8th Grade Student/Parent Meeting

1. 8th GradeStudent/Parent Meeting Tuesday, March 13, 2012 Fairfield Christian Academy

2. 2012-2013 SCHEDULING SCHEDULING PROCESS: • PRE-SCHEDULING IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE STUDENT INTEREST IN CLASS OFFERINGS. • THE MASTER SCHEDULE IS BUILT WITH STUDENT INPUT. • STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE SCHEDULES THAT CAN THEN BE ADJUSTED IF NEEDED BEFORE THE START OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

3. PACKET INFORMATION • PRE-SCHEDULING FORM (Tan) • COURSE DESCRIPTION PACKET WITH GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS (White) • GRADUATION HONORS POLICY (Blue) • CREDIT TRACKING SHEET TO HELP WITH HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING (Salmon) • PHYS ED – EDUCATIONAL OPTION (Pink)

4. GRADUATION 2014 AND BEYOND20 + 1 Bible per year for minimum • BIBLE 4.00 • 1 Bible for each year in attendance • ENGLISH 4.00 • MATH 4.00 • College acceptance minimum: Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry • SCIENCE 3.00 • College acceptance minimum: Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry • SOCIAL STUDIES 3.00 • American History and Government required

5. GRADUATION 2014 AND BEYOND • HEALTH .50 (1 semester course) • 60 hours equals .50 credit • PHYS ED .50 (2 semesters or 1 full year) • PE requires more hours for credit • 60 hours equals .25 credit so PE requires 120 hours for .50 credit • COMPUTER 1.00 • FINE ART 1.00 (May include 8th grade Choir/Band) • ELECTIVES 2.50 Unconditional college acceptance requires a minimum of 2 credits in Foreign Language – recommend 3-4 • SENIOR PROJECT - .50 Credit required

6. Diploma with Honors - 2011 and Beyond Students need to fulfill 7 of the following 8 criteria: • English - 4 credits • Mathematics - 4 credits • Science - 4 credits (must include Chemistry and Physics) • Social Studies - 4 credits • Foreign Language - 3 credits or 2 credits in 2 languages • Fine Arts - 1 unit • Grade Point Average - 3.5 on a 4.0 scale • ACT/SAT Score [excluding writing sections] 27 ACT / 1210 SAT (Super-scoring is allowed)

7. COLLEGE RECOMMENDATIONS • TAKE AS DEMANDING AND VARIED A COURSE LOAD AS THE STUDENT IS ABLE TO HANDLE. • ACT/SAT SCORES AND GPA ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITES • BALANCE COURSE LOAD EACH YEAR TO INCREASE BEST POSSIBLE GPA OPPORTUNITIES

8. COLLEGE RECOMMENDATIONS • WELL-ROUNDED VS ACADEMIC ONLY • STUDY HALL – CONSIDER TOTAL STUDENT INVOLVEMENT • COLLEGES DO NOT WANT SENIORS TO “SLACK”OFF – WANT TO SEE A STRONG TRANSCRIPT ALL THE WAY TO THE END! • ACT/SAT SCORES, GPA, CLASS RANK AND INVOLVEMENT - ALL IMPORTANT FOR COLLEGES APPLICATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

9. GRADE POINT AVERAGE • GPA FOR COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE STARTS 9TH GRADE • 8TH GRADE CREDITS DO NOT CARRY GPA WEIGHT THE GRADE DOES APPEAR ON THE TRANSCRIPT. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS MAY REQUIRE THOSE 8TH GRADE CREDITS INCLUDED IN GPA. • DO NOT SACRIFICE GPA IN THE RACE TO GET CREDITS COMPLETE – SOME STUDENTS WOULD BE BETTER OFF TAKING FEWER CREDITS PER YEAR. • GPA MUST BE AT LEAST 3.00 CUMULATIVE AND 3.00 IN SUBJECT AREA TO QUALIFY FOR COLLEGE CLASSES ON FCA CAMPUS DURING THE 11TH AND 12TH GRADE YEARS. – DOES INCLUDE 7TH-8TH GRADE.

10. GRADE POINT AVERAGE • TO ATTEND OUL OFF CAMPUS FOR CLASSES STUDENTMUST BE IN TOP 25% OF THEIR CLASS - FOR PRESENT 10TH AND 11TH GRADES THAT IS IN THE 3.80 GPA RANGE. • COLLEGE APPLICATIONS BEGIN FALL OF SENIOR YEAR SO GPA AT THE END OF JUNIOR YEAR IS IMPORTANT. APPLICATION DEADLINES MAY BE BEFORE THE 12TH GRADE 1ST SEMESTER GRADES ARE CALCULATED INTO THE STUDENT’S GPA .

11. TESTING • OGT – TESTING IN SPRING OF 10TH GRADE – AT PRESENT STILL REQUIRED TO PASS THE 5 AREAS TO GRADUATE. • PLAN AND PSAT TESTING IN 10TH AND 11TH – ACT/SAT PRACTICE. • ACT/SAT – CAN START TAKING IN 9TH GRADE – MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE TAKEN BY JUNIOR YEAR – RECOMMEND TAKING ACT/SAT PREP CLASS IN JUNIOR YEAR.

12. ENGLISH • MUST HAVE 4 CREDITS • ENGLISH 9 • ENGLISH 10 • ENGLISH 11 OR HONORS ENGLISH 11 • ENGLISH 12 OR HONORS ENGLISH 12

13. MATH • MINIMUM COLLEGE PREP FOR MATH IS: ALGEBRA I, ALGEBRA II AND GEOMETRY • STUDENTS ARE RECOMMENDED TO TAKE MATH EVERY YEAR AS STUDENTS CAN GET “RUSTY” • CHECK COLLEGE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MATH AND ALSO SEEK GUIDANCE FROM PRESENT MATH TEACHER • Pre-Algebra as an 8th grader – take Algebra I • Algebra I as an 8th grader – take Algebra II • Algebra II as an 8th grader – take Geometry

14. SCIENCE • COLLEGE MINIMUM – PHYSICAL SCIENCE, BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY • STRONGLY RECOMMEND PHYSICS FOR SENIOR YEAR • CHECK COLLEGE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCIENCE AND ALSO SEEK GUIDANCE FROM PRESENT SCIENCE TEACHER

15. SOCIAL STUDIES • COLLEGE PREP MINIMUM – WORLD HISTORY, US HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT • SOCIAL STUDIES ELECTIVES: • HOLOCAUST - 1 semester course • GLOBAL CURRENT EVENTS – 1 semester course • WESTERN CIVILIATION – 1 semester course dual credit • PSYCHOLOGY – 1 semester course – dual credit • SOCIOLOGY - – 1 semester course – dual credit • ON-LINE ELECTIVES – Additional social studies courses

16. FOREIGN LANGUAGE • College Recommendation - minimum of 2 credits in one Foreign Language – with 3-4 strongly encouraged • Rosetta Stone Language lab – see FCA course descriptions on website for language options

17. FINE ARTS • 1 credit in Fine Arts - minimum • Art I, II, Art Portfolio, 3-D Art • Band (may earn repeat credit) • Choir (may earn repeat credit) • Photography I, II, Adv • Visual Media I, II and Adv • Yearbook (may earn repeat credit)

18. FINE ARTS Knight Singers – audition group Knightn’ Gals – audition group Music Theory – On line course

19. COMPUTER • 1 credit in computer • Visual Media can be a computer credit • Computer Competency Assessment – Done in the summer – See Mr. Carpenter • New Course - Business Computer Information IA and IB – Switched Online

20. HEALTH/PHYS ED Health requirement - .50 • Health – class, online and summer opportunity PE requirement - .50 • Phys Ed class • Strength Training – Limited and by invitation only • Physical Education Ed Option (PE Ed Op)- strongly recommend using sport or outside activity to meet PE requirement

21. Physical Education EDUCATIONAL OPTION ¼ credit toward graduation – 60 hour minimum – Approved school or alternate physical education program. ½ credit toward graduation – 120 hour minimum – Approved school or alternate physical education program. Application must be completed which includes the setting of goals and verification signatures from coach or supervising agent. Student can also take PE in their home public district and transfer it to FCA.

22. 2012 SUMMER SCHOOL HEALTH CLASS On-line course – Switched-On Cost $140.00 Please complete registration form by Monday,April 30th

23. SWITCHED-ON COURSES On-Line Electives: (Course descriptions on-line) • ____ ACT/PSAT/SAT/College Planner (.50) Recommend 11th-12th • ___ Business Computer Information Systems 1-A (.50) • ____Business Computer Information Systems 1-B (.50) • ____ Civics (.50) • ____ The Civil War (.50) • ____ Consumer Math (1.00) • ____ Family & Consumer Science (1.00) • ____ High School Health (.50) • ____ Music Theory (.50)

24. SWITCHED-ON COURSES • ____ Personal Financial Literacy (.50) • ____ Speech: Essentials of Communication (.50) • ____ The Story of the Constitution (.50) • ____ Trigonometry (.50) • ____ Twentieth Century American History (.50) • ____ Vietnam Era (.50) • ____ World Geography (1.00) • ____ AP Calculus (1.00) • ____ AP U.S. History (1.00)

25. Kuder® Navigator — an online educational and career planning system for today's middle school and high school students. Individual Registration & Login Instructions Go to the Ohio Career Planning System at http://oh.kuder.com. You will also be asked to enter your N Activation Code that was provided by your school. N Code: N3457242QEE

26. WHAT DO I DO NOW? • SEE COURSE DESCRIPTION PACKET FOR INFORMATION ABOUT CLASS OFFERINGS • COMPLETE THE REQUEST FORM AND RETURN TO HIGH SCHOOL OFFICE by MARCH 30th

27. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS