WELCOME CLASS OF 2017 TO RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

TAKE P.R.I.D.E.

RAM UNIVERSITY – 9 th GRADE ACADEMY  High Performing Schools have “an extraordinary commitment of resources and attention on 9 th grade”  9 th Graders have unique developmental characteristics  Building a strong foundation in 9 th Grade is key to success in high school  Students who do not graduate from the 9 th grade are 5 times more likely to drop out  90% of students with failure in 9 th grade end up dropping out of school  Students who feel a sense of belonging and community are less likely to drop out

MISSION OF A 9 th GRADE ACADEMY  All 9 th graders will earn 6 credits – zero tolerance for failure  Make connections through relationships  Schedule students based on academic competence  Focus on character-centered teaching  Utilize a multi-tiered system of support for academic and behavioral interventions  Increase meaningful parent involvement  Increase rigor & relevance in the 9 th grade

PROGRAM DESIGN  Every 9 th grader is a member of the Ram U Learning Community  Students select a team based on an instructional theme (Arts/Business or Science & Technology/ Health & Human Services  Students will be grouped in teams  2 teams of teachers  Teachers share common students in core courses  Teacher teams have common planning periods  Teams meet weekly to discuss cross-curricular objectives and individual student progress  All teachers on team will attend parent conferences  Core courses will have a peer mentor assigned

Ridgewood High School Course Selection Process OWN YOUR CHOICES

COURSE SELECTION PROCESS  Registration Timeline & Checklist/Parent University Flyer (Pink)  Planning Sheet (Gold)  RHS Programs & Academies/SUS Matrix (Green)  AP Brochure (White), AVID Brochure, Robotics Brochure  FAQ (Purple)

Setting Your Course: Planning Sheet for Students & Parents

Ridgewood High School Student Educational Goal Pathways Explanation  Traditional – After high school, this student will enter the work force, join the military, or attend a technical or community college.  College Prep – After high school, this student will attend a community college or four-year university (with foreign language requirement completed).  Advanced College Prep – After high school, this student will attend a more competitive four-year university (with the foreign language requirement completed).

Part 1: Course Planning Sheet

Part 2: Course Planning Sheet

Advanced Placement Expectations Advanced Placement Policy and Expectations A separate Expectations Agreement is required for all Advanced Placement courses. Schedule changes out of Advanced Placement classes will not be allowed until after the first quarter at minimum. Students will also need to meet all expectations of the Advanced Placement classes, including completing summer work, completing all assignments, participating in classes, and seeking extra help if there are issues. Freshmen may take AP Human Geography.

SCHEDULE CHANGE POLICY  Only the following schedule change issues will be addressed after the beginning of the school year:  1. Student already passed course listed on his/her schedule.  2. Student is in a class and has not met the course prerequisite.  3. Student is a 12 th grader and is missing a course to meet state graduation requirements.  4. Student has a “hole” in his/her schedule. OWN YOUR CHOICES!

Every student must have at least 1 Performing Art credit.

VIRTUAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENT  Students in the Class of 2015 and beyond must take one virtual course within their four years of high school.  Students who take the course during their 6 period day will work in a lab setting for one period.

RHS PROGRAMS & ACADEMIES  Academy of Health and Human Services MTEC) - CNA  Medical Skills (1.0) > Health Science I > Health Science II > Allied Health  Biomedical Science MTEC) – “PRE-MED”  Principles of Biomedical Science (1.0) > Human Body Systems (1.0)

RHS PROGRAMS & ACADEMIES  Academy of Robotics  Foundations of Robotics (1.0)  AVID Program

ONLINE REGISTRATION: March

 Feb. 14: High School Success RHS 6PM  May 15: Parent University – How to Successfully Make the 9 th Grade RHS  August: 9 th Grade RHS PREPARATION FOR 9 th GRADE

 Alicia Leary, Assistant Principal   Kristi Garcia, Guidance Counselor   Website: rhs.pasco.k12.fl.us  RHS Hotline: 2/19-2/ or PROUD TO BE A CONTACT INFORMATION