COURSE SELECTION NIGHT

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COURSE SELECTION NIGHT
DUXBURY HIGH SCHOOL 2009-2010
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COURSE SELECTION 2009-2010

• Welcome
• Overview of Course Selection Process
• Placement Review/Course Waivers
• Graduation Requirements
• Curriculum Offerings by Department (Panel)
• Questions and Answers

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COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTS

• MS. MARTA WYRODEK GRADES 10-12
• 
  STUDENTS A-C
• STUDENTS S-Z
• MRS. LISA DEMBOWSKI GRADES 10-12
• STUDENTS D-G
• MR. ERIK MEERBACH GRADES 10-12
• 
  STUDENTS H-R
• MR. BRUCE HAMILTON GRADES 9-12
  AS ASSIGNED
• MR. MICHAEL CORBIN GRADE 9
• MS. CAROLYN BROWN GRADE 8

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SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

• FEBRUARY 9th
• Advanced Placement applications due
• FEBRUARY 23RD
• Electives Assembly
• FEBRUARY 26/27th
• Course Selection sheets sent home with teacher
  recommendations for next year
• MARCH 13th
• Course Selection Sheets, signed by a parent, due
• Placement Review Decision Forms Due
• Course Waiver Forms Due

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ACADEMIC AND CREDIT DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS
Class of 2010 and beyond

• 130 CREDITS DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE FOLLOWING
  COURSE REQUIREMENTS
• ENGLISH (FOUR YEARS) 20 CREDITS
• SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY (THREE YEARS, ONE OF
  WHICH MUST BE BIOLOGY)
• 
  10 CREDITS
• MATHEMATICS (THREE YEARS)15 CREDITS

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ACADEMIC AND CREDIT DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS
CONT.

• US HISTORY (TWO YEARS) 10 CREDITS
• WORLD HISTORY(ONE YEAR) 5 CREDITS
• WORLD LANGUAGE (TWO YEARS IN SINGLE
  LANGUAGE) 10 CREDITS
• PHYSICAL EDUCATION (FOUR SEMESTERS)
  10CREDITS
• FINE, PERFORMING, PRACTICAL ARTS (4
  SEMESTERS) 10 CREDITS

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ADDITIONAL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

• MASSACHUSETTS COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM
  TESTS
• SCORES OF 240 OR BETTER ON BOTH THE MATHEMATICS
  AND ENGLISH/ LANGUAGE ARTS TESTS (or completion
  of an EPP with a 220 or above score). BEGINNING
  WITH CLASS OF 2010, Score of 220 SCIENCE OR
  TECHNOLOGY/ENGINEERING ALSO REQUIRED.
• DEMONSTRATED SKILLS IN SEVEN AREAS OF TECHNOLOGY
  

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What Colleges look for..

• 4 Units English
• 4 Units Math
• 3 Units Science (2 lab)
• 3 Foreign Language (single language preferred)
• 3 History
• Electives of diverse courses or areas of
  interest.

• AP courses in areas of interest.
• Strength of schedule.
• Schedule diversity.
• Balance of academics with participation in school
  activities/programs.

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COURSE SELECTION SHEET

• Design of sheet is still being completed.
• Teacher recommendations, approval or alternate
  course for each.
• Elective choices
• Parent Signature

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LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS

• AP Advanced Placement
• Pre-AP AP level but no exam
• Level 1 Honors
• Level 2 College Preparation
• Level 3 General education
• Unleveled For all students

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PLACEMENT REVIEW PROCESS

• If a level disparity between teacher
  recommendation and family choice occurs
• Speak with the teacher
• If you wish to proceed with the level change,
  request a placement review form
• Submit completed placement review form to the
  guidance office no later than March 13th
• Placement will be reviewed at end of term 1
• If decision is to move, it will only be if space
  and schedule allows and term 1 grade will remain
  on transcript

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CURRICULUM OFFERINGS

• Family and Consumer Science
• Social Studies
• Special Education
• Visual Art
• World Languages
• General Electives

• English
• Mathematics
• Music and Performing Arts
• Science and Technology

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Questions and Answers
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AP Presentation

• Overview of AP Application and Process
• Important things to Note
• AP offerings by Department
• Questions and Answers

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A note about APs

• Advanced Placement courses are college-level
  courses and students should seriously consider
  their schedules in totality (including
  commitments outside of school) to determine
  whether or not they will have the appropriate
  time to dedicate to this rigorous course of
  study. In determining if you should apply for an
  AP course, remember that the time expected for
  out of class work is 11 to class time (i.e for
  every hour of in class time you will be spending
  an hour at home on preparation for that class).
  You should love the subject and have strong
  writing and critical reading skills. AP courses
  also have summer work that must be completed
  prior to the start of the course in September.
  Failure to complete summer work or not
  anticipating the demands of a course are not
  reasons to drop the class and this will not be
  permitted.

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AP Application Process

• Students should pick up application packet in the
  Guidance Office.
• Each department has specific requirements.
• All applications are due to Guidance by February
  9th (Monday) at 215pm.
• Departments will review applications and
  decisions will be made by February 26, 2009.

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Things to Note

• The School Committee requires that any student
  enrolled in an AP course must take the AP
  examination. Students who do not take the exam
  will have the AP designation removed from their
  transcript. Payment for courses with an exam
  that year is due in the summer.
• Students who are accepted into and request an AP
  course on their course selection sheets are
  expected to remain in the course for the entire
  year (see course change policy).
• The Placement Review process does not apply to AP
  courses.
• If enrollment for an AP class is insufficient,
  the class may be combined with the next highest
  level class in that discipline.
• If an AP course does not run for whatever reason,
  students will have to choose an alternative
  course and will only be permitted to choose
  another AP course if they have applied and been
  accepted so consider this when making your
  decisions.

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AP by Department

• English
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• World Language
• Art

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Questions?