Welcome to High School Freshman Orientation This booklet belongs to: _______________

High School Terms to Know 1. Freshman 8. Prerequisite Courses 2. Sophomore 9. Required Course 3. Junior 10. Semester 4. Senior 11. Credit 5. Transcript 12. GPA 6. Curriculum 7.Elective Course

HS Classifications 9 th -________________ 10 th -_______________ 11 th -_______________ 12 th -_______________

High School Vocabulary Elective Courses: Those courses that you choose to take. Prerequisite Courses: Courses you must take before you are allowed to other courses. Ex. Alg. I before Alg. II Required Courses: Courses that are required by the state and district in order to graduate.

High School Vocabulary Transcript: an official copy of your records in school showing all the semester grades you received; STARR scores and SAT’s/ACT scores; all colleges require an official transcript for entry into school Curriculum: All courses the school offers to the students to enroll in for the school year, you will receive one before you enroll for 9 th grade.

High School Vocabulary Semester: Either of the 2 semesters that makes up a school yr. Credit: Successfully complete a course with acceptable attendance and Grade (70or above) GPA: Grade Point Average, Used to determine rank in class.

Why Is 9 th Grade So Important? Research indicates that 9 th grade is the most difficult and most important transitional period students experience in their academic life; Research also indicates that Freshman are most concerned with the 3 L’s – Looks, Lunch AND Lost. Research indicates that 9 th grade is the most difficult and most important transitional period students experience in their academic life; Research also indicates that Freshman are most concerned with the 3 L’s – Looks, Lunch AND Lost.

Middle School vs. High School – Increased Independence – Increased Responsibility – Semester & Final Exams – College Classes – Greater Academic Expectations – Greater Behavioral Expectations

Anxiety & Changes New Surroundings Higher Academic Expectations New Social/Peer Pressures Increased Commitments Moving to a new school Increased Time Demands

Top 10 Freshman Mistakes To Avoid

10. I can stay up later because I don’t need that much sleep Research indicates adolescents need 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep; children need 10 hours and adults need 81/4 hours. ~Stanford University

9. I’ll show them! I’m NOT doing any work in this class!

8. I don’t want to talk to the teacher about his/her class; He/she doesn’t like me.

7. Everyone else understood what the teacher just said except me, so I won’t ask him/her to explain. Don’t be embarrassed. I guarantee there is someone else who doesn’t understand.

6. “The teacher didn’t tell me about that chapter until last night.” Don’t cram or memorize. Test taking skills are vital.

5. I only missed one day and now the teacher won’t take it! In HS, students are responsible for keeping track of missed assignments.

4. I don’t need to write my assignments down, I’ll remember it. USE YOUR PLANNER! You are responsible for A LOT!

3. I’m skipping this class, one day doesn’t make a difference!

2. I want to take this class or be in this period because my friend is taking it.

1. My freshman year doesn’t count. My senior year is far off, so if I mess up, I can always get back on track. NOOOO!!!!! That is your foundation year…..

What’s New? Foundation High School Plan (curriculum requirements) Endorsements (coursework related to specific career interest that will allow for advanced learning) End of Course Exams (state testing for high school students: must master exams in English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology, and US History)

END OF COURSE EXAMS (EOC) must pass with satisfactory ENGLISH I (9 th grade) ALGEBRA I (9 th grade) BIOLOGY (9 th grade) ENGLISH II (10 th Grade) U.S. HISTORY (11 th Grade)

Foundation High School Plan + 2 = 24 Credits English Language Arts - 4 credits English I English II English III Advanced English Course Mathematics - 3 credits Algebra I Geometry Advanced Mathematics Course Science - 3 credits Biology IPC or Advanced Science Course Advanced Science Course Social Studies - 3 credits U.S. History U.S. Government (one-half credit) Economics (one-half credit) World Geography or World History or Combined World History/World Geography Languages Other Than English 2 credits in the same language Computer programming language (other exceptions) Physical Education - 1 credit Fine Arts - 1 credit Electives – 7 credits* *State requires 22 credits; CHISD will require 2 additional elective credits, pending board approval

Personal Graduation Plans New Requirement: All students must complete PGP (Personal Graduation Plan) upon entering High School, that includes the selection of an Endorsement A student may amend his/her personal graduation plan after the initial confirmation of the plan

CREDITS To graduate, you must obtain all credits and pass the state End of Course (EOC) exams. You must earn: 6 Credits to be a Sophomore 12 Credits to be a Junior 18 Credits to be a Senior 26 Credits to graduate with an endorsement 24 Credits to graduate with Foundation HS Plan

AWARD OF CREDIT - MIDDLE SCHOOL Do high school courses taken in middle school count toward state graduation requirements? Yes. A student may take high school courses in earlier grades and receive state graduation credit if the student has demonstrated achievement by meeting the standard requirements of the course. Permenter Offers: English ISpanish I Algebra IProfessional Communication/ Information Technology

You must be familiar with promotion & graduation requirements for HS Credits are awarded at the end of each semester; Grade Point Averages (GPA) updated at the end of each semester; Family Access Important for HS Classes; Attendance: Must be present 90% of time. No more than 9 absences per semester; pp Student handbook

Class of 2019