88thth Grade Parent Orientation Grade Parent OrientationFirst Flight High SchoolFirst Flight High School

April 10, 2014

What Makes 9What Makes 9thth Graders Graders Successful?Successful?

MotivationAttitudeOrganizationParent SupportSense of direction/purposeAttendance

Hybrid ScheduleHybrid Schedule

A combination of 55 min. year-long classes and 90-min. semester classes

Better transition for entering 9th gradersMore time to learn concepts and practiceLess of a gap between sequenced coursesCoincides with NC graduation requirementsStudents can still accelerate as necessary

Sample ScheduleSample Schedule

First Semester

1st Period English I

2nd Period HWorld History

3rd Period HPE

4th Period Art I

5th Period H Earth Science

Second Semester

1st Period English I

2nd Period Marketing

3rd Period Math I

4th Period Art I

5th Period H Earth Science

Frequently Asked QuestionsFrequently Asked Questions

What determines 55/90 min. classes?

Teacher recommendations and course selections – we will determine #s of sections and schedule students to best meet their needs

How many credits will I need to graduate?

24 credits out of a maximum potential of 28

FAQs continuedFAQs continued

How do we decide which and how many honors classes to take?

Go with the students’ strengths

Look at teacher recommendations and be honest about the work ethic

Consider extra curricular activities and go for a balance

Course Placement GuidelinesCourse Placement Guidelines

Grades and End-of-Grade scores are considered in placement decisions as well as guidelines for core areas in the slides that follow

English and Social StudiesEnglish and Social Studies

Critical thinking/problem solving skillsWork ethic/work habitsReading level/comprehensionWriting skillsAbility to apply what they are learningAttendanceAttitude towards academics

ScienceScience

Ability to form a hypothesisNatural curiosityAbility to work in groupsPerformance in lab workEmphasis on higher order thinking skills

MathMath

Consider factors for English and Social Studies +

Ability to show work – a must for higher levels of math

Graduating Future-Ready Graduating Future-Ready

Freshmen entering high school in 2009-2010 now affected by the state’s Future-Ready Core

Students have options to select the best path to meet life goals

Strong academic foundation is provided2 kinds of requirements: course

requirements and NC Graduation Project

Course RequirementsCourse Requirements

English – 4 creditsScience – 3 credits (Earth, Biology and a

physical science)Social Studies – 4 credits (World History,

Civics and Economics, 2- US History courses or AP US History + one additional SS)

Health and PE – 1 credit

Future-Ready Core Future-Ready Core continuedcontinued

Math – 4 credits (Math I, Math II, Math III and a 4th math aligned with student’s post high school plans)

A student in rare instances may be able to take an alternative math course sequence – in place of Algebra II and 4th math

Second Language – not required for graduation but required for admission to UNC system

Future-Ready Core Future-Ready Core continuedcontinued

8 elective credits – 2 of any combination from either CTE, Arts, Second Language; 4 strongly recommended from one of the following: CTE, Arts, any other subject area (e.g. math, science, social studies, English)

Secondary Attendance Policy Secondary Attendance Policy HighlightsHighlights

Bring a note within 3 days of being absent Be present for at least 2/3 of a class period High school attendance is by period Any student missing more than 5 days has

exceeded the attendance requirements

Athletic & Driving EligibilityAthletic & Driving Eligibility

Based on NC High School Athletic Association policy, an athlete must be in attendance at least 85% (loss of eligibility after 13 abs.) of the previous semester and have passed a minimum of three full credit courses that semester in order to be eligible for sports

State law requires a student to be passing 70% of courses attempted in order to receive a driving eligibility certificate or keep their driving permit or license

NC Scholars RequirementsNC Scholars Requirements

4 Levels of English 4 Maths (Math I, II, III

and one beyond III) 3 Sciences (Earth,

Biology, and Chemistry or Physics)

4 Social Studies (World History, Civics, U.S History)

2 Levels of Foreign Language

Healthful Living (HPE) 1 Career/Technical

Education Course 1 Arts Ed. Course 5 Electives to include at least

2 second level or advanced courses

3.5 Grade Point Average Unweighted

Minimum Admission Requirements Minimum Admission Requirements of the UNC Systemof the UNC System

To enroll in one of the 16 public universities making up the UNC System, students must meet the following minimum requirements; however, some have higher requirements:

High School Diploma or Equivalent 4 levels of English 4 units in Math (Math I, II, III + one beyond Math III 3 units in Social Studies, including U.S. History 2 units of one Foreign Language 3 units in Science, including at least 1 life/biological, one physical,

and one additional lab course * in addition, it is recommended that one foreign language and one

math unit be taken in the 12th grade

Choosing CoursesChoosing Courses

Make course selections carefullyFirst choices will be honored if possibleAlternate course selections are as important

as first choicesCourses will be offered based on demand

and teaching staff availabilityConflicts arise in the master schedule

Making Good ChoicesMaking Good Choices

Direct questions about teacher recommendations to the 8th grade subject teacher

9th graders have five classes they must take – decisions on whether a student should take an honors or regular class are best made from the input of the student, parent and teacher

Schedule ChangesSchedule Changes

Teaching staff is employed and assigned based on course registration

Schedule changes will be made only under certain conditions:

*student is scheduled for a course for which he/she did not register or which was not selected as an alternate

*student does not meet the prerequisite*student is academically misplaced or there is a computer error

Freshman Core CoursesFreshman Core Courses

English I or I Honors Math I Math II –

regular/honors

Earth Science or Honors Earth Science

Honors World History

Freshman Core ElectivesFreshman Core Electives

H Math IIIGeneral Chemistry

Freshman ElectivesFreshman Electives

Health and PE* Intro to Publications Creative Writing Speech Communications Life Skills & Sports** Strength Training**

*HPE required

**must have HPE first

Career Management Microsoft IT Academy Personal Finance Marketing Core Sustainable

Construction Health Team Relations Parent and Child

Development

Freshman Electives cont.Freshman Electives cont.

General Mixed ChorusConcert Choir – teacher recommendationBandJazz BandString Orchestra (7-8 a.m.)Theatre Arts IVisual Arts I

Registration ScheduleRegistration Schedule

April 23-24 – FFHS counselors go to FFMS classes

May 6-7 – FFHS counselors meet individually with 8th graders

May 14 – signed registration forms due to social studies teachers

Scheduling ProcessScheduling Process

Tally of students signed up for coursesTally of teacher recommendationsSections determined by number of sign ups

and staff availabilityDevelop master scheduleSchedule individual students

Questions?Questions?