January 2016 WHS School Counseling Team Website: www.whscounselingcenter.com Twitter: @WHSCollegeReady
School Counseling Staff Mrs. Babb Registrar Mrs. Shobe Counseling Secretary Counselors: Mrs. Busack & Mrs. Vondersaar Last Names A & IEPs Mrs. Larrison Mrs. Ulsas Mr. Doherty Mrs. Johnston Last Names B E Last Names F L Last Names M R Last Names S Z and EL students
What to Expect During Scheduling Choose your classes and register in Power School by January 31st Feb. 9-26 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! All Juniors required to take English, Math and US History You will need to select 15 credits NOT 15 classes plus two alternate credits Discuss course options with teachers which levels are the best fit for you and your abilities? Prepare yourself for college: schedule a rigorous schedule and plan ahead for your Senior Year
It Starts with Your Transcript Use your transcript to review: Diploma Track Graduation Requirements Total Credits GPA Grade Trends 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 2016-2017
Strength & Conditioning Coaches may recommend Strength & Conditioning for your schedule If so, you will see Strength & Conditioning in your Course Requests in Power School You have the option to keep those in your list of course requests, or you can ask your counselor to remove them in to add other courses.
Diploma Tracks at Westfield High School All student will graduate with one or more of these State of Indiana Diplomas Core 40 WHS students may graduate with the AP Capstone diploma, in addition to an Indiana Diploma AP Capstone Diploma Core 40 with Technical Honors Core 40 with Academic Honors
Core 40 Diploma 42 Total Credits Required English English 9 and 10 English 11 8 Credits Total (2 credits each year) English 11-5 and 11-6 English 11-5 and 11-6 Honors AP Lang & Comp/AP Seminar (3 trimesters and required for AP Capstone) English 12
Core 40 Diploma 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) Students must take either math or a Quantitative Reasoning (QR) course EACH year of high school, including Senior Year
Core 40 Diploma Science 6 Credits Biology (2 credits in Honors, Regular or AP Biology) Physical Science (2 credits of ICP, Chemistry or Physics) 2 additional Science Courses Social Studies 6 Credits 2 credits of World History or 2 credits of 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 Micro or Micro/MacroEconomics)
Core 40 Diploma Physical Education 4 Credits PE I and PE II (1 credit each) Health (1 credit) Advanced Health or Advanced PE (1 credit) Electives 12 Credits At Least 5 Credits of Directed Electives: World Languages Fine Arts Business/Technical
Graduation Requirements: Academic Honors Diploma 47 Total Credits Required 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) A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at graduation No Grade Below a C- in any class required for either Core 40 or AHD Two college-level courses through AP or ACP classes, or specific SAT/ACT scores prior to graduation
AP/ACP Courses Advanced Placement (AP) College-level courses for the prepared student 30 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-ofview rigor, but not an overload Advance College Project (ACP) Indiana University dual credit classes taught at WHS Currently 8 ACP Courses offered at WHS Generally taken in 11 th or 12 th grade 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 Students must have a GPA of 2.7 or higher to enroll for college credit AP/ACP Meet the Teacher Night on April 27 at 6:30 PM
AP Capstone Curriculum AP Seminar taken in 11 th 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 12 th grade Counts as required English 12 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
Your AP Potential Your PSAT scores can help determine which AP classes might be a good fit for you Letters will be sent out to students who have a 60% or higher potential of passing an AP exam Your counselor can also talk with you about AP Potential Discuss the possibility of AP classes with your teachers this year
Graduation Requirements: Technical Honors Diploma 47 Total Credits Required Complete all Core 40 Requirements, plus: Earn 6 HS credits in a CTE college and career prep pathway Earn 6 college credits from dual credit courses in CTE pathway OR Earn a stateapproved, industry based certification or credential A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at graduation No Grade Below a C- in any class required for either Core 40 or THD Two college-level courses through AP or ACP classes, or specific SAT/ACT or Accuplacer scores
Technical Honors Diploma at WHS Students at WHS can earn the THD through: Project Lead the Way 8 credits (4 year) Engineering or Biomedical Sciences pathway, including the Capstone courses Business and IT 6 or more high school credits in business & computer classes 6 dual college credits IVY Tech or JEL (Grades 11/12) Pathway designated industry-based certification OR 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 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd 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 Students interested in JEL will sign up for those courses in PowerSchool, just as they would any other course. JEL takes up 6 of the 15 total credits.
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 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 Work Based Learning
Career and Tech Education Through Ivy Tech-Noblesville Ivy Tech classes meet in the afternoon during 4 th and 5 th period Students take classes at WHS 1st, 2nd and 3rd period Ivy Tech classes will count as 6 of your 15 credits. Classes Offered: Adv. Automation & Robotics Building Construction Trade Technology Design Technology Visual Communications Computing/Informatics
2016-2017 Course Book Course Book and Course Offerings List available online at www.whscounselingcenter.com
What to Look for in the Course Book Title BYOT, Pre-Reqs, Credits, etc. Description CHEMISTRY, ADVANCED PLACEMENT (L) (1-2-3) This is a BYOT class Prerequisite: Successful completion of Chemistry I (1-2) and successful completion of Algebra II (3-4) Recommendation: A in Honors Chemistry I (1-2) and B or better in Algebra II (3-4) A course for grades 11 and 12 Course is at least 25% laboratory A three credit course A Core 40 and AHD course The AP Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalent of the general chemistry course usually taken during the first college year. This course will follow the AP College Board curriculum for Chemistry, which reviews topics from Chemistry I in much greater depth and covers additional content not introduced in first year chemistry. Students who take an AP Chemistry course will develop advanced inquiry and reasoning skills, such as designing a plan for collecting data, analyzing data, applying mathematical routines, and connecting concepts in and across domains. Students in this class should plan on spending a minimum of 1 hour per night on class work. A comprehensive description of this course can be found on the College Board AP Central Course Description web page at: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/
Summer School through IOA Students may take up to 2 credits for free online over the summer Students must register online for courses in April and May at www.indianaonlineacademy.org. Detailed information will be emailed home this spring. Counselors then approve course requests upon registration A great way to retake courses for a higher grade for Academic or Technical Honors Tell your counselor in your individual meeting what classes you plan to take over the summer.
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
Can taking all Honors and AP classes increase my GPA? That depends Student #1 Student #2 PreCalc Honors B+ 3.8 Honors English 11-5 C+ 2.8 College Entr Prep B 3.0 Honors Chem I-1 B- 3.2 AP US History C- 2.7 PreCalc A- 3.7 English 11-5 A 4.0 College Entr Prep B 3.0 Chem I-1 A- 3.7 US History A 4.0 Trimester GPA = 3.1 Trimester GPA = 3.68 Responsible Rigor : Students should work to find a balance that works best for them.
College and Careers: Start Planning Now! Visit College Campuses Two excused absences per school year in grades 11 & 12 Utilize your breaks! Shamrock College Rep Day March 16 th in the WHS Main Gym Greater Indianapolis Northside College Fair March 16 th at the Ritz Charles from 6:30-8:00 pm College Presentations at WHS Listen for announcements and sign up in Naviance Grade 10 College Night Presentation can be found at www.whscounselingcenter.com
SAT and ACT SAT and ACT are standardized exams that are necessary for college applications and college admission Colleges will accept either test score, and will often take the higher score between the two. College-bound students should take BOTH exams at least one time, starting in the winter/spring of Junior Year, and again in the fall of Senior Year. College Entrance Preparation Class Emphasizes SAT preparation Can only be taken in Grade 11 at WHS Also offered through IOA in the summer. ACT: www.actstudent.org SAT: www.collegeboard.org
Preparing for your SAT and ACT Both College Board and ACT have free test prep on their websites Sample test questions and short quizzes Full practice tests Question-of-the-Day: posted on their websites, Twitter and apps Khan Academy and College Board have partnered for free Test Prep for the redesigned SAT Links to your College Board account and your PSAT results Offers personalized practice recommendations https://www.khanacademy.org/sat Test Prep services Can be helpful, but are often costly. Utilize the free services first!
College Admission: Classes to Consider 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!
Important Reminders Have your course requests in PowerSchool by January 31 st Choose 15 credits and 2 alternates Counselors start meeting with students on February 9 Schedules distributed in April. Schedule Change Deadline: May 20 th
Online Scheduling Instructions Use Mozilla Firefox, Chrome or Safari they work better than Internet Explorer Log in to your Power School Account. 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 31 st deadline Have all requests in Power School by January 31 st!!
Adding Alternate Choices
Review Your Course Requests for Accuracy