1. H IGH S CHOOL R EGISTRATION !!! What every freshman needs to know…

2. T HE S TORY OF P HILIP From the time he was 10 years old, Philip wanted to go to college at the same school his mom and dad attended. They told him it was ‘very selective,’ but he was wasn’t sure what that meant. Still, the goal was in his head, and he knew he needed to work toward it. When he was in sixth grade, he decided to write to the college and ask for information about admission requirements. He found out that to be considered for admission, he needed to get all A’s and B’s in high school and get a high score on the ACT. Philip started planning backwards. In order to get A’s and B’s in high school, he needed to have a good academic background in middle school. He learned he needed to study, and he began reading and increasing his vocab for the ACT. Philip had six years to plan backwards for his goal. He had to work hard every grading period and even went to summer school for additional help in math. Most of his friends didn’t have a game plan for their lives, but Philip did.

3. S TORY OF P HILIP C ONTINUED When Philip began his senior year of high school, he was ready with his college application. He had the qualifications and thought he would achieve his goal of getting into the college of his choice. His friends were surprised to learn how difficult it was to get into a ‘good’ school. They had goals, but they hadn’t planned backwards. The college Philip chose accepted him. His friends said, “Oh, Philip’s a brain, and he’s just lucky.” Philip felt they were wrong. He believed he had accomplished his goal through planning backwards and then doing a lot of hard work.

4. W HAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS … and how do you get there?

5. W HAT DO COLLEGES LOOK FOR ? 1. High school course work 2. Your grade point average 3. Your ACT or SAT score 4. Extracurricular activities and/or volunteering

7. GOAL: GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL T O GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL YOU NEED CREDITS !!!

8. N UMBER OF C REDITS TO G RADUATE : Each semester (.5) credit is earned if D or higher in class Number needed to graduate? 24 Take up to 7 classes a semester Total 28 possible credits

9. NUMBER OF CREDITS TO GRADUATE ENGLISH............................................. 4.0 MATH................................................ 3.0 1.0 credit Algebra I content SCIENCE.............................................. 2.0 SOCIAL STUDIES...................................... 2.0 1.0 credit U.S. History Successful completion of Constitution Test Successful completion of Civics requirement HEALTH PHYSICAL EDUCATION................................3.5 Required to take PE every semester unless if they are a junior or senior and qualify for an exemption of the Board of Education guidelines (policy information available in course description book) CONSUMER EDUCATION...............................0.5 ELECTIVES........................................... 9.0 TOTAL.............................................. 24.0 U NIT 5 G RADUATION C REDIT R EQUIREMENTS

10. I MPORTANT I NFORMATION ABOUT G RADING : To figure your G.P.A., the grades you earn for the semester are assigned point value. Those points are then added up and averaged. REMINDER – there is no starting over! Grades and GPA’s are based on semesters. Your G.P.A. is cumulative – that means as you move on in high school, all your new grades are averaged in with the ones you have already earned Freshman grades are important!!!!!

11. S TUDY H ALL OR C LASS WHICH WAY DO I GO ? I struggle to complete homework at home Jobs/Activities after school fill my time I need to access teachers/tutors for help I currently have D’s/F’s Interested in selective colleges Want to be academically competitive Want to take multiple electives Take a Study Hall? Take a 7 th Class?

12. W HAT IS THIS PERSON ’ S GPA FIRST SEMESTER ? Grades: English 1– A Algebra – B Health – C Regional World Studies – B French II – B Biology – C Study hall GPA = 3.83/5.0 Weighted Grade System [AP] Advanced Placement Level A=6; B=5; C=4; D=3; F=0 [H] Honors Level A=6; B=5; C=4; D=3; F=0 Standard Level A=5; B=4; C=3; D=2; F=0 [B] Base Level A=4; B=3; C=2; D=1; F=0 Note – any course that does not have a AP, H, or B next to the course is considered to be a standard level course

13. F RESHMEN C OURSE C HOICES

14. D RIVER E DUCATION Placement based on age and birthdate If you turn 15 after December 31, 2016, you WILL NOT take Driver Education until sophomore year Guidelines for enrolling in Driver Education: Turn 15 by July 31, 2016 – 2 nd quarter Turn 15 between August 1 and October 15, 2016– 3 rd quarter Turn 15 between October 16 and December 31, 2016 – 4 th quarter If you take Driver Education course in Unit 5, you will not be completed by the time you are 16 Local driving schools are an option but is a family decision that must be completed outside of school

15. E XAMPLE S CHEDULE Course Title 1.Algebra (.5) 2. English 1 (.5) 3. Health (.5) 4. Regional World Studies (.5) 5. Biology (.5) 6. Study Hall (no credit) 7. French (.5) Total: 3.0 credits to be earned Course Title 1.Culinary Arts (.5) 2. Biology (.5) 3. French (.5) 4. Regional World Studies (.5) 5. English 1 (.5) 6. Algebra(.5) 7. Driver’s Ed/Swim (.5) Total: 3.5 credits to be earned A credit can only be earned for a grade of D or higher.

16. A DDITIONAL I NFORMATION Freshmen Orientation on December 2nd at 6:30pm at BOTH high schools Course requests emailed home by February 26th THE LAST DAY TO CHANGE YOUR SCHEDULE IS MARCH 18th Four year plans with your counselor DO NOT lose your course description book or registration sheet Share this information with your parents/guardians – the PowerPoint will be online as well Enter course requests w/ your middle school counselor via Career Cruising