsand Foundations in Theatre Beginning-Theatre I, Theatre Application Intermediate-Theatre II, Theatre Application Proficient-Theatre III), Tech Theatre Intermediate-Tech Theatre I, Tech Theatre Proficient II-Tech Theatre II, or Musical Theatre • Mixed Chorus(Beginning, Intermediate) Chamber Choir (Intermediate) **should be both semesters *Audition/Director approval • Band(Concert, Symphonic-intermediate, Wind Ensemble-proficient) **could be both semesters *Audition/Director approval • Advanced Music Theory/AP Music Theory – yearlong course

14. Other Electives There are several miscellaneous electives you can choose from: • Leadership (online application required) • Office Assistant • Does not receive credit • Online application required • Cannot choose which placement-office or media • JROTC (at JM Robinson)

15. Academy of Hospitality and Tourism • Academy Students: • Please select Entrepreneurship I • Consider Culinary II or ProStart II • Consider Spanish III

16. New Courses Offered • Digital Media –Art Focus (Pre-Req: Art I) • Students will be introduced to digital medias such as digital photography, graphic design, and animation. Through a project-based curriculum, learners will develop as skill set in Photoshop, Spark, InDesign and Illustrate. They will participate in hands on activities that integrate design theory into contemporary practices. Students will engage in careers that involved digital medias and create works that reflect our visual culture. • Pro-Start II (Pre-Req: Pro-Start I) • This course allows students to survey culinary techniques and restaurant management skills. Students learn restaurant marketing, menu management, controlling food services costs, human resources, and food products and preparation, including breakfast food; fruits, vegetables, and starches; meat, poultry, and seafood; and baked goods and desserts. Students also learn about sustainability, nutrition, and the role of foodservice operations in these initiatives. • Health Science I is now Honors

17. AP Courses • AP courses are college level classes taught at HRHS. These classes are very challenging and after taking an AP exam, you could earn college credit. • You will receive 1 quality point added to your GPA for an AP Course. • List of AP courses: • AP English Literature • AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics • AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental, AP Physics I and II • AP European, AP US Government and Politics, AP Psychology • AP Studio Art, AP Music Theory AP Scheduling: • Pick what AP classes you want. We will doublecheck that you have the pre-requisite to take the course. • Some AP Classes will be by semester: Honors Calculus/AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Physics I/II, and Music Theory/AP Music Theory. • Yearlong: AP Biology (1 credit) and AP Chemistry (1 credit) will not be paired as an A/B day and will meet every day for the entire year.

18. Consider taking a 2nd level course of one of your electives from this year. Career Clusters You received a letter about what cluster you are headed towards. Consider that as an option. • Every student must have a career cluster by the time they graduate • A career cluster has 4 classes in a specific area of interest • 14 different career clusters: • Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources • Hospitality and Tourism • Arts, Audio/Video Tech and Communication • Business Management and Administration • Science, Tech, Engineering, and Mathematics • Health Sciences • Human Services • Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics • Architecture and Construction • Marketing • JROTC • Fine Arts-Chorus, Drama, Visual Arts, Broadcasting, Band • World Languages

19. www.NCVPS.org North Carolina Virtual Public Schools Online Classes (NCVPS) • This is an online option for high school credit that requires self-discipline, strong reading and writing skills, and motivation to monitor your own progress. • Students can take these classes during the school year during the regular school day, after school at home in addition to the classes you are taking at HRHS, or at home during the summer. • Consider VPS when: • 1) You want to take a class that isn’t offered at HRHS  • 2) You want to retake a course you failed (retake the whole class again over the summer)

20. www.NCVPS.org • If you are interested in a VPS coursechoose“Placeholder NCVPS” as one of your courses and we will send you a user agreement. • Fill out the user agreement and return to guidance within 1-2 days. • You have not officially chosen the VPS course until you return your user agreement, signed by a parent. • If we do not receive the user agreement back, we will use one of your alternates, so choose wisely! • We cannot guarantee which period you will have the course and you may have to take it in the learning lab (YES Center).

21. Career and College Promise • RCCC College Transfer Classes & Career Technical Education • This program allows juniors and seniors to take classes for high school credit as well as college credit. • These classes are offered online or at RCCC campuses • CCP courses count towards your high school GPA the same weight as an AP class (1 quality point added) • Students Must • A weighted GPA of 3.0 GPA or higher • Demonstrate college readiness on one of the approved placement tests (testing benchmarks) • Have strong self-discipline • Enroll in one program of study

22. Career and College Promise www.rccc.edu/ccp • If you are interested in a CCP course,choose“CCP Placeholder” as one of your courses • You must consider which Associate’s Degree you are working towards: Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, or Pre-Health • Return the user agreement you received as part of your registration packet within 1-2 days of picking courses • It is a PROCESS to register for these classes. You have not officially registered until: • A user agreement is returned to the counselor • You attend an advisement meeting • You meet testing benchmarks • You apply through RCCC

23. Career and College Promise www.rccc.edu/ccp • If we do not receive the user agreement back, we will use one of your alternates! • We will hold a meeting soon for all students who return the user agreement-- to give you more information about RCCC classes. • If it is an online course, we cannot guarantee which period you will have the course and you may have to take it in the learning lab (YES Center). • You must remember you have to be registered with HRHS AND RCCC. • You should hear from RCCC as well as us. • RCCC contacts you through the email address you put on the RCCC application.

24. CCP Testing Benchmarks Besides a 3.0 GPA, you have to show that you are career and college ready by meeting testing benchmarks.

25. CCP Classes • Consider your choices carefully: • If you take classes through online, you will not have direct instruction from the teacher. • If you take classes seated at RCCC, you could be on the RCCC calendar, which starts BEFORE we do in August and before we do in January.

26. Struggling in a class? • The state of North Carolina has recently passed a policy that states you can suppress a failing grade in a course and the new grade will be the one that counts in your GPA. • The original grade will not affect the GPA once the new grade is attained. • A code of “GS” Grade Suppression will appear on the transcript for the original grade • If you are struggling in a course and want to take the class again, please register for the course again when picking classes. • The other way you can get credit in that failed course is through Credit Recovery, which gives a “P” for Passing, but does not affect the GPA.

27. NCAA for Athletes • If you are interested in playing a sport in college, make sure you are selecting courses that help your NCAA Core GPA. • Classes that are calculated in the Core GPA: • English (including Speech, Creative Writing, and Mythology) • Math (all) • Science (all) • Social Studies (including Current Events, Holocaust, and AP Gov) • Extra classes (all World Languages) • Remember, you have to pass at least THREE classes the semester before you play a sport. Office Assistant does not count.

28. Flexing • You can select FLEX as an option when registering. • However, be VERY careful before choosing FLEX. • You cannot pick which period you will have FLEX. • You must have transportation off campus as you can NOT stay at school during a FLEX period. • You were given a FLEXform that you and your parent have to sign and return in order to FLEX. Please bring it with you when you register in homeroom. • What do colleges say about FLEX? • “We tell students that they should definitely take a full course load and challenge themselves…College admissions has become increasingly competitive and students who challenge themselves academically are preparing themselves for collegiate level work.” • -UNC Wilmington, Office of Admission • “When we review a student’s application file, the senior year schedule is one of the core pieces we take into consideration. A weak senior year schedule (more non-academic courses/FLEX periods than academic classes) is considered a real red flag in this review process.” • -UNC Greensboro, Assistant Director of Admission

29. Remind App Directions

30. You will select your classes during HOMEROOM on Friday. Think about what classes you want now and come prepared to make your decisions! Even ALTERNATES! • Counselors will be available next week during BULL times to answer individual questions.