Rising 9th Grade Parent Information Session East Cary Middle School 2017-2018

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Class of 2021 Goals for students: To learn about the “Future Ready Core” high school graduation requirements. To understand courses you must take to meet the graduation requirements. To better understand the rigor of high school. To lessen the stress of high school transition.

Future Ready Core and the 3 R’s Rigor Delivery of the highest level of quality of teaching and student learning Utilizes challenging and innovative instruction such as critical thinking, analytical and problem solving skills to promote academic success Relevance: The application of what is learned and how it applies and relates to the real world Provides students with a variety of opportunities for persuasive discussion Internships/apprenticeships and community service Relationships: Utilizes collaboration and communication skills to create an environment that engages in healthy and productive relationships with teachers, peers and administrators Promotes academic and personal success and good citizenship

Future Ready Core Requirements Course No. of Credits English 4 English I,II,III,IV Math 4 Common Core Math I, II, III & 4th math beyond level CCMIII Science 3 Biology, Earth or Environ., a Physical Science Social Studies 4 World History., American History I and II, Civics and Economics Healthful Living 1 Electives (2 required from Career and Tech, 10 Arts or Second Language; 4 recommended in a course concentration) Total ___26___

High School Courses Taken in Middle School If your student completes a high school level course in middle school they will receive a high school credit if they: Earn a passing grade in the course. AND Achieve level III, IV or V on EOC (if applicable). Courses will count toward graduation requirements but not the high school GPA. Middle school courses offered for high school credit are Math I, Math II, Spanish I.

Understanding GPA GRADE STANDARD HONORS AP/IB COURSES A 4 4.5 5 F 0 0 0

Understanding GPA COURSE GRADE QUALITY PTS. AP English III A 5 Common Core III Plus A 4 Honors Chemistry A 4.5 American History II B 3 French I A 4 French II B 3 Chorus A 4 Photography A 4 8 attempted credits 31.5 QT. PT GPA 31.5 divided by 8 =3.93

Block Schedule Wake County Public School System’s high schools utilize a 4 by 4 Block schedule, with the exception of Broughton and Enloe. This allows students to earn eight credits each year of high school. Classes are 90 minutes in length 4 classes are taken each semester Attendance is taken by class/period

Sample Block Schedule 1st Semester 2nd Semester 1st p: English 1 Honors 1st p: Dance 2nd p: World History Honors 2nd p: Earth Science 3rd p: Healthful Living 3rd p: Math I 4th p: Chorus 4th p: Creative Writing

Promotion Requirements To be promoted to 10th grade, a student must pass English I, 2 credits in the areas of math, social studies, or science, and 3 additional credits depending on the high School to total 6 credits. > From 10th to 11th is 12 credits > From 11th to 12th is 18 credits > Total of 26 to graduate.

Required Tests and Exams CPR instruction (8th grade) End of Course Tests Common Core Math I English II Biology EOC tests are worth 25% of final grade All other classes, including CTEs, have a final exam that is worth 20% of the final course grade. Some classes have midterms that can be worth 10% of your semester grade. ACT plus Writing (11th grade) – English, Math, Reading, Science and Writing

High School Courses

English 9th Grade English I Honors English I Every year students must pass English to be promoted Some schools require yearlong English classes because they are paired with a Social Studies class (Paideia) or with an Elective English class (Intro to Writing or Literature)

Math-9th Grade Fundamental Math I/Introductory Math (Pre-Math I) ( Yearlong - 2 elective credits) Foundations of Math I/Math IB(Yearlong - Math I in 2 semesters, receive 1 math credit and 1 elective credit) Math I (1 semester) Foundations of Math II/(Math II or Honors Math II) (Yearlong - receive 1 math credit and 1 elective credit) Math Plus (Honors) /Honors Math II (Yearlong - receive 1 math credit and 1 elective credit) Math II Honors Math II Honors Math III

Science-9th Grade Earth Science Honors Earth Science Honors Biology

Social Studies-9th Grade World History Honors World History Civics and Economics (Enloe only) Honors Civics and Economics (Enloe only)

Electives Electives may come from any of the following areas: Arts (i.e. - Visual Arts, Band, Chorus, Theatre Arts I, etc.) Career and Technical (i.e. - Microsoft Word and Powerpoint, Principles of Business & Personal Finance, Apparel Design, Foods I, Drafting, etc.) Computer Education (Computer Science) English (i.e. – Study Skills, Creative Writing, Newspaper, Speech) Healthful Living (Prerequisite Healthful Living 1) (i.e. – Weight Training, Personal Fitness, Team Sports, etc.) JROTC (Offered at Broughton, Enloe, Garner, Sanderson, Cary, Millbrook, Knightdale, & Wake Forest, Rolesville only) Math (i.e. Math Plus) Science (i.e. Astronomy, etc.) Second Language (i.e.- Spanish, French, Latin, German, etc.) Social Studies (i.e. – Geography, Sociology/Psychology, etc.)

Attendance Matters Wake County policy dictates that a student absent for more than 10 days in a semester class or 20 days in a yearlong class can be assigned a grade of FF indicating failure due to excessive absences. This does show in the student’s GPA! 2 absences in a block scheduled class is like missing 4 days of learning.

High School Transcript The 9th grade year is extremely important: Every course taken in high school (passed or failed) will appear on the student’s transcript and is used to calculate the Grade Point Average (GPA) The GPA is a critical component in the college admission process Course selection and the level of difficulty is also heavily considered for college admission The GPA, entrance exams and other criteria are the primary indicators of scholarship offers

College Planning in 9th Grade? College Admission Offices pay careful attention to the following: Grade Point Average (GPA) Rigor of course load SAT/ACT scores Class rank High school and community activities Recommendations IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO START PLANNING IN 9TH GRADE IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY!!! Please visit cfnc.org or collegeboard.com for high school planning timelines.

Driver’s Education Students may take Driver Education at 14.5 years of age To be eligible to obtain a Driver’s Permit or maintain driving privileges, student must pass 3/4 (75%) of their classes each semester Only juniors and seniors are eligible to drive to school and they must meet the guidelines of the school

Word to the Wise Remember to balance your academic and social life. Use your time wisely. Get involved…Check out clubs, teams, organizations. Great for college applications. Get to know your high school counselor and Career Development Coordinator. Self-Advocate Make good choices and friends who are proactive. Social Media… Watch what you “post” and what you “like”. College admissions officers and employers will look you up. Know and obey laws and school rules.   Do not give up! Ask for help when you are in a bind. STUDY, STUDY, STUDY!!

What Parents Can Do To Help Assist your child with organization and planning Keep a master calendar of assignments, tests, projects, and extracurricular activities at home Be aware of student’s grades each week in each class Be a Home Base user so you can look at grades and attendance on a regular basis and can e-mail teachers if problems arise Be supportive in their decisions Volunteer at school Offer suggestions and not demands Talk to your child about their day

Course Selections It all starts with recommendations…. The eighth grade teachers will make ninth grade course recommendations for core classes Students have already received their recommendations, course selections for their high school, and instructions on how to register

How to Register for Classes All students will register using their Homebase/NCEdCloud accounts. Students will register at home. Students will select the courses they have been recommended for and then four elective classes, one including Healthful Living. Students also need to select at least 3 alternate classes in case they do not receive their first choice elective Access the high school program planning guide for specific information about a particular course.

Registration Dates February 20th-23rd-Present information to students February 28th at 6:00pm- 8th Grade Parent Night February 27nd-March 17th- Students register online March 17th-Deadline for registration March 20th-22nd meet with students who did not complete registration

What needs to be turned in? Completed Course Verification Form (NCEdCloud) when completed on- line at home by March 17th.

Brittina Creecy 8th Grade Counselor bcreecy@wcpss.net 919-463-6087 Contact Brittina Creecy 8th Grade Counselor bcreecy@wcpss.net 919-463-6087

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