Rising 9 th Grade Course Selection for Sterling Middle School
Presented by Mrs. Talboo, 9 th grade counselor February 2013
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Todays Agenda Middle School Course Selection What to Expect in
High School What is in the Program of Studies How to plan for
successful College Admission in 2017 Understanding credits,
verified credits and more Special Programs in High School High
School course progression
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Middle School Course Selection Students choose electives
Teachers make recommendations for Honors or Academic courses
Counselors meet with students to discuss recommendations and
electives Parents give final approval at the end of the 3 rd
quarter Changes can be made until the end of the school year, but
changes are not guaranteed.
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What to Expect in High School #1: YOUR Responsibility #2:
Self-Advocacy and Communication #3: Organization #4: Expectations
#5: Due Dates and Timelines #6: Study Hall (PRIDE), Peer Tutoring,
Homework Cafe
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What to Expect in High School EVERYTHING counts!! You can ONLY
expunge a course/grade before 9 th grade Complete the form and
return to your Guidance Counselor by August 2013. Transcript All
your courses + all your grades + your attendance Your GPA, your
credits, verified credits A future KEY PIECE of your college
application
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What to Expect in High School Spend time each night studying,
completing homework and reviewing your notes Get involved! Sports
Activities & Clubs Athletic events come cheer! Balance your
time school, extracurriculars, fun, SLEEP If you are struggling,
SEEK HELP
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Program of Studies PVHS Website School Counseling Academics
Program of Studies link (left navigation) LCPS 2013-14 Program of
Studies LCPS General Information, p. 1 Promotion and Credit
Information, p. 2 Graduation Requirements, p. 4-6 Grade Point
Average and Class Rank, p. 7 Dual Enrollment info, p. 12 Career
Clusters, p. 13 Course Descriptions, p. 16-60 Index of Course
Offerings, p. 61-66
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Promotion & Credit Information POS ~ page 2 Grade 9: 0 4
credits Grade 10: 5 10 credits Grade 11: 11+ credits Grade 12
student must be scheduled to meet all graduation requirements by
June of that school year.
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Standard Credit vs. Verified Credit POS ~ page 2 You earn a
standard credit by passing a year-long course. (Semester course =.5
credit) You earn a verified credit by passing a course and its
related end-of-course Standards of Learning (SOL) test. * Students
may retake SOL tests as often as necessary (up to 3 times a year)
to earn the verified unit of credits needed for graduation.
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Standard Credit vs. Verified Credit What happens if I pass the
course but fail the SOL? You will remediate and retake the SOL
test. What happens if I fail the course but pass the SOL? You will
retake the class but not the SOL. When you pass the course you will
then receive both the credit and the verified credit.
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SOL Courses ~ POS page 3 Reading (Eng. 11)Earth Science Writing
(Eng. 11)Biology Chemistry Algebra 1World History 1 GeometryWorld
History 2 Algebra 2US History Algebra 2/Trig
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Graduation and Diploma Requirements POS ~ pages 4-6 LCPS
Program of Studies 2013-14 Standard Diploma 22 credits + 6 verified
credits Advanced Studies Diploma 26 credits + 9 verified
credits
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Remember EVERYTHING Counts! Low grades in 9 th can have a HUGE
impact on your final GPA and class rank standing! Check this
out
If you coast in 9 th, it can jeopardize your overall GPA! The
difference between a 2.89 GPA and a 3.46 GPA can be the ninth grade
year!!! This is especially important if you plan to apply to
competitive colleges like UVA, VA Tech, GMU, etc.
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What counts for College Admissions? (ranked in order of
importance) Your transcript ~ Challenging Classes + Good Grades
Your Class Rank & GPA Standardized Admissions Tests
Teacher/Counselor recommendation letters Student Essay Students
Demonstrated Interest Extracurricular Activities (quality NOT
quantity)
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An example of a final transcript
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Another example of a final transcript
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How to Get Into the College of your choice Be an excellent high
school student! Strong transcript + good extracurricular
activities
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Advanced Placement Classes Advanced Placement (AP) classes are
challenging college-level courses available to 10 th, 11 th, and 12
th grade. AP students who take the AP exam receive a 1.0 weight to
their GPA. Anyone who meets the prerequisites and is willing to do
the work can enroll in an AP course.
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The AP Advantage College preparation ~ courses are taught just
like a college class Makes you and outstanding candidate for
College Admissions 1.0 Weighted grade Develop your higher order
thinking skills A high score on an AP exam will earn your college
credit
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AP Classes World History US History US Government Psychology
Economics Human Geography English Literature English Language
Calculus AB Calculus BC Statistics Computer Science Biology
Chemistry (every other year) Physics (every other year) Studio Art
Music Theory French Spanish German Latin
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Monroe Technology Center POS ~ page 53-60 Electives are 3
credit classes available for 10, 11, and 12 th grade students
Students must APPLY and be accepted into a MTC program Students are
bussed daily between PVHS & Monroe for FREE Provides students
with highly marketable career skills Some programs offer dual
enrollment w/ NVCC credits Some programs offer Certificate and
State Board Licensure For more detailed info, visit their website:
Monroe Technology Center
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What is CAMPUS? College Achievement Minority Program for Unique
Students is an academic and college preparation designed to meet
the specific needs of minority and first generation college
students in Loudoun County. CAMPUS supports students through:
Academic enrichment and support Development of self advocacy skills
Mentorship opportunities College and Scholarship preparation
Careful course selection Applications can be picked up from your
school counselor.
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AVID: Advancement Via Individualized Determination A credit
bearing elective offered at PVHS 9 th -12 th Grades What is AVID?
AVID is an in-school credit-bearing academic support program that
prepares students for college eligibility and success. AVID places
academically average students in advanced classes. AVID benefits
all students, but especially aims to identify and assist students
without a college-going tradition in their families. This program
requires an application process see your counselor for more
details. If you are accepted into AVID, you will need to drop
another elective in order to take AVID. AVID does not replace study
hall!
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NJROTC ~ POS page 39 Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training
Corps This is an elective class which is a federal program
sponsored by the United States Armed Forces. Students must transfer
to Loudoun County HS. Students must have their own daily
transportation. All grade levels can apply. Does not require you to
join the military. Talk to your counselor ASAP if you are
interested.
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Planning to Play Sports? You MUST be passing 5 classes to be
eligible! For more eligibility requirement details visit:
www.vhsl.org
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English Progression POS~ page 19: Grade 9: English 9 (Honors or
Academic) Grade 10: English 10 (Honors or Academic) Grade 11:
English 11 (Honors or Academic) Grade 12: English 12 Academic, AP
English Literature, or AP English Language
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English SOL Tests 1.English Reading 2.English Writing Both are
administered in English 11
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Math Progression, POS~page 33
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Math SOL Tests: 1.Algebra I 2.Geometry 3.Algebra II 4.Algebra
II/Trig
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Science Progression POS~ page 40 Grade 9: Earth Science (Honors
or Academic) Grade 10: Biology (Honors or Academic) Grade 11 and
12: Environmental Explorations Chemistry Conceptual Physics Physics
AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Physics
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Science SOL Tests 1.Earth Science 2.Biology 3.Chemistry
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Social Science Progression POS~page 43 o Grade 9: o World
History/Geography 1 (Ancient to 1500) o Pre-AP World
History/Geography (8000 BCE to 1450 CE) o Grade 10: o World
History/Geography 2 (1500 to Present) o AP World History o Grade
11: o US History (AP or Academic) o Grade 12: o US Government
Academic o AP Comparative Government
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Social Science SOL Tests 1.World History/Geography 1 2.World
History/Geography 2 3.U.S. History
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Health and PE POS~page 27 Grade 9: Health/PE 9 Classroom
portion focuses on health, CPR, and first aid Grade 10: Health/PE
10 (Drivers Education) Classroom portion focuses on Drivers
Education and health Grade 11 & 12: Advanced PE
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World Languages POS~page 28 American Sign Language (ASL)**
French German Latin Mandarin Chinese Spanish Spanish for Fluent
Speakers **does not count as a foreign language with some colleges
and universities
