Welcome to St. Pauls Upper School The Transition to 9th Grade

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WelcometoSt. Pauls Upper School!The
Transition to 9th Grade
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Upper School Mission Statement St. Pauls Upper
School strives to help boys transform into
gentlemen who are independent, curious and
generous students. Our goal is to meet each
student at his individual level of accomplishment
and to further his pursuit of excellence in a
challenging and supportive environment. By
providing opportunities to lead and grow in
academics, athletics, arts and service learning,
we prepare our students for rich lives of the
mind, body and spirit. By expecting our students
to take a significant degree of ownership in
their academic and extracurricular endeavors, we
strengthen their character, test and expand their
interests, and foster their capacity to care,
create, analyze and reflect.
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Agenda

• Rich Schellhas (Principal) John Thorpe
  (Academic Dean)
• John Marinacci (Dean of Students) Edward Brown
  (9th Grade Dean)
• Jake Talmage (Director of College Guidance)
• Question and Answer period

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Rich Schellhas John Thorpe

• The school day
• Minimum graduation requirements
• Upper school academics
• Technology
• International Baccalaureate
• Academic Resources

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The School Day

• Students need to be in school by 800 am each
  day. Students begin each day either in homeroom
  or assembly.
• The academic day ends at 300 pm (T/TH), 315 pm
  (M/W), or 220 pm (F)
• Athletics usually begin about 30 minutes after
  the end of the school day
• Each course meets 4 times a week 3 periods are
  50 minutes long and the 4th period is 65 minutes

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Minimum Graduation Requirements

• 21 credits in four years
• at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average
• a minimum of 5 courses for each semester
• at least 40 hours of community service
  (preferably completed by the end of the junior
  year)

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Which courses do 9th grade students take?

• Year-long courses in
• English
• World History
• Modern Language or Study Group
• Biology
• Mathematics
• At least one of the two required semesters of
  arts

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Course choices

• US Arts Choices Visual Arts (Visual Arts 1 and
  Graphic Design 1) Theater Arts (Acting 1 and
  Stagecraft 1) Jazz Band (audition) 9th Grade
  Singers (audition)
• US Modern Language Choices French, German,
  Chinese, Japanese, Spanish (09-10 level 1 courses
  in German, Chinese and Spanish) some students
  also take 2 languages during the 9th grade

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Course selection for 9th grade

• 8th grade teachers make course recommendations to
  department heads in February and March
• Recommended courses for 9th grade students are
  mailed home at the end of March
• Completed student schedules are usually mailed
  home during the summer

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Honors Courses in Upper School

• There are honors sections in math and Spanish at
  the 9th grade level students are assigned
  randomly in all other courses
• Honors sections in other disciplines are added in
  10th and 11th grade
• Placement into honors sections is evaluated
  yearly
• Placement depends on exceptionally good
  performance in the previous year's course,
  departmental approval, and sometimes a placement
  test

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Looking Ahead at Academics

• In 11th grade, students elect to participate in
• one of the following
• The regular St. Pauls program
• The International Baccalaureate Certificate
  Program
• The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program.

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Technology for 9th grade

• We anticipate that 9th grade students will have
  access to computer technology superior to access
  in the middle school access to technology
  anytime and anywhere
• The school has improved the wireless security
  infrastructure, expanded network hardware and
  added a second T1 connection to the internet

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Technology for 9th grade

• 9th grade students are required to own a laptop
  that they will have with them throughout the
  school day
• Full details of the laptop program are available
  in the laptop brochure and on the school website

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What is IB?

• The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a
  two-year program of study offered only in 11th
  and 12th grade
• Students in the IB Diploma program study the same
  six academic courses for two years and take
  examinations in all six courses at the end of the
  12th grade

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What is IB?

• Some students elect to be in the IB Diploma
  Program but many students elect to take fewer
  than 6 IB courses and they are enrolled in the IB
  Certificate Program.
• An IB Certificate can be earned in any course in
  which the student takes the IB examination

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What is IB?

• All students qualify to take at least one or two
  IB courses
• Being in IB courses or earning the IB Diploma can
  be a significant advantage to students in the
  college-admissions process

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What Academic Resources are available in the US?

• Two Academic Resource Teachers
• 9th 10th grade Study Group classes for
  recommended students
• Free weekly evening math tutoring
• Extra help before, during and after school

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John Marinacci Edward Brown

• 9th grade advising system
• 9th grade Orientation welcoming students new to
  SP
• Peer Leadership
• Clubs and activities
• Coordinated activities with SPSG
• Activity requirement athletic opportunities for
  9th grade

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Jake Talmage

• College guidance
• Standardized testing

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Questions and Answers

• Handouts will be emailed to 8th grade parents
• A copy of this PowerPoint presentation will be
  emailed to 8th grade parents
• Thank you for being here!