Signing up for your Freshman Year Classes At JMS

1. Signing up for yourFreshman Year ClassesAt JMS

2. Registration Information • Classroom Registration Presentation on Tuesday December 3rd during 6th Period Classes. • Course Selection Forms handed out at this time and due back to your Career teachers on Monday December 9th. • Parent/Student meeting Dec 5th at 7:00 pm in the JMS Auditorium.

3. Registration Information • Course Selection Handbook available on JMS website under Guidance tab. • Students should enter course requests on their own between Tuesday December 3rd and Monday December 9th. • All 6th period classes will go to Library during the week of December 9th to confirm accurate course request entry. • Students must have their infinite campus login and passwords to register for classes. • Class schedules are mailed home around August 1st.

4. Advancing in Grade Level • Recommended course load for 9th grade is 7 courses per semester. • Sophomore Status: need 6 or more successfully completed credits. • Failing a 9-12th grade course earns 0 credits for that course.

5. Credits Needed To Graduate

6. English Courses • 4 Credits required for graduation • All 9th graders take Freshman English • If one or both semesters of Freshman English are failed, students will have to make up that credit.

7. Math Courses • 3 Credits required for graduation, 4 Credits recommended for college • Freshman Math Options: • Bridges to Algebra – (Pre-Algebra) no prerequisite • Extended Algebra – Algebra 1 but blocked period in Spring Semester for additional support • Algebra 1 – Recommended ‘C’ or better in previous math course • Geometry – Recommended ‘B’ or better in Algebra 1 and teacher recommendation • Algebra 2/Trig. – Recommended ‘B’ or better in Alg. 1 and Geometry

8. Science Courses • 3 Credits required for graduation, 4 credits suggested for college • Freshman Science Options: • Physical Science – required • Biology – open to students who took Accelerated Science as an 8th grader

9. Social Studies Courses • 3.5 credits required for graduation • All 9th graders take Topics of History for one semester. It is offered both first and second semester.

10. Freshman P.E. • All freshman take Functional Fitness P.E. every other day all year long.

11. Music Courses • Vocal Music: • Freshman Choir meets every other day all year long • Chamber Choir is a select, audition only choir that meets daily all year long • Sound Advice is a non-credit, audition only preparatory show choir that rehearses before school. All students in show choir must be in regular Freshman Choir • Instrumental Music: • Freshman Band meets ever day all year • Jazz Band is a non-credit offering that meets outside the school day

12. Technology • .5 credits required for graduation • Computer Applications – Office Suite and Photoshop • Graphic Communication – Drafting and computer design • Other Technology Electives • Business Publishing • Business Applications

13. Foreign Language • Spanish 1 • Spanish 2 – teacher recommendation • French 1 • French 2 – teacher recommendation • All classes are all year and meet everyday • 0 credits required for graduation, 2 years recommended for college

14. Project Lead the Way • PLTW is a national partnership between public schools, higher education and the private sector to help produce a higher quantity and quality of engineers. • Introduction to Engineering is the first course and a prerequisite to a series of PLTW courses offered at the HS that include: Principles of Engineering, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Digital Electronics • Visit www.pltw.org for more information

15. Business • Intro to Business / Money Management • Two semester electives that would fulfill one elective credit towards graduation

16. 5th Hour Electives • Semester Long 5th Hour Electives • Astronomy • Creative Writing • Business Application • Business Publishing • Introduction to Drawing • Year Long 5th Hour Electives • Seminar – focuses on 6 key components to HS success • Intro to Engineering and Design – entry level PLTW course • Chamber Choir – select choir by audition only

17. Semester Electives

18. Importance of Academic Success • With increased graduation requirements, academic success becomes even more critical. Failing courses not only creates credit deficiency by also limits options for moving to higher levels of math, science, foreign language, etc. • It’s imperative that we stress this to our students at home and at school.

19. Dental Screening • Iowa law requires that any student entering kindergarten or ninth grade must provide the school with proof of a dental check-up. • The certificate of dental screening form will be sent home in the spring with the registration packets, and should be returned to the School Nurse next school year. The dental screening must have been within the previous 12 months of entering the ninth grade. • If you have questions or need help getting a dental check-up for your child, please contact the school nurse Tracy Grasso.

20. 3-2-1 • 3 things to remember from this presentation • 2 classes that I really want to take in 9th grade • 1- Question about registration