Adventures in High School

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Adventures in High School
and Parents
A Students Guide to preparing for the 9th grade
year
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Begin with the end in mind

• What college do you want to go to?
• What do you want to study?
• What kind of career goal(s) have you set for
  yourself?
• What kind of life do you want for your family?

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Preregistration
Picking your classes for next year
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High School Schedule --Students schedule 7
classes totalChoose classes with
your future in mind --Classes are about 45
minutes long --Some upper level
activity-based classes meet for two
consecutive periods --Some classes change at
the semester (Health, Comm. Apps.,
Keyboarding, etc.)
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A Quick, Important Definition Credit A credit
is what you receive when you pass a full year of
one subject. Passing one semester (or half a
year) will earn you a ½ credit. EX If you need
1½ credits of a class to graduate, you need to
take (and pass) one year and one semester of that
class. You need a total of 26 credits.
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Graduation Requirements Page 5 in the Course
Guide --4 years of each core subject (4 x
4) --more core classes translates to fewer
electives, so more thorough planning is
important
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Distinguished Plan (Page 6 course selection
guide) --Requires 3 years of a world language
(Spanish, French, German) AND
Four Advanced Measures A combination of four of
the following 1.AP Classes with scores of three
or better on the AP exam or Dual Credit classes
with a B or better. 2.National Merit Commendation
(PSAT) 3.Tech Prep classes (only one counts
toward the total) with a grade of B or better 4.A
research project done through an independent
study class
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Freshman Core Classes English PreAP, GT,
or Regular English Math
Algebra 1, Geometry,
PreAP Algebra I, or PreAP
Geometry Social Studies PreAP, GT, or Regular
World Geography Science
PreAP or Regular Biology
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How Many PAP Courses?

• What are your strengths?
• What outside activities do you have?
• How will these prepare you for your future?
• More rigorous course work is involved in PAP
  classes. This translates to more homework, more
  projects, and harder tests.

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Next year, the GPA will go to the weighted scale
proposed by the state for May 2009 and forward.
Advanced placement classes 5.0 scale Pre AP
classes 4.5 scale Regular classes 4.0
scale For example If a student makes an 85 in a
class it would equal AP class 4.0 PAP class
3.5 Regular class 3.0
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Half or your high school classes will come from
the 4x4 core areas.
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?
The other 12 courses will come from other
required classes and electives
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PLAN AHEAD !!!

• 2 to 3 credits in Foreign Language
• 1 Technology Application
• 1 Fine Art
• 1 semester of
• Communication
• Applications
• And
• Health
• ANYTHING ELSE YOU TAKE IS
• CONSIDERED AN ELECTIVE.

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Other Languages 2 credits needed for graduation
(please note those choosing to graduate on the
distinguished plan need 3 years)
Spanish
German
French
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Fine Arts 1 credit needed for graduation (please
note many of these can also count for PE credit
if more than one level is taken) Art Dance Band
or Choir Theatre Art History (AP) Music Theory
(AP)
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PE Credits 1½ needed for graduation PE
Foundations (1/2 credit) PE Individual Sports
(1/2 credit) PE Team Sports (1/2 credit) Marching
Band (fall semester) Cheerleading (fall
semester) Dance Drill Team (fall
semester) Athletics
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You can sign up now for Football, Wrestling,
Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming/Diving, Soccer
, Cross Country/Track Baseball/Softball Only
put down the sport whose season occurs FIRST. You
must get your head coachs signature indicating
their approval.
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Dont sign up now for Tennis, or Golf Sign up
for PE unless you are also registering for
another sport. These are tryout only and are not
registered for in the normal manner.
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Athletic Information Night Dates and times to
come Texan Gym
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Technology Applications 1 credit needed for
graduation PreAP Computer Science 1 AP Computer
Science 2 BCIS 1 or 2 Digital Graphics and
Animation Yearbook 2 or 3 Multimedia Business
Computer Programming Web-Mastering
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The Course Guide
Cracking the Code
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0035 ENGLISH I/GLOBAL STUDIES GT/Pre-Advanced
Placement GPA Level 3 Credits 1 Grade
Placement 9 Semesters 2 Prerequisite
Concurrent enrollment in World Geography. Summer
reading required. Summer reading lists are
available at http//www.nisdtx.org
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0035 ENGLISH I/GLOBAL STUDIES GT/Pre-Advanced
Placement GPA Level 3
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0035 ENGLISH I/GLOBAL STUDIES GT/Pre-Advanced
Placement GPA Level 3 Credits 1
0811
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0035 ENGLISH I/GLOBAL STUDIES GT/Pre-Advanced
Placement GPA Level 3 Credits 1 Grade
Placement 9
0811
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0035 ENGLISH I/GLOBAL STUDIES GT/Pre-Advanced
Placement GPA Level 3 Credits 1 Grade
Placement 9 Semesters 2
0811
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0035 ENGLISH I/GLOBAL STUDIES GT/Pre-Advanced
Placement GPA Level 3 Credits 1 Grade
Placement 9 Semesters 2 Prerequisite
Concurrent enrollment in World Geography. Summer
reading required. Summer reading lists are
available at http//www.nisdtx.org
0811
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The Form
Getting Down to Business
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Northwest High School 9th Grade Course Request
Form
PRESS HARD SO THAT IT GOES THROUGH! Step 1Write
your demographic information. Check that
you can read it on the yellow and pink
copies!
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Please fill out this information as neatly and
correctly as possible.
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Write down that your forms need to be in by
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Northwest High School 9th Grade Course Request
Form
Step 1Write your demographic
information Step 2Choose Core classes
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Pick one class in each core area.
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This space is for any core classes that dont
appear on your grade level sheetfor example,
math courses not normally taken as a freshman.
Write in only the names of core classes here. It
has to be written in.)
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Northwest High School 9th Grade Course Request
Form
Step 1Write your demographic
information Step 2Choose Core classes Step
3Pick your electives
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The 8 alternate classes are classes you pick in
case one of the classes you pick doesnt
work. They are very importantchoose them
carefully, too.
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Important Dates Counselors will present to the
students at the middle schools all day on
December 15th Preregistration forms are due to
the middle school English teachers and will be
picked up by HS counselors on December 19th
June 12th, 2009Last day to change ANY classes
First 10 days of semester changes due to
academic misplacement only
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Earning Credits
Some things to think about
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How credits are awarded

• Every class you are in counts!!
• At the end of the semester, every class with a
  grade above 70 you receive ½ a credit.
• Every class with a grade below 70 you receive 0
  credits UNLESS your second semester grade brings
  the year average up to a 70. Then, you will
  receive the FULL credit for the course.
• Your goal Credit in every class you take each
  semester you are in high school.

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To be promoted

• You need a total of 6 credits at the end of your
  freshman year.
• Basically, that means passing 6 of your classes
  first semester and 6 of your classes second
  semester.
• Remember that more than nine absences in any
  class could cause you to lose credit.
• Attendance is important!!!

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6 credits Sophomore 13 credits Junior 19
credits Senior You retake only those courses
you fail.
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• Remember
• It takes 26 credits to graduate and you can only
  earn 28 in your four years
• at NHS!!

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Remember Every class counts!!!
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Get a Jump on High School The following Summer
School Courses for Advancement have been offered
in the past Health Keyboarding Physical
Education Communication Applications BCIS SEE
YOUR COUNSELOR IN THE SPRING FOR AN OFFICIAL
LIST. THESE CHANGE EVERY YEAR! These courses may
be necessary to allow for additional courses in
your 4-year plan.
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Other Opportunities to Earn Credit
Correspondence Courses
and
Dual Credit Courses
Refer to pages 1-4 in Course Selection Guide
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Health Ocupation Students of America
Opportunities to get involved
Art Club
Cheerleading
LIFT
Key Club
FCCLA
Academic Decathlon
Video Tech Club
Band
German American Partnership Program
Speech and Debate
Gaming Society
Choir
Texan Cavalry
FFA
Sidekicks
SADD
Theater
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Contact your students counselor for more
details A-Cn Jennifer Martinez Co-Gal Mike
Hays Gam-Kh Gayle Binder Ki-L Cayce Weston M-Pa
Amber Ward Pb-So Kerry Jones Rof-Z Jamie
Farber For questions about GPAs and
Transcripts, contact Hollie Bierlein at
817-215-0238
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Information (including this PowerPoint) will be
available on the Northwest Counseling
Website. www.nisdtx.org/nhs and click on the
Counseling tab Dont forget to join the
mailing list!
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THE END