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Freedom High School Rising Freshman Parent Night

• ??
• Monday, January 26, 2009
• 700 p.m.
• Freedom High School Auditorium

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Where do we start?

• Begin
• with
• the
• end
• in
• mind.
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• by Stephen R. Covey

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Is this one of your goals for your son or
daughter?
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What are your hopes and dreams for your young
adults life after high school?
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More importantly..

• What are your son or daughters
• hopes and dreams for the future?

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Plans After FHS(Based on Class of 2008 data)
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Helping your Young Adult Plan for the Future
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Think about your son or daughters interests and
abilities.

• Consider your son or daughters academic
  strengths and weaknesses.
• Review previous grades and test scores.
• Look closely at your son or daughters reading
  level. This will help determine which level of
  classes might be appropriate for high school.
• Consider your son or daughters interests.

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Helping your son or daughter choose classes.

• Review the Career Clusters and the sample
  four-year plans in the Program of Studies. These
  pages give great suggestions of high school
  courses for specific college and career paths.
• Carefully consider the teacher recommendations
  from Mercer.
• Visit college websites to know what high school
  classes are required for college admission.
• Have honest conversations with your teen about
  their future.

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What do colleges want?
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What Colleges Want

• Strong academic record
• Students who have completed the most challenging
  course of study appropriate for their abilities,
  including a rigorous senior year schedule
• Students who have taken four years of core
  classes
• Improvement over the high school years
• Solid standardized test performance (SAT and/or
  ACT)
• Extracurricular, Athletic, and Community
  Involvement
• Colleges are seeking students who demonstrate a
  variety of interests and a connection to the
  world around them
• Quality vs. Quantity
• Well-prepared application package required
  demographic forms, essays/personal statements,
  and teacher/counselor recommendations
• Stress the importance of your son or daughter
  getting to know his/her teachers/counselors in
  high school

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Preparation for College in Grade 9

• Choose a challenging college-preparatory schedule
  of classes that is appropriate to your ability
  level
• Take the PSAT in October
• Get involved in at least one activity
• Focus on performing well in all ninth grade
  classes and making a successful transition to
  high school
• Work on developing solid study habits and
  organizational skills

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High School Diploma Options
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High School Diploma Options

• In Virginia, diploma options available to all
  students
• Standard Diploma
• Advanced Studies Diploma
• Options available to special education students
• Modified Standard Diploma
• I.E.P. Diploma

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Credits

• Students earn units of credit in high school by
  successfully completing all of the course
  requirements.
• Year-long classes earn 1 unit of credit.
• Semester courses earn ½ unit of credit.
• Exceptions are classes at Monroe Technology
  Center, which earn 3 units of credit per year and
  Marketing Co-Op classes which earn 2 units of
  credit per year.

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Verified Credits

• A verified credit is earned by successfully
  completing all of the course requirements and
  passing the associated Standard of Learning (SOL)
  test for a subject.
• Student must earn a specified number of verified
  credits to earn a diploma in Virginia.

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Advanced Studies Diploma
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Standard Diploma
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Modified Standard Diploma(Only available to
students with an IEP)
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Sequential Electives

• For the Standard Diploma and Modified Standard
  Diploma, students must complete two (2)
  sequential electives.
• Examples of courses that satisfy this
  requirement
• Art I Art II
• Technology Education I Technology Education II
• Drama I Drama II
• Band (for two years)
• Keyboarding/Advanced Keyboarding
  Desktop/Multimedia Presentations
• Latin I Latin II (or any two years of the same
  foreign language)
• Any two-year program at the Monroe Technology
  Center
• Many other possibilities --- see a counselor for
  details!

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Certificate of Program Completion

• While this is not a diploma option, this is the
  credential that students who do not earn
  sufficient SOL verified credits will receive at
  the conclusion of their high school coursework.
• Students can return to LCPS to re-take any failed
  SOLs following their graduation date. If those
  tests are passed, the student would then earn
  his/her high school diploma.

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How do you decide which diploma?

• Choose the most challenging courses in which you
  can get mostly As and Bs.
• (This gives you a strong high school transcript
  and a solid grade point average)
• Aim for the highest diploma you think you can
  achieve.
• (You can always back off later, but its
  difficult to catch up once you are behind in
  course work)
• Take core classes every year.
• (English, social studies, math, science and for
  competitive college admissions, foreign language)

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Choosing high school classes
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7 Courses in Grade 9

• English 9
• World History/Geography I
• Earth Science
• Math
• Health/PE 9
• Foreign Language or Elective
• Elective

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Sample Schedule
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English, Social Studies, and Science

• Courses are offered at four levels
• Honors or Pre-AP
• Academic
• General/Basic
• Self-Contained
• Reading level will be a key factor in deciding
  which level of courses a student should take in
  grade 9.
• The students work ethic, interest in the
  subject, and prior performance are also strong
  considerations.

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Math in Grade 9
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Health/Physical Education

• Students must complete two years of Health,
  Family Life, and Physical Education. These
  courses are normally completed in grades 9 and
  10.
• The Drivers Education curriculum is taught as a
  part of Health/PE 10.

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Foreign Language

• Spanish, French, German, and Latin are offered
  through the Advanced Placement (AP) level in
  Loudoun County.
• American Sign Language 3 years
• Mandarin Chinese 2 years
• Most four-year colleges prefer that you have a
  minimum of two (2) years of high school study of
  a foreign language.

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Fine or Practical Art

• The course students take to meet this
• graduation requirement must come from one
• of the following areas
• Art, Drama, Newspaper Journalism, Music,
  Business,
• Photojournalism, Family Consumer Science,
  Health
• Occupations, Marketing, and Technology
• Education.

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Things to keep in mind for the future as you
plan for ninth grade

• Monroe Technology Center
• Advanced Placement (AP) Classes

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Monroe Technology Center

• Administration of Justice
• Auto Collision Repair Technology I II
• Auto Servicing Technology I II
• Biotechnology
• Building Construction I II
• Computer Digital Animation
• Computer Integrated Engineering Design (CIED)
• Computer Network Administration (CNA)
• Advanced Computer Networking
• Computer Systems Technology (CST)
• Cosmetology I II
• Culinary Arts I II
• Environmental Plant Sciences
• Firefighter/EMT
• Graphic Communications I II
• Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC) I
  II
• Introduction to Health and Medical Sciences
• Licensed Practical Nursing/Certified Nurse Aide
• Masonry Advanced Masonry

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Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

• Advanced Placement (AP) courses are college-level
  courses that students complete while in high
  school. The courses are developed by the best
  college professors and high school teachers in
  the nation.
• These courses allow students to develop the
  reading, writing, critical thinking,
  organizational, and analytical skills needed for
  college. They also require a substantial
  investment of student effort and time.
• In May of each year, students take AP exams for
  these courses. Colleges may award college credit
  for completion of these AP courses if students
  earn a qualifying score on the exam.
• The cost of completing AP examinations is covered
  by the Loudoun County Public Schools.

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Benefits of AP

• Gain invaluable academic skills
• Experience a college-level course and test
• Be more competitive in college admissions
• Study topics at greater depth
• Earn college credit or placement
• Save on college tuition

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Benefits of AP Courses

• Studies have shown that students who complete at
  least one AP course and exam are more
• likely than their peers to complete a bachelors
  degree in four years or less. The chart below
• shows the percentage of students who complete a
  bachelors degree in four years or less.

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CAMPUS Program

• Rising freshmen apply
• Focus on students historically underrepresented
  in higher education and first-generation students
• Non-credit class offered for students so that
  they have a lot of 11 interactions with CAMPUS
  teacher and counselor
• Provide enrichment opportunities throughout high
  school for students to learn about post-secondary
  educational and scholarship opportunities---such
  as college campus visits, special presentations
  on careers, colleges, and scholarships, etc.
• Students begin building a portfolio in ninth
  grade to prepare them for life after high school

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Is that all I need to know?
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Other Things You Need to Know

• Expunging high school credits and grades taken in
  middle school
• Freshman Teams
• What is Eagles Connect?
• Importance of involvement in extracurricular and
  athletic activities.
• How you can help your student prepare now for the
  rigors of high school

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Expunging high school classes from middle school
years

• Students entering the ninth grade for the first
  time have a one-time chance to remove high school
  classes/credits that are earned in middle school.
• Students/parents will be given a form later this
  year to complete if they want to take advantage
  of this opportunity. Form must be returned by
  the due date. Once high school begins, this
  opportunity ends.
• Why would you do this?
• These courses impact students cumulative grade
  point average.
• Students who have not fully mastered the concepts
  are not ready to move on to the next level.
  Repeating a course can help students build on the
  skills they have learned in middle school and
  will allow them the opportunity to earn a higher
  grade.
• Once high school begins, you cannot remove a
  grade from a students record.

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Freshman Teams

• Before we begin creating individual schedules,
  students are randomly assigned to teams. Each
  team has students of all ability levels.
• Students on a team have the same English, social
  studies, science, and health/physical education
  teachers.
• Teachers on the teams have a common planning time
  so that they can discuss student progress and
  work together to help each of our ninth grade
  students make a smooth transition to high school.
  

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What is Eagles Connect?

• Eagles Connect is our study hall. Students are
  assigned by grade level to classroom-sized study
  hall periods.
• Eagles Connect is a time for students to review
  their class work and study for tests, to
  participate in SOL preparation or remediation
  activities, to read for pleasure, or to simply
  have a few minutes of down-time in their
  schedule.
• Eagles Connect is also a place where our reading
  specialist and librarians meet with students to
  teach them study and research skills and it is
  also where our counselors meet with students to
  provide organizational and time management
  lessons, as well as college and career
  preparation activities.

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What Eagles Connect Is Not

• Eagles Connect is not a period for students to
  complete all of their homework. Homework should
  be completed at home. Eagles Connect can be
  used to review or study, but should not be the
  only time that students complete work outside of
  class. During the second semester, we encourage
  you to have your student start preparing for high
  school now by bringing home their work each night
  and spending at least 15 minutes per class
  reviewing notes or work completed that day. This
  will help them be prepared for the study time
  that will be required in high school.
• Eagles Connect is not a time to socialize with
  peers, sleep, or roam the hallways.

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Extracurricular InvolvementTheres something for
everyone!

• Choral Groups
• Environmental Club
• Black Student Association
• Knitting Club
• Model UN
• Thespian Society
• French Club
• DECA
• Multicultural Club
• Art Literary Magazine Club
• Spanish Club
• Debate Team
• Chess Club
• Muslim Student Association
• Newspaper
• FCCLA
• Student Council Association (SCA)
• German Club
• Reading Club

• Drama Club
• Manga (Anime) Club
• PEER
• Future Educators of America (FEA)
• Art Club
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• HOPE Club
• Leo Club
• Peace Justice Club
• Step Team
• Latin Club
• Marching Band
• Academic Team
• Color Guard
• Friends of Rachel Club
• Jazz Ensemble
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
• Dance Team
• SOAR Club

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Athletic Involvement
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Athletic Eligibility

• All students promoted to grade 9 for the first
  time are eligible for the first semester of high
  school.
• Students must complete a packet with the Athletic
  Office to verify eligibility. A packet must be
  completed for each sport and must be completed
  prior to the start of try-outs.
• A sports physical dated after May 1, 2009, is
  required for eligibility. The physical is good
  for the remainder of the 2009-10 school year.
• Eligibility for second semester in grade 9 will
  be determined based on the students successful
  completion (passing) of at least five (5) of
  their classes for credit in the first semester.
• Our athletic department will be meeting with
  every eighth grader at Mercer later in the spring
  to talk about high school sports. Packets will
  be distributed to students at that time.

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How can you help your student be ready for high
school?

• Have your student start bringing home class notes
  and work each night. Require them to spend at
  least 15 minutes per class reviewing and studying
  for the next class. This will help them start to
  develop the study skills that are necessary for
  high school success.
• Help your student use their agenda every day to
  record when assignments are due and to track all
  of their extracurricular activities as well.
  This will help them have an idea of how much time
  they will have available for activities in high
  school.

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Anyone feeling overwhelmed?

• Everything will be okay.
• We are here to help you.
• You will get most of this
• information in writing in the Program of
  Studies.
• You will have four years to become an expert on
  all of this information ---and more.

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Before you know it.