Scheduling Night for Parents of Rising Freshmen

1
Scheduling Night for Parents of Rising Freshmen

• Briar Woods High School

2
Evening Agenda

• 645 730 Presentation
• 730 830 Scheduling Fair in the Cafeteria
• Core departments
• Elective departments
• School Counseling department

3
This Information is Online!

• BWHS School Counseling gtgtgt Student Scheduling for
  2015-2016
• Tonights parent presentation key points will
  be titled in red
• Students presentation
• 2015-2016 Program of Studies
• Rising freshman course selection worksheets
• LCPS Course Curriculum information

4
Presentation Agenda

• Rising 9th Grade Scheduling Process
• Questions? School counseling table
• Diploma Types Graduation Requirements
• Questions? School counseling table
• Selecting Courses for Next Year
• Questions? Department tables

5
Rising 9th Grade Scheduling Process
6
Current LCPS Middle School students

• We will visit both middle schools on February 10
  11, and walk students through their course
  selections class-by-class.
• The middle school will send home your students
  course selections for your review
• You will have until June 19, 2015 to make changes
• Each middle school will have additional actions
  or activities

7
Students New to LCPS

• New students usually begin enrolling in
  mid-April
• The information and materials needed to enroll an
  new student can be found on the BWHS and LCPS
  websites
• New students and their parents will select their
  courses with a BWHS counselor when they enroll
• Enrollments are by appointment

8
Diploma Types Graduation Requirements
9
Diplomas

• Standard Diploma
• Advanced Studies Diploma

10
Diplomas

• Diplomas are based on
• Standard Units of Credit 140 clock hours of
  instruction a passing grade
• Translation Pass the class, get a credit
• Verified Units of Credit Standard unit of
  credit plus passing the end-of-course SOL
  associated with that class
• Translation Pass the class and SOL, get a
  verified credit

11
Standard Diploma
Academic Areas Credits SOL Verified Credits
English 4 2
Social Studies 3 1
Mathematics 3 1
Science 3 1
Health/Physical Education 2
Foreign Language, Fine Arts, or Career Technical Education 2
Economics and Personal Finance 1
Electives 4
Student Selected Verified Credit 1
Total 22 6
12
Advanced Studies Diploma
Academic Areas Credits SOL Verified Credits
English 4 2
Social Studies 4 2
Mathematics 4 2
Science 4 2
Foreign Language 3-4
Health/Physical Education 2
Fine Arts or Career Technical Education 1
Economics and Personal Finance 1
Electives 3
Student Selected Verified Credit 1
Total 26 9
13
SOL Courses Verified Credits

• Reading (Eng. 11) Earth Science
• Writing (Eng. 11) Biology
• Chemistry
• Algebra 1 World History 1
• Geometry World History 2
• Algebra 2 US History

14
Additional Requirements

• See the Program of Studies for the fine print
  details

15
Additional Requirements

• VA Department of Education All
  students must receive online instruction while
  in high school
• There is an online instructional component within
  the required Personal Finance class which
  satisfies this requirement!

16
Additional Requirements

• VA Department of Education Standard
  Diploma students must pass a board-approved
  technical education credential
• There is a credential component within the
  required Personal Finance class!

17
Selecting Courses for Next Year (and beyond)
18
The four most emotional topics

1. Politics
2. Religion
3. Should my child take Honors or Academic classes?
4. The difference between Earth Science and Biology?

19
Course Options for Freshmen

• Please relax!!!
• You have until June 19th to make your final
  decision!!!

20
Course Options for Freshmen

1. English 9 Honors or Academic
2. World History 1 Pre-AP (Honors) or Academic
3. Earth Science Research (Honors) or Academic
4. Math Follows sequence
5. Health Physical Education 9
6. Elective usually a foreign language
7. Elective

21
Course Levels

• Academic
• Course content and expected student performance
  require additional reading and writing at a
  rigorous level.
• Academic is a college-bound level.

22
Course Levels

• Honors
• Course content is rapidly paced with additional
  depth. Lessons are often designed to be complex,
  abstract, and open-ended.

23
Course Options for Freshmen

1. English 9 Honors or Academic
2. World History 1 Pre-AP (Honors) or Academic
3. Earth Science Research (Honors), Academic
4. Math Follows sequence
5. Health Physical Education 9
6. Elective usually a foreign language
7. Elective

24
Math Sequence

• See Program of Studies, page 30
• Algebra 1 gtgtgt Geometry
• Geometry gtgtgt Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 w/Trig
• Algebra 2 w/Trig is for the easy straight A
  math student!
• Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 w/Trig gtgtgt
• Advanced Functions and Modeling
• Advanced Algebra/Precalculus
• Math Analysis

25
Freshman Science

• Earth Science 9th grade course
• Research/Honors
• Academic
• Biology 10th grade course
• Research/Honors
• Academic is not available for freshmen

26
Freshman Science

• Earth Science Honors or Biology Honors
• Most freshmen take Earth Science, 72.
• Skipping Earth Science is not recommended by
  LCPS/BWHS. Students who skip freshman Earth
  Science will miss important science content
  perhaps the most important science content an
  involved citizen should have
• Students have not had the same level of exposure
  to this subject in middle school
• Academy of Science students receive Earth Science
  instruction and take the Earth Science SOL
• Honors Research Biology has a strong research
  component students first learn the research
  process through Honors Research Earth Science
• Students who skip Earth Science may be able to go
  higher in science with less concessions
  (assuming they want to and assuming they have
  the math to do so)

27
LCPS Science Courses
SUBJECT GRADE LEVEL PREREQUISITES
Earth Science 9-10 None
Biology 9-10 None
Chemistry 10-12 Algebra 1 Algebra 2 recommended
Physics 11-12 Algebra 2

Conceptual Physics 10-12 Algebra 1
Environmental Science 11-12 Two science classes

AP Biology 10-12 Biology Co-requisite of Chemistry
AP Environmental Science 10-12 Earth Science Biology
AP Chemistry 11-12 Chemistry
AP Physics 11-12 Physics Co-requisite of Calculus
DE Independent Science Research (GMU) 11-12 Two science classes

DE Geospatial Science I (JMU) 11-12 NOT FOR SCIENCE CREDIT
DE Geospatial Science 2 (JMU) 12 NOT FOR SCIENCE CREDIT
28
Science, continued

• Talk with your child about what science classes
  they may be interested in next year, and beyond
• Use the plan of studies worksheet/four-year plan
  (found on our website) to estimate when your
  child might want to take those classes the
  middle schools will also do this with your child
• Where will their math be? Math is a prerequisite
  for some science classes
• Talk to our science representatives tonight

29
Plan of Studies/Four-Year Plan
30
Work Load, freshman survey

• English 9 Academic 1 hour 29 minutes/week
• English 9 Honors 2 hours 40 minutes/week
• Earth Science Academic 1 hour 32 minutes/week
• Research Earth Science Honors 2 hours 32
  minutes/week
• Research Biology Honors 2 hours 40 minutes/week
• World History Academic 2 hours 10 minutes/week
• PreAP World History 3 hours 23 minutes/week
• Algebra 1, Geometry Algebra 2 1 hour 48
  minutes/week
• Algebra 2 w Trig 2 hours 18 minutes/week
• Foreign Language 1 hour 21 minutes/week

31
Work Load, freshman survey

• All Academic 8 hours of work outside of school
• All Honors 12 hours of work outside of school

32
Electives Available to Freshmen

• French
• Spanish
• German
• Latin
• Chinese
• ASL
• Technical Drawing Design
• Technology Foundations
• Materials Processes
• Computer Info Systems
• Business Marketing
• Creative Writing
• Theater Arts
• Technical Theater
• Journalism
• Music Theory
• Music Appreciation
• Art

33
Reminders

• A rising freshman course selection worksheet is
  online
• A plan of studies worksheet is online
• The 2015-2016 Program of Studies is online
• Course curriculum information can be found on the
  LCPS website
• The middle school counselors and teachers are a
  great resource when making these decisions

34
Course Options for Freshmen

• One more time
• Please relax!!!
• 3-4 honors/academic decisions in 3-4 months!
• English, science, social studies maybe math
• You have until June 19th to make your final
  decision!!!

35
Lesson in Balance

• The Goal Challenge the student vs.
  Overloading the student
• If you figure out the formula for this, create
  an app! Youll make millions!

36
Lesson in Balance

• Take the most challenging classes you can handle.

37
Lesson in Balance

• Take the most challenging classes you can
  reasonably handle.

38
Lesson in Balance

• How much time do you have available to study and
  do homework?
• Do you play sports?
• Are you involved in activities both in or
  outside of school?
• What does your track-record indicate?
• Do you complete your work with little prompting?
• How committed and disciplined are you?
• What are mom and dad prepared for?

39
Lesson in Balance

• Think long-term
• Its easier to improve your schedule each year by
  taking more challenging classes
• than it is to improve a low GPA!

40

• Johnny LateStarter
• Grade 9 Grade 10
• English C 2 English B 3
• History C 2 History A 4
• Math D 1 Math C 2
• Science D 1 Science B 3
• HPE B 3 HPE A 4
• Elective C 2 Elective A 4
• Elective C 2 Elective A 4
• Cumulative GPA 1.86 Cumulative GPA
  2.64
• Grade 11 Grade 12
• English B 3 English A 4
• History B 3 History A 4
• Math B 3 Math B 3
• Science B 3 Science B 3
• HPE A 4 HPE A 4
• Elective A 4 Elective A 4

41

• Sara StudyHard
• Grade 9 Grade 10
• English B 3 English B 3
• History B 3 History A 4
• Math B 3 Math C 2
• Science C 2 Science B 3
• HPE A 4 HPE A 4
• Elective A 4 Elective A 4
• Elective A 4 Elective A 4
• Cumulative GPA 3.29 Cumulative GPA
  3.36
• Grade 11 Grade 12
• English B 3 English A 4
• History B 3 History A 4
• Math B 3 Math B 3
• Science B 3 Science B 3
• HPE A 4 HPE A 4
• Elective A 4 Elective A 4

42
The Importance of the Freshman Year

• The difference between a 3.12 GPA and a 3.46 GPA
  can be the ninth grade year!!!
• When they apply to college they will use their
  junior year GPA 2.90 vs 3.38
• The student with the Slow Start would have to
  earn straight As in grades 10, 11, and 12 just
  to equal the student who had a stronger freshman
  year.

43
The Importance of the Freshman Year

• These examples are not meant to scare you!

44
Looking Beyond the Freshman Year

• Student often mix and match honors-level classes
• Students are not stuck on an honors or academic
  track
• They can move up or down from year-to-year in
  most subjects (notable exceptions are math and
  foreign language)

45
Lesson in Balance

• Dont forget to consider the students interests
  when determining his/her courses and overall
  course load!

46
Course Options for Freshmen

• OK and one more time
• Please relax!!!
• 3-4 decisions in 3-4 months!
• English, science, social studies maybe math
• You have until June 19th to make your final
  decision!!!

47
About that deadline

• While you do have until June 19th.
• We cannot make changes to course requests after
  the deadline of June 19, 2015.

48
After the School Year Begins

• Elective changes will not be possible
• Academic level changes
• Level change decisions are made case-by-case
• Input from a variety of sources will be needed
• A class that is difficult for a student is not
  the same as a class that is too difficult for a
  student!
• Changing a level often disrupts the students
  entire schedule!
• Changing a level is often not possible! Class
  space is finite!

49
Agenda

• Rising 9th Grade Scheduling Process
• Questions? School counseling table
• Diploma Types Graduation Requirements
• Questions? School counseling table
• Selecting Courses for Next Year
• Questions? Department tables ask the experts!!!

50
Upcoming Events

• March 27 BWHS Activities EXPO (private
  homeschool students are welcome! Adult must
  supervise)
• May Athletics meeting for parents
• See BWHSports.org for details
• Special education meeting date TBA
• Week before school begins
• Freshman Student Orientation
• Freshman Parent Meeting meet the principal
• First week of school meeting with freshmen
• Monitor our website and look for our newsletter!

51
Have Fun at theScheduling Fair!