1. Course Selection for Sophomore Year
Rising 10th
Course Selection for Sophomore Year
November 13 & 15, 2017
Please see Ms. Forbes at the check in table
to confirm you have a signed PGP on file.

2. October – 10th grade/rising 11th November – 9th grade/rising 10th
Academic Advisors meet with every student, every year, to review path and plan and to select courses for the next school year:
All year long – Seniors!
October – 10th grade/rising 11th
November – 9th grade/rising 10th
December & January – 8th grade/rising 9th
February – 11th grade/rising 12th

3. When Academic Advisors visit history classrooms, we:
1. Distribute the Course Selection Packet which includes:
Course Selection Worksheet with Elective Courses on the reverse
Transcript
current Class Schedule
2. Present Information Whole Class and lead a Q & A
3. Individual review with each student
4. Send the completed CSP home

4. evening Parent Seminars (choice of 2 nights) to meet with parents
That same month,
Advisors host
evening Parent Seminars
(choice of 2 nights)
to meet with parents
to review the same information we shared
with students
in classrooms.

5. Because Advisors collect course selection data from students between October and February, Advisors are not in our offices to take individual parent meetings about course selection during this time.
This is why Dr. McSwain asked us to create the Parent Education Seminar Series – so that Advisors are able to communicate with our parents about Course Selection as a group.
Of course, if your need is urgent, and is not related to course selection, your Advisor will absolutely respond to your need. Just us and describe your concern. If your concern cannot be addressed by , we will make time to meet with you.
After Spring Break, our course selection duties end – though we have many other duties! – still we are more likely to be working in our offices so it is easier for us to meet individually with parents March – May and again August – September.
Your Advisors appreciate your patience with our predetermined deadlines and annual cycle of priorities.
We hope that by explaining why we do, what we do, when we do it, our parents can better understand why your Advisor’s priorities must shift throughout the school year

6. How do I email my Academic Advisor?
Office 1
(2) or fewer Advanced Academics
A-K
Dr. Mosby
L-Z
Ms. Rabion
Office 2
(3) or more Advanced Academics
A-Gh
Ms. Eng/Ms. Ervin
Gi-O
Ms. Sydow
P-Z
Ms. Harrison
Special Populations
Ms. Stokes
Dr. Cain

7. Now, let’s walk through course selection together!

8. The Big Picture: A 4 Year PlanSS 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

9. Health
Geometry A & Geometry B

11. When and how can you make changes to your schedule
When and how can you make changes to your schedule? The Annual Course Request and Verification Cycle
October 10th/ rising 11th Grade Course Selection
November 9th /rising 10th Grade Course Selection
December & January 8th /rising 9th Grade Course Selection
February 11th /rising 12th Grade Course Selection
March Course Requests are Entered
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.
August Final schedule is mailed home with cover letter including instructions about how to get an in person Schedule Change on a designated Tues – Sat 1
October – August 2 3
ADVISOR 4 5

12. The Course Request and Schedule Change Cycle
1. October - February
Course Selection
5. August
Special Cases ONLY:
Wrong Level of a Class or
Already have the credit
2. March
Course Requests Entered
4. August
Final Schedule Mailed Home
In person Schedule Changes
5 days in August
3. March - April - May
Course Verifications 1, 2 & 3
and Schedule Changes

13. 1 2 3 4 5 Because we offer 5 opportunities to select courses,
August
Schedule
Change
Week
Tues - Sat
March
Verification 1
April
Verification 2
May
Verification 3
July/August
Schedule Mailed with Cover Letter
August
Schedule Change Week
Course Selection
Because we offer 5 opportunities to select courses,
there will be no schedule changes made after the 1st day of school.

14. Summer School – Who Needs It?
If your student is earning the IB diploma (all Magnet transfers must earn the IB diploma) and did not take Algebra 1 in Middle School, then the student must attend SS for Geometry A&B between 9/10 grades or 10/11 grades to reach Math SL in 12th. If this applies to you, your Advisor will make this note at the bottom of the Course Request form.
If your student took Biology in Middle School, that MS Biology does not include the Heath unit, so student needs Heath in SS. NOTE: Heath is FREE and lasts only 2-3 days. If this applies to you, your Advisor will make this note at the bottom of the Course Request form.
If your student wants to reach the HL level of Math or Science, the student may take PDP Geometry, PDP PreCal, PDP Chemistry, or PDP Physics between 9/10, 10/11 or 11/12 depending on what course comes next in sequence – and depending on Lamar’s SS offerings year to year.
If your student needs to recover credit. NOTE: Credit Recovery is FREE.

15. More about Summer School
May take only one class (the A & B semesters)
Max 2 absences
28 days in June
Last year’s prices: $ ($250 for the A semester and $250 for the B semester)
In May, listen for announcements, call outs, and
monitor the Lamar Homepage AND Calendar
for registration information.
PLEASE ignore the HISD call out that says to see your Advisor to sign up for SS.

16. A WORD ABOUT ATTENDANCE AND CREDIT APPEAL
The state has determined that no student can comprehend course material sufficient to pass a course if that student has not been present in the classroom for 90% of the time.
No Grade (NG) is given - on both the report card and the transcript - in lieu of a number grade when the student has been present in class less than 90% of the time.
Report cards and progress reports are sent home through backpacks at the end of every grading cycle. They are also visible in Gradespeed and hard copies may be picked up in the Welcome Center on the 1st floor of the North Building.
To remove the NG and release that grade, the state requires that the student work through the Credit Appeal Process.

17. THE CREDIT APPEAL PROCESS
The Credit Appeal Process is open only during certain windows of time throughout the school year.
To learn when the Credit Appeal Process window is open:
Listen for announcements AND call outs
Look for Got NG? posters in the hall
Look on the Lamar Homepage under Student Resources AND Calendar
Contact Ms. Myers at
NOTES: Single period absences are not eligible for Credit Appeal.
Students are responsible for picking up results the week after they submit their CA paperwork.
Students must be in class 90% of the time to receive credit for the class.
Less than 90% attendance prevents VOE which is needed for a driver’s license.

18. TUTORIALS
After August schedule change week, schedules will no longer be changed, unless by Administrative Directive to level a class.
If your student struggles, the solution is not to remove the student from the class. Instead, Lamar offers tutorials to augment classroom teaching.
There are 2 kinds of tutorials:
All students are encouraged to attend both tutorials, regularly.
If your student continues to struggle after engaging in regular teacher and library tutorials, the next step is for the parent to schedule a conference with the teacher to discuss expectations, work habits, and to get your teacher’s recommendations about how best to support your student from home.
Teacher Tutorials
Location, days and hours are posted on the Teacher’s HUB page
Library Tutorials
Lead by Department Teachers
Lamar Library
6:30 – 8:30am
4:30 – 6:30pm

19. Your Advisors host a webpage to which we will post this PowerPoint presentation and other important information, including a FAQs page!

20. Find us on the Lamar homepage!
Click here

22. A note about Personal Graduation Plans (PGPs)
Please see Ms. Forbes at the check in table
to confirm you have a signed PGP on file.
NOTE: NO SCHEDULE CHANGE WILL BE CONSIDERED UNLESS THE STUDENT HAS A SIGNED PGP ON FILE

23. Questions?

24. for coming out this evening!