Course Selection for Rising Juniors October 10 and 12, 2017

Lamar Academic Advisors 2 Advanced Academics Courses 3 Advanced Academics Courses Special Populations Cain Stokes Mosby Raibon Ervin/Eng Sydow Harrison Lamar Academic Advisors

Annual Cycle: Course Requests, Verifications, and Schedule Change Requests October 10th Grade Course Selection November 9th Grade Course Selection December/January 8th Grade Course Selection February 11th Grade Course Selection March Course Requests are Entered March Course Verification 1 is sent home and returned with any change requests April Course Verification 2 is sent home and returned with any change requests May Course Verification 3 is sent home and returned with any change requests June/July Schedule is mailed home with instructions re how to request change in August August Advisors host in person Schedule Change Requests the week before school starts Course Selection Last Chance/Wrong Class Requests Entered In person Schedule Change Requests ADVISOR Course Verifications and Written Change Requests

VERY IMPORTANT Students are given 5 opportunities to select courses. Consequently, after August Schedule Change Week, no schedule change request will be considered. Once school starts, the only schedule changes that will be made are those initiated by Administration. No request to change classes, teachers, or periods will be considered. There are no mid-year/2nd semester schedule changes.

How do I know which courses my student needs? You are not alone. Academic Advisors review each student’s path and plan before we meet every year. We bring along a Course Request Worksheet which we have already largely completed taking into account graduation requirements, transfer requirements, path, plan, and student interest. Ideally, any choice left to the student is one that will not adversely impact graduation.

Academic Advisors prepare and send home our Course Request Worksheet and Supporting Documents every year. 9th – 10th Grade Course Request Worksheet In the annual path and plan review, Academic Advisors give each student a document package to bring home for parent review. Expect a document package to come home, every year. This annual document package includes the Course Request Worksheet that your Academic Advisor has completed with your student, a list of course offerings, your student’s current schedule, and transcript. Please check your student’s backpack.

Academic Advisors’ Parent Education Series In a perfect world, students would share with their parents the information we convey when we meet to review their path and plan and select courses for next year, but... we are parents and we know that does not happen. So, as we work our way through each grade level, Academic Advisors host Parent Education Seminars. Seminars are offered in the evenings, during the same month we meet with grade level students. This way, we are able to present to parents the same information we share with students.

IB Programs in 11th and 12th Grades In 11th and 12th years, any student may pursue the IB diploma. Students enrolled in CATE (CC/CA/CH/CE) pathways may choose to earn either the IB diploma or the IB Career-related certificate. Public universities in Texas, Colorado, California, and Florida give a minimum of 24 hours of credit to IB diploma recipients attending state colleges. Lamar graduates have received as many as 52 hours of credit based on their scores on the IB diploma SL and HL exams.

Full IB Diploma Two-year combination of IBDP classes in 6 subject areas Advisors ask all 10th graders if their intent is to pursue the IB diploma A two year course plan for junior and senior year will be built by your 10th grader and advisor.

Add PDP or IB classes Already successful in any PDP class? Your choice to add other PDP class(es) No review – add to course selection sheet Not in any PDP and want to be? Sign up on your course selection sheet and complete an advanced academics assessment form. Submit form to Advanced Academics Office.

Graduation Requirements 4 credits of English 4 credits of Math 4 credits of Social Studies 4 credits of Science 2 credits of a language other than English

Graduation Requirements 1 credit of PE or equivalent 1 credit in Fine Arts .5 credit in Health 5.5 credits of Electives 26 credits total

Graduation Requirements 4 credits of math Algebra 1 & 2, Geometry and a fourth math Fourth Math: Precalculus or Advanced Quantative Reasoning (Application of concepts in Algebra & Geometry)

Graduation Requirements 4 credits of science Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and a fourth science Fourth Science: IB Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics Anatomy, Aquatic Science(Recommended)

How many selections do I actually make? SS SS Transfer students take their required transfer elective, and choose 2 electives/year. Zoned students choose 3 electives/year.   All students must devote at least one full year elective to PE and at least one full year elective to Fine Art. IB diploma candidates must test in 3 HL and 3 SL level courses. Must get to Math SL. Zoned/BO PBM BIM SS

What colleges want… Above all, they look for a strong record in difficult classes Continued rigor through senior year An improving transcript rather than one in decline Improved communication skills especially writing Involvement in outside activities Better for strong record with low scores than vice versa. Finish strong 17 17

Course Recommendations for College Take as much as you can: MATH SCIENCE LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH Drop PIB/IB language for regular 18

Make an ACT/SAT plan The free SAT @ LHS each April during junior (start preparing now) Access Khan Academy for free online SAT prep (khanacademy.org)

You can find us on the Lamar homepage, too! Click here

Tutoring Supervised Library hours: 6:30 am – 6:30 pm Teachers tutor in academic subjects: Monday – Friday 6:30 – 8:10am Monday – Thursday 3:45 – 6:30 pm

Questions?