WEST FORSYTH HIGH SCHOOL



WEST FORSYTH HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR REGISTRATION

2011 - 2012

Classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014

These guidelines are on the Guidance page of the West Forsyth website – .

The scheduling of courses for the 2011-2012 school year will be on a modified block schedule throughout our school system for students in grades nine through twelve for a third year. Students can earn eight credits for the year. Some courses will be taught as a block course (90 minutes, 18 weeks), some courses will be taught as A-day/B-day (90 minutes throughout the year on alternate days), and some courses may be taught both ways. The Career Center schedule will have some block, some A-day/B-day block, and some yearlong courses. Students will be signing up for the eight classes they need/desire, as well as alternate courses.

1. The class of 2012 will be selecting courses over the next year that will be fulfilling one of four Courses of Study – Career Prep, College Tech Prep, College/University Prep or Occupational Prep. The specific requirements are outlined on page 4 of the High School Registration Handbook. Study this page carefully and select the Course of Study that will enable you to meet your postsecondary goals.

The classes of 2013 and 2014 will be selecting courses over the next two to three years that will fulfill the Future Ready Core Curriculum. The specific requirements are outlined on page 5 of the High School Registration Handbook. Study this chart carefully and select courses that will enable you to meet your postsecondary goals.

2. Students will be registering for the entire school year. Course listings, descriptions and requirements are found in the registration materials.

3. Students should select alternate courses so that if a scheduling conflict occurs, one of these alternate courses may be substituted for your first choice. Alternate courses need as much thought as others do. It is not feasible for students to be contacted if an alternate course has to be used, so DO NOT list an alternate selection you are not willing to take!

4. VERY IMPORTANT:

Because teachers are employed and schedules made on the basis of course selections, it is imperative that each student plan his program wisely. Changes in schedules will be made after school opens if any clerical mistakes have occurred - not because “you don’t like a teacher”, “it’s too hard”, “it’ll hurt my class rank”, or “it’s not what I thought it would be”. Most of the decisions you make during the registration time in February will be your better ones.

5. Although teachers and counselors are available to help students plan their courses of study, it is the students’ responsibility to select the courses needed to meet graduation requirements.

6. There will be several new courses, or courses with new names, offered next year. Technical Theater 1; Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Publisher (replaces Computer Applications 1); Microsoft Excel and Access (replaces Computer Applications 1); Multi Media and Webpage Design (replaces Computer Applications 2); Personal Finance (replaces LIFE); Speech and Debate 1; Honors Health; Honors Physical Education III; Applied Math 1 and 2. Technical Math1 will no longer be offered.

7. For registration purposes students should assume that they will pass courses they are now taking if they still have a good chance of passing. Consult your teachers if you’re in doubt.

8. You are encouraged to seek the advice of your teachers and parents as to which math course to sign up for next year. You must successfully complete the appropriate math courses for the course of study you choose or the Future Ready Core curriculum.

9. Four (4) units of math are required for graduation in the Future Ready Core Curriculum for the Class of 2013 and 2014. Of these four units, the Work Force or Community College Course of Study requires Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra II, or Integrated Math I, II, III and one additional credit based on post-secondary plans. The UNC System requires Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and one unit beyond Algebra II or Integrated Math I, II, III and one unit beyond Integrated Math III. The courses that would fulfill the one unit beyond requirement are Precalculus, Integrated Math IV, Discrete Math, Advanced Functions and Modeling, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC. Occupational Prep requires three units of Occupational Math. Plan your math selections carefully so you will be sure to meet this requirement.

The Class 2012 is required to have one unit beyond Algebra II or Integrated Math III for the College/University Prep Course of Study. The courses that will meet this requirement are Precalculus, Discrete Math, Advanced Functions and Modeling, Integrated Math IV, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC. A student may earn one credit for AP Calculus AB and also one credit for AP Calculus BC.

10. On pages 35, 36, 37 and 38 in the High School Handbook, the Career Center courses are typed in blue. You can determine a course is taught at the Career Center because there is a “CC” after the course title.

11. All students, including those interested in Career Center courses, MUST sign up for 8 classes. Most students going to the Career Center will need time to travel, so you need to fill out a form indicating which course you would like to drop if it is necessary. The course you intend to drop cannot be a Career Center course. Career Center vocational courses are 2-period courses. You will also be registering for English (honors, Regular or AP) at the Career Center.

Several Career Center courses have prerequisites that must be met before you may enroll in the course. Early Childhood Education I requires Parenting and Child Development, Allied Health Science I requires Biology, and Culinary Arts and Hospitality I requires Foods I.

Take into consideration your graduation needs when selecting these classes.

Students interested in the Allied Health Science program at the Career Center should register this way: Rising juniors (Class of 2013) – Allied Health Science 1 and Health Science 2 [each of these courses are for one credit]; rising seniors (Class of 2012) – Allied Health Science 2 [this course is for two credits].

*The only changes in Career Center vocational courses after school opens will be from one Career Center course to another one - not back to the home school.

Those students who need to ride the bus to the Career Center are asked to enroll in three classes at the Career Center. It is almost certain that those riding the bus will need a travel period, therefore only seven classes can be scheduled.

Those students needing bus transportation to the Career Center may take three Advanced Placement courses. If you do not wish to choose three, you may take US History, Global Science Issues, Exploration of Alternative Energies, Shakespeare, or Teacher Cadet on the honors level.

Students who select courses at the Career Center need to be willing to make this commitment for the entire year. Once a course is scheduled there, students will not be allowed to drop the course. Think seriously about your ability to handle a course academically and your ability to provide your own transportation if not riding the bus. Students must complete a Travel Request Form.

12. Japanese I, Japanese II, Chinese I, Chinese II, AP World History, and AP Environmental Science are the only courses offered at the Career Center that students can take in grade 10. A few students may be assigned to AP Chemistry in grade 10 if they are taking Precalculus, are strong math students and are making an A in Honors Biology. The student needs to talk to the Career Center teacher about permission to enroll in the course and the summer work that is required. You must be able to provide your own transportation.

13. Please make sure to obtain teacher assignments and signatures for English, science, math, or social studies classes.

14. If you desire to register for a course that a teacher does not assign, a Parent/Student Course Choice Request form must be completed to register for the course. You and your parent are encouraged to discuss this difference in a course selection with the teacher.

15. Taking an Advanced Placement course is actually taking a college-level course while in high school. Careful consideration needs to be given in selecting which course and/or how many courses to pursue in this area because of the extra amount of work and time that will be required outside the classroom. Students who take AP Courses are required to take AP exams. If the exam is not taken, the course will be listed on the transcript with a final grade one grade lower than the student earned. An exam deposit of fifty percent will be collected at the end of first quarter. The fee is currently $87 per course. Students pay for a maximum of three AP exams and the fees for the fourth and subsequent exams will be paid by the Board of Education, budget permitting. There is a fee reduction for those on free/reduced lunch.

16. A new course will be offered next year titled Study Seminar. It will receive no grade or credit. This course is for seniors only who are scheduled for three or more Advanced Placement courses or five or more honors courses. Seniors who are scheduled for this course will be assigned to a classroom or an area designated by Mr. Telford.

17. Students interested in taking a dual enrollment course at one of our postsecondary institutions, such as Forsyth Tech, must see their counselor for more details. There will probably be a tuition increase from the $169.50 now charged for a course. Students will be responsible for books (around $150) and fees (usually around $25). Enrollment in the class must reach 20-25 students to support offering the class. Courses will probably be offered at 8 a.m. MWF. The schedule for available courses is not available yet. Students are not to write a Forsyth Tech course on their registration card. An announcement will be made when application materials are available in guidance. There are prerequisites for courses. In addition, students must have minimum SAT Math Score of 500 and Critical Reading score of 480 or appropriate scores on the Computerized Placement Test.

18. No student will be able to indicate a desire to take weightlifting as a course at this time. Because our weight room facility is limited to space, enrollment will be kept to a safe capacity. This course will be scheduled with West Forsyth varsity athletes being given first priority. Students will know at the beginning of the course whether they are in the class.

19. The Career Prep Course of Study for the class of 2012 will allow 4 units of dance as an appropriate career pathway to graduate. If you choose this option, you must also have two semesters of PE because the dance course cannot fulfill both requirements.

20. All classes must have 4 units of science that would include 1 unit of Earth/Environmental Science, 1 unit of a Physical Science and 1 unit of Biology. The Physical Science course requirement may be met by taking Physical Science, Chemistry, Physics, AP Chemistry, or AP Physics.

21. Students not doing well in English (low C or D grade) are advised not to wait until their senior year to take the second year of a foreign language course.

22. SAT preparation course - juniors and seniors only - should have taken the PSAT or SAT and completed Geometry. The course has proven to be more beneficial to juniors because they have time to take the SAT several times, whereas seniors do not. Critical reading will be a quarter and math will be a quarter.

23. West will offer eight Advanced Placement courses on our campus: AP English Language and Composition; AP English Composition and Literature; AP US History; AP Psychology; AP World History; AP Environmental Science; AP Calculus AB and AP Human Geography. Students may choose to take these courses at West or the Career Center.

24. We are requesting three more Advanced Placement courses be taught at West in 2011-2012. The courses are: AP Biology, AP Government & Politics: US/AP Government & Politics: Comparative (GoPo), and AP Microeconomics/AP Macroeconomics. If you are interested in one or more of these courses, you need to complete a “Potential Advanced Placement Course at West Forsyth” form.

25. The course content of Journalism I / Yearbook I will be a semester of Newspaper and a semester of Yearbook.

26. A student can take both Computer Science –Regular- and Computer Science- Honors – with one credit for each course. Both courses count as an elective math credit in all courses of study for the Class of 2012. However, they do not meet the one math beyond Algebra II or Integrated Math III requirement for the College University Prep course of study.

27. AP Psychology is available to rising juniors and seniors both at West and the Career Center. A regular level Psychology course will be taught at West for rising juniors and seniors. Because psychology is a social science, US History or Civics and Economics teachers are the ones who can give you an assignment for either of these courses.

28. AP World History will be taught at West and the Career Center. It is an excellent course to take after you have completed the World History required in grade 9.

29. Allied Health Science is a course heavy with sciences – Anatomy and Biology. Grades and attendance will be considered when assigning students to this course.

30. The National Academy Foundation (NAF) established the Academy of Finance in 1982. West Forsyth will be starting their tenth group of academy students in the 2011-2012 school year. NAF states the Academy of Finance introduces students to the broad career opportunities in the financial services industry and, in the process, equips them to make sound choices for the future. The Academy of Finance is a three-year academic program for honors-level students that augments standard curricula. Academy of Finance students take one or two specialized courses each year, and a college-level course in their senior year.

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