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West Johnston High SchoolClass of 2019
Course Registration Information Session
Spring 2015
Our Goal
Now Before You Leave
Clarity precedes competence!
Agenda
• Promotion & graduation requirements• Course levels• Grade point average• Core classes• Electives• Resources• Miscellaneous Information• Frequently asked questions• Contact information
Basic Information
• All students will register for core academic, physical education, elective, and alternate courses
• To become a sophomore:– 6 of 8 credits
• Semester (HS) v. Yearlong (MS) classes
• Graduation Requirements English (4) Math (4) History (4) Science (3) Health/PE (1)+ Electives (12) 28 credits
Course Levels• Standard
– Course content, pace, and academic rigor follow standards specified by the Common Core State Standards/NC Essential Standards with occasional content enrichment where appropriate.
• Honors– Course content, pace, and academic rigor put high expectations on the
student and surpass standards specified by the NC Standard Course of Study. Such courses demand a greater degree of independence and responsibility on the part of the student. The state weighting system adds the equivalent of one quality point to the grade earned.
• Advanced Placement (sophomore, junior, senior years only)
– Course content, pace, and academic rigor is college-level as adopted by the College Board and is geared to enable students to pass the AP test in the subject area. The state weighting system adds the equivalent of two quality points to the grade earned. Students who take AP courses are required to take the corresponding AP examinations.
Grade Point Average
Standard Courses
A 4.0B 3.0C 2.0D 1.0F 0.0
Honors/Pre-AP
A 4.5B 3.5C 2.5D 1.5F 0.0
Advanced Placement/CCP
A 5.0B 4.0C 3.0D 2.0F 0.0
English CoursesStudents will choose from two levels of English. Those who are strong in English (earning an A or high B in 8th grade ELA) should register for Honors English I and students with lower grades should enroll in Essentials of English AND English I.
• Standard– This is a regular course. Students will complete assignments in
reading, writing, and grammar in English I.
• Honors– This is an advanced course that will move at a brisk pace and will require more in-depth analysis of text than a regular course. If your student did well this year (an A/high B) and is willing to take on an extra challenge, Honors English I is an option.
Mathematics• Foundations of Math I/CC Math IB – Yearlong (formally Algebra I)
– Designed for students who struggle, or, are not comfortable with mathematics. Students take the End of Course test in June.
• CC Math I – Semester– Designed for students who make an A/high B in regular 8th grade math. Students
take the End of Course test at the end of the semester (January/June). Also designed for students who struggled with Math I in 8th grade.
• Foundations of Math II/CC Math IIB– Designed for students who passed CC Math I in the 8th grade, but did not make
an A/high B and/or who struggled on the End of Course test. • CC Math II – Semester
– Designed for students who passed CC Math I in the 8th grade, but did not make an A/high B and/or who struggled on the End of Course test.
• Honors CC Math II– Designed for students who excelled in CC Math I (A/high
B) and successfully completed the End of Course test.
History• World History– Standard history course for ninth graders.
• Honors World History– This is an advanced course that will move at a brisk
pace and will require more in-depth analysis of text than a regular course. If your student did well this year (an A/high B) and is willing to take on an extra challenge, Honors World History is an option.
Science• Earth/Environmental Science
– Standard science class for ninth graders.• Honors Earth/Environmental Science
– This is an advanced course that will move at a brisk pace and will require more in-depth analysis of text than a regular course. If your student did well this year (an A/high B) in 8th grade science they should register for Honors Earth/Environmental.
• Honors Biology– This course is traditionally a sophomore course. However, a small group of
freshmen enroll in Honors Biology and earn their Environmental Science credit by taking AP Environmental as juniors or seniors. Honors Biology is an advanced course that will move at a brisk pace and will require more in-depth analysis of text than a regular course. Students are: • interested in completing independent reading and research; • reading and writing at an advanced level; • self-disciplined in their studies • willing to do additional reading and research outside of class; • able to apply their advanced critical thinking skills in order to examine challenging reading texts
from a universal perspective; • willing to participate in class discussions– Placement in this course will be based on test scores,
projections, and teacher recommendation.
Health/Physical Education
• Health/PE is a graduation requirement– All freshmen will be enrolled in Health/PE
• Students playing fall or spring sports:– Freshmen are not eligible for weight training
Electives• Base selection on interests• Elective courses listed on the Rising Freshman
Form are eligible for freshman registration• Students will list six electives. They will only be
enrolled in two or three. Others serve as alternates if we are unable to enroll students in their first choices.World Language:
Students may NOT take a world language their freshman year
Resources to Use When Selecting Courses
• Current grades– If students are making As/high Bs, they should consider Honors level courses in those
classes• Child’s motivation
– Honors courses carry an increased level of rigor. Those with less motivation may not be as successful.
• Teacher recommendation– Teachers will discuss choices with students and follow-up on students’ selections.
• EXPLORE scores– Eighth graders took the EXPLORE in the fall. Higher scores indicate areas where students
are projected to be more successful. This can vary between subject areas. • Interests
– Especially important when choosing elective courses. • Registration Information
– Available on the West Johnston High School webpage. Contains all pertinent curriculum and registration materials.
• Registration Form– Unique form for ninth grade students. Will be given to students by
middle school counselors.
Include name, middle school, PowerSchool/lunch number
Make your math selection. If taking yearlong, will be two (2) courses. Students currently taking Math I need to register for Honors Math II. We will review test results for proper placement.
Choose your English course(s).
Choose your science course. Honors Biology will be decided by test scores, recommendations, etc.
Choose your world history course
Health/PE course will be assigned to all freshmen.
Choose six electives. Number in order of preference. We will do our best to accommodate your selections. Extra choices will be used as alternates.
Choose a pathway that interests your child
Review, sign, date
Teachers will review and make recommendations for students.
Planning Beyond High School
• No ‘one-size-fits-all’ plan• 375 students with 375 paths to graduation• Consistent talks with counselors, teachers,
Career Development Coordinator, and/or administrators to monitor your four-year plan
Miscellaneous Information• All freshmen are eligible for athletics for the
fall semester– Students must pass 3 of 4 classes to remain
eligible for the spring and subsequent semesters• Students are eligible for driver’s education
class when they are 14 ½ years of age. A summer class will be offered at WJHS.– Check the WJHS website for offerings.
WJHS Clubs and Organizations DoSomething Club Mathletes Art Club American Sign Language Students Against Destructive
Decisions (SADD) Theatre Tech National Honor Society Student Government
Association (SGA) Key Club Spirit Club
Mosaic/Poetry Club Future Business Leaders of
America (FBLA) ROTC/Raiders Dance Team FCCLA Ducks Unlimited Health Occupations Student
Association (HOSA) Future Farmers of America
(FFA)
Frequently Asked Questions• If my child does not take Honors courses in ninth grade, can he/she take Honors courses
in the future?– Yes! It is our goal to push all students to a higher level.
• Can I request specific teachers?– No, we do not take teacher requests.
• When will schedules be available?– August 12 at freshman orientation. At this time, there will be a window for schedule changes.
However, if freshmen registered for the course, they will stay in the course. Be purposeful in you selections!
• How can I be sure my child is properly placed?– We have a variety of checks and balances: final grades, test scores, teacher recommendations,
EXPLORE scores, etc. Once registration is complete, we will check behind each student and make changes to ensure proper academic placement and student success.
• Didn’t you offer __________ last year or __________ the year before?– Possibly. We update our course offerings each year to stay in compliance with changing
graduation requirements. Additionally, we offer new electives to engage students based on needs, interests, etc. Our master schedule and staffing goals are built on student registration which is why we limit schedule changes.
Timeline• TBA
Contact InformationSheila Sheats
A-F Student Counselor919-934-7333 ext. 148
Deborah BurnsCareer Development Coordinator
Career Technical Education919-934-7333 ext. 145
Dwinell CreeseN-Z Student Counselor919-934-7333 ext. 146
Jeffery BlueG-M Student Counselor
919-934-7333 ext. [email protected]