Palmer High School

1. Palmer High School 2010-2011 Freshman Orientation

3. Role of a Guidance Counselor: See your Guidance Counselor if you: Need to check your credits Want help regarding personal, social, or emotional concerns Want help choosing classes, or changing your classes Need a tutor? Want to be a tutor? Community Service Opportunities Foreign Exchange Opportunities In-District Courses at the CTHS Need to find out more about your interests and aptitudes, and Career Exploration Need to know more about post-secondary opportunities, college tests, financial aid, etc. Need assistance with High School survival skills including grades, testing, studying, etc. Just want to stop in and say �HI� ?

4. Types of Graduation Diplomas at Palmer High School: MSBSD Basic High School Diploma Earned 22 credits, and passed all sections of HSGQE MSBSD Certificate of Achievement Earned 22 credits, did not pass one/more sections of HSGQE International Baccalaureate Diploma

5. MSBSD High School Graduation Requirements: Grad year 2012+ English 4.0 Credits Math 2.0 Credits Science 3.0 Credits Social Studies 3.0 Credits PE 1.0 Credits Health 0.5 Credits Electives 8.5 Credits ________________________________ Total 22.0 Credits

6. IB Diploma: Rigorous Two-Year Curriculum 6 Subject Study Groups: HL and SL Extended Essay Theory of Knowledge Creativity, Action and Service to Community (CAS = 150 hours) Foreign Language is necessary 9th/10th grade year Program begins their Junior year For additional information please contact our IB coordinator, Deb Kemp, via email at Deborah.Kemp@matsuk12.us or go to the IB website at www.ibo.org

7. Are you attending College AND/OR Playing Sports? Consider This�NCAA Additional Math Additional Science Foreign Language Additional CORE classes for NCAA National Registration with NCAA your Junior year in high school

8. What is Credit?

9. Grading System at PHS: A � Superior Achievement reflected by 90-100% B � Above Average Achievement reflected by 80-89% C � Average Achievement reflected by 70-79% D � Below Average but Passing reflected by 65-69% NC � No Credit is earned, reflected by 0-64%

10. What is an NC? An NC (No Credit) grade is when a student fails to receive a 65% or higher in a semester long course. Required courses where a student does not receive credit must be repeated or made up in some way to meet graduation requirements. Credit will need to be made up for Elective courses where an NC is earned, but does NOT have to be the same elective course.

11. Can I make up an NC? YES!! YES!! YES!! Summer School offers make up in English, Math and Science up to the Sophomore level (depends on funding) Correspondence courses with prior approval by counselor, school district and at the cost of my parents! Retake the same class again next year if there is room in the class! Repeat your Health and Freshman PE the following semester (Required)

12. What is Grade Point Average? GPA = Grade points earned divided by the number of courses the student has taken Points: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, NC=0 Grade Point Average can be given as a Semester GPA or a Cumulative GPA Semester grade point average is based on student�s semester grades and the level of courses that were taken. Cumulative grade points are calculated by using the total number of courses the student has listed on their transcript.

13. Calculating a GPA: Example

14. Why should GPA matter to me? Colleges/Universities Sports/Club Eligibility Class Rank Scholarships/Grants Employment Transcripts are Permanent Extended Lunch Privilege Cost of Insurance Employment Opportunities Internships Marketability: Your GPA tells something about who you are!

15. GPA & Sports Eligibility: Eligibility is determined by number of classes, semester GPA, and current GPA Students must be enrolled in 5 graded classes, and must be passing 5 throughout the season Students must have passed 5 classes in the prior semester with a minimum GPA of 2.0 First grade check for Freshman occurs at the end of 1st quarter. They must be passing 5 classes and have a minimum GPA of 2.0

16. Eligibility (cont.): If a student does not pass a minimum of 5 graded classes with a minimum GPA of 2.0 at semester, they will not have the opportunity to become eligible until the following semester! This means zero participation in clubs/sports/activities for a full semester!! YIKES!

17. Eligibility and this thing called PHARM: Students at PHS earn an extended lunch of 62 minutes on ABC days At each grading period (approximately every 4.5 weeks) all grades are checked Students meeting sports eligibility requirements earn extended lunch Students not meeting eligibility earn PHARM (Palmer High Academic Recovery Measures) All Freshman have PHARM for the first 4.5 weeks of high school

18. Success in High School: Attendance Participation in Class/Completion of work Meeting assignment deadlines Communication between Students, Teachers, and Parents Getting involved in your high school

19. Getting Involved at PHS:

20. Getting Involved (cont.): Business Professionals of America Chess Club Civil War Club French Honors Society Future Farmers of America International Club/Exchange Key Club Partners Club Peer Helpers Spanish Honors Society VICA Elected Clubs: National Honors Society Student Government

21. Get Involved! Join these Activities: Pep Band Science Olympiad Native Youth Olympics Drama Productions Poetry Slam Powder Puff Football Intramurals Letterman�s Club Jets Blue Moose Gardens Physics Bowl Rocketry Saroma Exchange Native Youth Olympics Moose Spirit!!! RAH RAH RAH!!

22. Freshman Course Selection:

23. Freshman Scheduling: PHS counselors will be scheduling 8th graders on Friday August 6th: Be sure your email and address are correct prior to leaving MS for the summer Master Schedule and Elective Options will be on PHS website the beginning of July for you to view Come early, get a number, and expect a wait! Bring a book!! Library check � Don�t owe your middle school a book or you can�t schedule! Meet one-on-one with your counselor CORE classes will be placed already based on test scores and MS Rec�s Can select own electives, upon availability We will take an email or a phone message with course choices if you are on vacation or cannot be there on this day. Last minute scheduling and viewing of schedules will be done Monday and Tuesday August 16-17, two days BEFORE school starts (we will not print your schedule) Freshman and New Student Orientation Half Day: August 18th. Receive your schedule, your locker, meet your teachers and attend a BBQ No schedule changes once the semester begins unless it is our error

24. High School Information Fair April 23rd 8th graders visit PHS Sports/Club presentation School Tour Question/Answer session

25. Parents Note the Following: Complete the registration packet that will be mailed to you this summer from PHS Double check that your mailing address and email address are correct with your middle school registrar prior to leaving for the summer. Return the registration packet to PHS registrar during August registration making sure all papers are signed!! If your child has a specific medical concern, please notify our school nurse Students cannot begin the school year without enrollment forms and a health form!! ? Special Note: If you are from home school, private school, or out of MSBSD you will not automatically roll up with the other middle school students, and therefore will not receive a registration packet in the mail. Don�t panic! Come see us during registration week and we will schedule your student. Your scheduling will take a little while longer, our registrar will have to enroll you.

26. Benefit or Detriment?Bringing Grades up from the Middle School Grade that can come up with you: All must be verified by your middle school as a high school equivalent course. Forms must be completed at your middle school. English 1 Algebra 1 Foreign Language Benefit? Jump start on credits that count towards graduation Advancement into upper level courses Possible Early Graduation mid-Senior year Detriment? Non-Weighted courses will factor into rank Junior/Senior year Scholarships, etc. based on class rank Readiness for next course at the high school level Military Academy Schools do not recognize MS credits THE DECISION IS YOURS, HOWEVER, ONCE THE GRADE IS ON YOUR TRANSCRIPT IT WILL NOT BE REMOVED AT A LATER DATE AND ONCE YOU REFUSE THE GRADE, YOU CANNOT GO BACK AND ACCEPT IT!!!

27. QUESTIONS?