7th Grade Program Planning Teacher recommendations Advanced vs. Academic Language options Specials – what to expect Timeline Agenda for the meeting

Teacher recommendations English, Math, Science, and Social Studies In class between January 29 and February 4 Please have a conversation with your teacher if you are concerned about your placement Math – Placed in next course based on current course and current grade English, Science, and Social Studies – Recommended for Advanced or Academic (see next slide)

Advanced vs. Academic classes Available in English, Science, and Social Studies Factors: Class grades PSSA scores Specific skills (i.e. Writing) Work habits Recommendations will be revisited in April if your performance changes during the second semester and based on your PSSA scores in April. Emphasize that Advanced Science and Social Studies both have a research component. Students are not encouraged to take both based on the heavy Spring work load. Only our strongest students should be taking both. Students may now be Advanced in both Science and Social Studies with teacher recommendation

Language options Reading French Spanish Some will be recommended for Reading. If you are recommended for World Language, you may choose between French and Spanish. Do not base your selection on what your friends are choosing or what you think will be easier. Please listen to the following presentations and discuss your choice with your parents. Allow about three minutes for French and three minutes for Spanish presentation (building specific).

Specials Music (Band, Orchestra, Chorus) student: Will have one music, Health/PE, Integrated Technology 2, and two of the following Art (*PEN) Family and Consumer Science Engineering You will receive the two specials that you did not have this year How many here are currently in Band/Orchestra/ or Chorus? This slide is for you. PEN is an Art class for those students who are in PEN. Explain last bullet carefully.

Specials Non-music students You will have Art (*PEN) Physical Education Engineering Integrated Technology 2 FCS Exploratory Music If you do not currently have Band/Chorus/Orchestra then this slide is for you Explain, again, that PEN is an Art class for the students who are in PEN Explain last bullet carefully

Timeline January 28 – Program planning assembly January 31– Language choice in English class This week– Academic teachers will be making recommendations February 8 – Verification sheets sent home By February 13 – Return verification sheets to homeroom teacher Language choice will be made on the course selection spreadsheet during English class this week. Verification sheet is a listing of all of the classes that you are registered for

We need to meet with any student who is changing their music situation. Either adding Band/Chorus/Orchestra or Looking to move out of Band/Chorus/Orchestra Please stop by the guidance office if you need to change your music course. If a student is looking to move out of music they will be assigned to the two electives they did not have in 7th grade (Art, FCS, and/or Tech). They then should prioritize the other three elective areas (PE, Exploring Music, and the other elective they had in grade 7). They will get two of these three. Students who opt in to a music course will also have a choice. They may need FCS (check 7th grade classes) but have a choice for the other elective(s) beyond music.