January 2015

WHS School Counseling Team

School Counseling Staff Mrs. Hanson—Registrar

Mrs. Campbell—Counseling Secretary

Counselors:

Mrs. Busack & Mrs. Vondersaar Last Names A & IEPs

Mrs. Larrison Last Names B—E

Mrs. Ulsas Last Names F—L

Mr. Doherty Last Names M—R

Mrs. Johnston Last Names S—Z and EL students

What to Expect During Scheduling

Choose your classes and register in

Power School by January 19th

January 21-30: Counselors will meet with you individually

to go over course requests

Late April: Schedules are distributed

May: Schedule changes may be made

with a Schedule Change Form signed

by a parent

May 20: Schedule Change Deadline. After

this date, no changes will be made, with few

exceptions, per the WHS Schedule Change Policy

Building Your Schedule: What You Need To Know!

Make sure you are meeting all

requirements for your diploma

You will need to select 15 credits—NOT 15 classes—plus two alternate credits

Prepare yourself for college: schedule a

rigorous course load for your Senior Year

Discuss course options with

teachers…which levels are the best fit for you

and your abilities?

It Starts with Your Transcript

• Diploma Track

• Graduation Requirements

• Total Credits

• GPA

• Grade Trends

Use your transcript to review:

• Some courses cannot be taken twice… be sure you’re not signing up for a class that you have already taken!

• Some exceptions to this are… retaking a class for a higher grade or Adv. PE classes

New Classes for 2015-2016 AP Art History (10, 11, 12)

AP Research (12)

Advanced Science: Robotics (9, 10, 11, 12)

FAP Peer Facilitation (11, 12)

Principles of Marketing II (9, 10, 11, 12)

Service Leadership (10, 11, 12)

Steel Pan Ensemble II (10, 11, 12)

Graduation Requirements: Core 40 42 Total Credits Required English 8 Credits

English 9 English 10 English 11, English 11 Honors or AP Language & Comp/Seminar English 12: 12-7 and/or 12-8 can be replaced by

Contemporary Lit Creative Writing Speech ACP Speech AP Seminar

Mathematics 6 Credits in grades (9-12) Algebra I (2 credits in Honors, Regular or 3-trimester) Geometry (2 credits in Honors, Regular or 3-trimester) Algebra II (2 credits in Honors, Regular or 3-trimester)

A Math or Quantitative Reasoning Course must be taken in 12th grade

• ACP Composition • ACP Literary Interpretation • AP English Lit & Comp • AP English Lang & Comp

Graduation Requirements: Core 40 Science 6 Credits

Biology (2 credits in Honors, Regular or 3-trimester)

Physical Science (2 credits of ICP, Chemistry or Physics)

Any 2 additional Core 40 approved Science Courses

Social Studies 6 Credits 2 credits of World History or Geography and History of the

World OR AP World History

US History (2 credits in Regular or AP US History)

Government (1 credit in Regular or AP US Govt.)

Economics (1 credit in Regular or AP Economics)

Graduation Requirements: Core 40 Physical Education 4 Credits

PE I and PE II (1 credit each)

Health (1 credit)

Advanced Health or Elective PE (1 credit)

Electives 12 Credits

At least 5 credits of directed electives:

World Language

Fine Arts

Business/Technical

Graduation Requirements: Academic Honors Diploma 47 Total Credits Required

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is Required

No Grade Below a C- in any class required for AHD

Complete all Core 40 Requirements, plus:

6-8 World Language Credits

(3 years of one language or 2 years of two

different languages)

2 Additional Credits in Math

(Pre-Calculus or AP Stats)

2 Credits in Fine Arts (Art, Music or Theater)

Graduation Requirements: Academic Honors Diploma Students must also complete one of the following:

Earn 4 credits in at least 2 AP courses, and take the corresponding AP exams

Earn 6 college credits through ACP dual credit courses

Earn 2 credits in an AP course and take the corresponding exam AND earn 3 college credits through ACP dual credit courses

Earn a combined SAT score of 1750 or higher, with a minimum score of 530 on each section (Critical Reading, Math and Writing.)

Earn an ACT Composite score of 26 or higher and complete the optional Writing Section on the ACT

AP/ACP Courses Advanced Placement (AP) College-level courses for the

prepared student 29 AP Courses offered at WHS All AP classes receive a full point

weight for a C- or higher Students have the opportunity

to receive college credit, based on their AP exam scores

Doing well in your honors classes? Consider AP in your senior year

Take a realistic point-of-view…rigor, but not an overload

Advance College Project (ACP)

Indiana University dual credit classes taught at WHS

All ACP classes receive a full point weight for a C- or higher

Students earn college credit at a reduced tuition rate from IU, which may be transferrable to other colleges (ALWAYS check directly with

the college or university that you may be attending to see if the credits will transfer.)

Can be taken as juniors or seniors Students must have a GPA of 2.7 or

higher to enroll for college credit

AP/ACP Meet the Teacher Night on April 29 at 6:30 PM

AP Capstone Diploma New diploma program that gives students an

opportunity to apply critical thinking, collaborative problem solving, and research skills

Offered through the College Board

Westfield High School is one of 5 schools in Indiana, and one of 150 high schools in the country asked to pilot the program this year.

For more information, visit collegeboard.org/apcapstone

AP Seminar taken in 11th grade with

AP Language and Composition

• Team Project and Presentation

• Research-based Essay and

Presentation

• Written Exam

• Counts as 2 AP courses/AP Exams

AP Research taken in 12th grade as

English credits

• Academic Thesis

• Public Presentation and Defense

3 Additional AP Courses taken

anytime throughout High School and

passing scores on all exams

AP Exam 1

AP Exam 2

AP Exam 3

AP Capstone Curriculum

AP

Capstone

Diploma

AP Capstone

Certificate

Your AP Potential • Your PSAT scores can help determine which AP classes might be the best fit for you • Log in to My College QuickStart to access AP Potential • Your counselor can also provide more details regarding your AP Potential

Graduation Requirements: Technical Honors Diploma 47 Total Credits Required

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is Required

No Grade Below a C- in any class required for either Core 40/THD

Complete all Core 40 Requirements, plus:

Earn 6 high school credits in a career-technical related area

Earn 6 college credits through dual credit courses OR complete an industry-recognized certification or credential

Graduation Requirements: Technical Honors Diploma Students at WHS can earn the THD through:

Project Lead the Way

8 credit (4 year) Engineering pathway

Intro to Engineering and Design

Principles of Engineering

Civil Engineering/Architecture or Aerospace Engineering

Engineering Design & Development Capstone course

8 credit (4 year) Biomedical Sciences pathway

Principles of Biomedical Sciences

Human Body Systems

Medical Intervention

Biomedical Innovations Capstone course

Graduation Requirements: Technical Honors Diploma Students at WHS can earn the THD through:

Business and Information Technology

6 or more credits in business and computer classes

In addition , earn six dual college credits through ACP Intro to Business and ACP Personal Finance OR earn an industry-based certification or credential

JEL Career Center

Pathway designated industry-based certification

In addition, earn 6 dual college credits through specific JEL courses

J. Everett Light Career Center at North Central HS Most JEL classes meet during the afternoon:

Students take classes at WHS 1st, 2nd and 3rd period

JEL classes are from 12:00-3:00; students arrive back at WHS around 3:30 p.m.

Transportation provided by WHS, but some courses do require students to have their own transportation

A contract and application are required to take JEL courses; both are available from your counselor

Many JEL classes are available for college credit

J. Everett Light Career Center Courses at North Central HS

Advanced Manufacturing Technology

Animation/Film Production Automotive Collision Repair Automotive Maintenance

Detailing Automotive Service Technology Barbering Computer Repair Cosmetology Culinary Arts Dental Assisting Digital Media Arts

Early Childhood Education Emergency Medical Technician EMS, First Responder Health Care Careers Intro to Pharmacology Law Enforcement Manicuring (Nail Tech) Medical Assisting Music/Sound Production Veterinary Assisting Visual Design/Advertising Web Design Welding

2015-2016 Course Book

• Course Book and Course Offerings List available online at www.whscounselingcenter.com

What to Look for in the Course Book

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Biology I and concurrent enrollment in Chemistry I, or a “B” or better in ICP.

Recommendation: “C” or better in each semester of Biology I

A course for grades 11 & 12

Course is at least 25% laboratory

A two credit course

A Core 40 and AHD course

This course is a study of the structure and function of human body systems. The course begins with a focus on cellular function & histology (tissues), and then proceeds through the various body systems. Activities include microscope work, detailed dissections of organs (rat, cat, sheep, cattle, etc), and lab activities that study human body function. The purpose of the course will be to prepare students going into the life science or health fields for a first year Anatomy & Physiology course. As such, the rigor is on par with college level academics, and students will be expected to complete a significant amount of work outside of class time (outside reading, online homework assignments, groups study, etc.).

Your Cumulative GPA: Not happy with it? Now is the time to turn it around!

Colleges favorably view the “turn-around” Junior year grades are generally the last

grades that are shown on your transcript as you apply to college

The closer you get to graduation, the more difficult it is to change your GPA substantially

Make a good final impression!

Senior Seminar and Independent Co-op Students may only take one Senior Seminar each

trimester Credit for Senior Seminar does NOT count towards:

Your required number of credits for graduation Athletic eligibility Your cumulative GPA

Consider the colleges to which you will be applying and how they view release periods. The majority of colleges would prefer to see students taking a full course load.

After the schedule change deadline, students may NOT drop a class to take Senior Seminar or Co-op.

College Admission Reminders Register online for an SAT and ACT this Spring

SAT: www.collegeboard.com/sat

ACT: www.actstudent.org

Four free Score Sends with each registration—use them!

Retake SAT/ACT early in Senior Year

Test Preparation

My College QuickStart (College Board/SAT)

ACT test prep on the ACT website

www.khanacademy.org

Fee waivers available for students/families who meet income eligibility requirements

College Admission Reminders Visit College Campuses

Two excused absences per school year

Utilize your breaks!

Shamrock College Rep Day

March 11th in the WHS Main Gym

Greater Indianapolis Northside College Fair

March 11th at the Ritz Charles from 6:30-8:00 pm

College Presentations at WHS

Listen for announcements and sign up in Naviance

Grade 11 College Night Presentation can be found at www.whscounselingcenter.com

College Admission Reminders Many colleges require at least two years of a World

Language

Indiana University and Purdue University require math to be taken in the senior year, at least through Pre-Calculus

Purdue University requires Chemistry for prospective engineering majors

Remember: It is YOUR responsibility to be certain you are meeting all admission requirements for the colleges

to which you will be applying!

Summer College Admission Workshop Wednesday June 3rd —Friday, June 5th

Small group working seminar -

Approximately 30 students Develop resumes for: college applications, scholarships,

recommenders

In-depth training of the college admission process

Advice from Ivy League admission professional

Interview practice and coaching

Develop admission essays within the workshop

Fee: $130.00

Waiver for students who meet income guidelines

Registration form available in March at the front office

with Mrs. Vollmer–limited to 30 participants

Important Reminders

Have your course requests in

PowerSchool by January 19th

Choose 15 credits and 2 alternates

Counselors start meeting with students on January 21st

Schedules distributed in April.

Schedule Change Deadline: May 20th

Online Scheduling Instructions Use Mozilla Firefox, Chrome or Safari… they work

better than Internet Explorer

Log in to your Power School Account. (Email hustonc@wws.k12.in.us if you need your log in info)

Click on “Class Registration” on the left side of the screen, under “Navigation”

Follow directions carefully. Enter 17 total courses/credits (15 credits/2 alternates)

Hit “Submit” when you are done

Online Scheduling Instructions Once courses are submitted, print the list of your

course requests

Go over your course requests with parents

If anything needs to be changed, you can do so prior to the January 19th deadline

Have all requests in Power School by January 19th!!