Bismarck High School Freshmen Guide

Bismarck High School Freshmen Guide

Table of Contents Counseling Office Staff and Mission Statement. 3 Daily Schedules & Grading Scales.. 4 Now That You re Here 5 Career Advisor: Planning & Exploration Services.. 6 Starting High School... 7 High School Terms & Definitions... 8 Pathways to Graduation... 9 Planning Ahead. 10 ND State Scholarship Opportunities.. 11 Standardized Testing. 12 BHS: The Other Side of School 13 Bismarck High School Information... 14 Bismarck High School Athletics... 15 Bismarck High School Counseling Office 800 N 8th Street Bismarck, ND 58504 (701) 323-4802 Phone (701) 323-4906 Fax www.bhs.bismarckschools.org/bhs/bhscounseling

Counselors Steven Meier (A-F) Kayla Boepple (G-K) Barb Coyle (L-R) Julie Berg (S-Z) Counseling Office Staff Email steven_meier@bismarckschools.org kayla_boepple@bismarckschools.org barb_coyle@bismarckschools.org julie_berg@bismarckschools.org Registrar Michelle Schmidt Career Advisor Laura Sturn michelle_schmidt@bismarckschools.org laura_sturn@bismarckschools.org Mission Statement The mission of the Bismarck High School Counseling Office is to be a valuable resource to students and parents regarding academic, career, and personal/social issues. Counseling services include the following: New Student Orientation & Scheduling - Counselors will assist new students as they adapt to a new school. Individual Counseling - Students may consult with the counselors before, during, and after school. Appointments are not necessary. Testing Services - Information and application forms for the ACT Testing Program or SAT program are available in the Counseling Office. Career Information - Representatives from colleges, technical and private schools and the armed forces visit the school throughout the school year. Scholarships, financial assistance, and college applications are also available in the Counseling Office. Referrals - Counselors are available to help students when referrals are necessary for health and community services, social services, vocational rehabilitation, speech therapy, post high school education, and occupational information. Parent/Teacher Conferences - These may be arranged by the counselor upon the request of either the parent or the teacher. Homebound Program - In some cases when students are confined to the hospital or at home for a lengthy period, the school system provides visiting teacher assistance. Arrangements must be made by the counselors. A doctor's statement on inability to attend classes is required for this program.

Daily Schedules and Grading Scales BHS Class Schedule EB 7:20-8:10 Period 1 820:-9:10 Period 2 9:14-10:04 BHS Grading Scale A 100-92 B 91-83 C 82-74 D 73-65 F 64-0 Period 3 10:08-10:58 Period 4/ Lunch A 11:02-11:52 Period 5/ Lunch B 11:56-12:46 Period 6/ Lunch C 12:50-1:40 Period 7 1:44-2:34 Period 8 2:38-3:28 Career Academy Grading Scale A 100-93 B 92-86 C 85-78 D 77-70 F 69-0 Career Academy Schedule Leave BHS Bus Schedule Leave CA Block A EB-1 7:25-8:55 7:10 9:00 Block B 1-2 8:20-9:50 8:05 9:55 Block C 2-3 9:25-10:55 9:15 11:00 Block D 5-6 11:55-1:25 11:40 1:30 Block E 7-8 1:58-3:28 1:45 3:33

Now That You re Here Your Locker: Memorize your combination as soon as possible, but keep it written down in a safe place and don t share it with anyone. Think about where you can squeeze locker stops into your schedule. Lunch Time: If you plan to eat at school, you can put money into a debit account at the main office and use your student ID number. You can also pay with cash. MyPaymentsPlus www.mypaymentsplus.com MyPaymentsPlus can be used to view your child s meal account balance online, see what your child is purchasing in the cafeteria, make payments to your child s meal account and pay activity fees. Parking: If you will be driving to school, you must stop in the attendance office and purchase a parking permit ($5). Vehicles without a permit will receive $5 fines. All other parking violations will receive $10 fines. Attendance: Regular attendance is the #1 school success factor and requires maximum cooperation of parents, students and school. All absences from school fall into one or two categories: excused or unexcused. An excused absence will be given for personal illness or injury, death in the immediate family, emergency care or personal/family situations. An unexcused absence will be given when none of the other excuses apply. To ensure that an absence is excused, the parent/guardian must make a verification call to the Attendance Office at 323-4800 PREFERABLY ON THE DAY OF THE ABSENCE between 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The number of absences per semester is limited to 10 per class. When the number of absences in a class exceeds 10, the course grade will be recorded as an FC (failing grade due to credit loss) which grants no credit for the class and counts as an F in the student s GPA. The only exceptions to the above absence limit are school-sponsored activities, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspensions and medical absences with a signed doctor s excuse stating the specific time that the student was not able to be in school. Unusual situations or exceptions will be considered by the administration. In order to move onto the next grade level, a student must earn a minimum of five credits. In addition to credit loss after 10 absences, a student under 16 can be cited for truancy and his or her parent can be cited under North Dakota s compulsory attendance law.

Career Advisor: Planning and Exploration Services SERVICES: One-on-One Consultations Career Assessments, Interest Inventories, Career Exploration, Goal-Setting & Post-Secondary Planning Career Information Handouts, Magazines, Books, & Online Resources Job Search Skills Job Search Information, Occupational Outlook Data, Cover Letter Preparation, Resume Development, Interviewing & Employability Training Other WorkKeys Testing, Classroom Presentations, & Career Fairs OPPORTUNITIES FOR JUNIORS & SENIORS: Job Shadow Experience: A job shadow experience involves a planned observation at a work-site in order to gain knowledge or information about a particular career. Job shadows are designed to allow students a snapshot of a career while learning as much as possible in a short period of time. Career Forum Event (2 to 4 hour event conducted within a group setting) A career forum allows students to experience a career or variety of careers at one business, but participation is conducted in a group setting rather than on an individual basis. Career Forums take place periodically throughout the school year, so watch the school announcements for interesting opportunities that might be a good fit for you. Internship (75 hours or more; opportunity for school credit) An internship is a paid or unpaid experience in which a student is teamed with a company or organization to learn on-the-job skills and to take what s been learned in the classroom and apply it to the world of work. Laura Sturn, Career Advisor Bismarck High School 701.323.4356 Bismarck Technical Center, Room 254 laura_sturn@bismarckschools.org 1200 College Dr. Bismarck, ND 58501 Mrs. Sturn will be available at Bismarck High School two days per week during the 2017-18 school year. See your counselor for more information.

Starting High School Tutoring Options Tutoring is offered for every morning (except Wednesday) from 7:30-8:10. Any student can attend tutoring if needed. Some students may be required by a teacher to attend tutoring on scheduled days. Freshmen Advisory Time All freshmen eat lunch during the last 30 minutes of period 5. The first 20 minutes is a structured scheduled time. Most days of the week students (groups of 12-15 students) will meet in a classroom with their assigned advisor. Other days they may meet as a large group in the gym. Topics that may be covered during advisory time include but are not limited to: Test Taking Tips/Study Skills High School Requirements/Opportunities Bullying/Harassment Healthy Relationships High School Course Opportunities Mental Health/Suicide Awareness Healthy Decision Making/Brain Development Job Search/Application Process/Resume Building Service Learning Assistant Principals Mr. Ryan Johnson and Mrs. Lynette Johnson serve as the Bismarck High School Assistant Principals. They are available to assist with disciplinary concerns, attendance, and various other situations. Mr. Johnson will work with students that have the last names starting with A-K and Mrs. Johnson will work with students with the last names starting with L-Z. Like our Facebook Page, Bismarck High School, to stay informed and up to date on all things Bismarck High!

High School Terms and Definitions ACT: A set of college admissions tests. Most colleges now accept either the SAT or the ACT for admissions purposes. All students will take the ACT during their junior year. ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP): A series of voluntary exams based on college-level courses taken in high school. High school students who do well on one or more of these exams have the opportunity to earn credit, advanced placement, or both for college. ASPIRE: A practice ACT test that is given at the Freshman level CLASS RANK: Your class rank is used to show where students stand in relation to other members of their class. The student with the highest GPA is number one, the student with the next highest GPA is number two, etc. Because GPA s are used to calculate class rank, you must have a high GPA to have an impressive class rank. CLOSED CAMPUS: It refers to a high school that does not allow students to leave the campus for lunch or does not allow students to come and go without permission during the school day. CREDIT LOSS: The loss of credit in a class after 10 absences. GPA: Your cumulative Grade Point Average is simply the average of your semester grades starting with your freshman year. Your Grade Point Average is important because colleges and employers will use it to help them determine what kind of a student or employee you will be. SAT (Standardized Achievement Test): Also known as the SAT Reasoning Test (formerly called Scholastic Aptitude Test), this test is widely used as a college entrance examination. Scores can be compared to state and national averages of seniors graduating from any public or private school. SEMESTER: A half-year; can refer to either Fall (1 st semester) or Spring (2 nd semester). TEST EXEMPTION: Having the option of not taking final exams if the student has missed 2 or less days in each class. TRANSCRIPT: A transcript is a document that details a student s academic achievement in grades 9-12. Transcripts contain: grades and credits for each course completed; cumulative gpa and class rank; college admission test scores. WEIGHTED GRADES: Bismarck Public Schools utilizes weighted grades for Advanced Placement (AP) courses. A grade in a weighted course is worth more than in a non-weighted course. For example, an A in an AP course is worth five points instead of the usual four points.

Pathways to Graduation Academic Planning for Bismarck High School Students must complete a minimum of 24 credits to graduate from BHS. Schedule Requirements: Freshmen must carry a minimum of seven (7) hours of class each semester, of which two (2) can be a music performance class. Sophomores and juniors must carry a minimum of six (6) hours of class each semester, of which two (2) can be a music performance class Seniors are required to carry a minimum of five (5) hours of classes each semester of which two (2) can be a music performance class Students can apply no more than five (5) credits of music performance; (4) credits of journalism toward the minimum graduation requirements.

Planning Ahead 24 Credits Use the following planning guide to plot our courses for grades 9-12. This sheet can help both student and parents make decisions that are in the student s best interest during the critical years ahead. Three elective credits must be in World or Native American Languages, fine arts, or career and technical education courses.

ND State Scholarship Opportunities Any resident student who graduates from high school and meets all eligibility requirements may receive a North Dakota Academic Scholarship or a North Dakota Career and Technical Education Scholarship in the amount of $750 per semester or $1,500 for the academic year to attend college in North Dakota ($6,000 max award). North Dakota Academic Scholarship Course requirements: 1 credit of Algebra II 1 credit of mathematics for which Algebra II is a prerequisite 2 credits of same foreign language, Native American language, Sign Language, or CTE Coordinated plan of study 1 credit of fine arts or career and technical education (CTE) 1 additional credit of fine arts, CTE, or foreign language 1 credit of an Advanced Placement (AP) course and exam or ½ credit of a dual credit course 1. Obtain a grade of at least a C in each unit or.5 unit required for the diploma and scholarship 2. Obtain a cumulative grade point average of at least a B (3.0) 3. Receive a composite score of at least a 24 on an ACT 4. It is recommended that the ACT be completed by the February test date of senior year to ensure that ND DPI receives scores by the June 5 deadline. North Dakota Career and Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship Course requirements: 1 credit of Algebra II 2 credits of an approved coordinated plan of CTE coursework. Coordinated plans of study can be viewed at www.nd.gov/cte/programs/career-dev/plans-of- study.html or stop in the counseling office 2 additional units of CTE 1 additional elective credit of CTE, foreign languages, or fine arts 1. Obtain a grade of at least a C in each unit or.5 unit required for the diploma and scholarship 2. Obtain a cumulative grade point average of at least a B (3.0) 3. Receive a composite score of at least a 24 on an ACT or a score of at least a 5 on each of the three required WorkKeys assessments: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information, Reading for Information. 4. Contact Mrs. Sturn BHS Career Advisor, to schedule the WorkKeys exam.

BHS: The Other Side of School Course work is the core of your school day, but your school experience is about so much more. Take advantage of the new opportunities all around you - don t resist them. Getting involved is a great way to make friends and build self-esteem.

Bismarck High Sports Sport Contact Baseball Jim Patton (400-4390) B. Basketball Jordan Wilhelm (426-3180) B. Cross Country Darrell Anderson (391-8880) G. Cross Country Scott Reichenberger (400-6134) Cheer Renee Parker (214-7427) Drill Team Jen Holwegner (226-5600) Lauren Bjork (391-8811) Figure Skating Missy Theel (527-0115) Football Mark Gibson (527-0115) B. Golf Scott Bergan (220-3963) G. Golf Lindsay Reede (202-8759) Gymnastics Linda Grina (426-9804) Kim Duursma (516-2583) B. Hockey Mike Peluso (471-2483) G. Hockey Tim Meyer (391-6117) B. Soccer Andy Foss (426-6012) G. Soccer Andy Foss (426-6012)

School Athletics Sport Contact G. Softball Kurt Grensteiner (202-0017) G. Swimming Cale Schafer (963-0693) B. Tennis Justin Zainhofskey (471-9725) G. Tennis Erik Hanson (333-8006) B. Track Darrell Anderson (391-8880) G. Track Tim Kolsrud (471-9690) Volleyball Shei Hewson (290-0044) Wrestling Jeff Schumacher (471-9237) BHS Activities Directors Scott Nustad (527-2241) Dave Zittleman