Current 10th/R11 Course Selection for the 2018-19 school year November 13 & 15, 2018

How do I know which courses my student needs? You are not alone. Academic Advisors review each student’s path and plan before we meet every year. We bring along a Course Request Worksheet which we have already largely completed taking into account graduation requirements, transfer requirements, path, plan, and student interest. Any choice left to the student is one that will not adversely impact graduation.

Academic Advisors prepare and send home Course Request Worksheet the completed Course Request Worksheet, current schedule, and transcript every year. In the annual path and plan review, Academic Advisors give each student a document package to bring home for parent review. Expect a document package to come home, every year. This annual document package includes the Course Request Worksheet that your Academic Advisor has completed with your student, a list of course offerings, your student’s current schedule, and transcript. Please check your student’s backpack. 9th – 10th Grade Course Request Worksheet

Annual Cycle: Course Requests, Verifications, and Schedule Change Requests October 9th Grade Course Selection November 10th Grade Course Selection December/January 8th Grade Course Selection February 11th Grade Course Selection March Course Requests are Entered March Course Verification 1 is sent home and returned with any change requests April Course Verification 2 is sent home and returned with any change requests May Course Verification 3 is sent home and returned with any change requests June/July Schedule is mailed home with instructions re how to request change in August August Advisors host in person Schedule Change Requests the week before school starts Course Selection Last Chance/Wrong Class Requests Entered In person Schedule Change Requests ADVISOR Course Verifications and Written Change Requests

VERY IMPORTANT Students are given 5 opportunities to select courses. Consequently, after August Schedule Change Week, no schedule change request will be considered. Once school starts, the only schedule changes that will be made are those initiated by Administration. No request to change classes, teachers, or periods will be considered. There are no mid-year/2nd semester schedule changes.

Academic Advisors’ Parent Education Series In a perfect world, students would share with their parents the information we convey when we meet to review their path and plan and select courses for next year, but... we are parents and we know that does not happen. So, as we work our way through each grade level, Academic Advisors host Parent Education Seminars. Seminars are offered in the evenings, during the same month we meet with grade level students. This way, we are able to present to parents the same information we share with students.

The most important decision you and your student will make in course selection for junior year, is whether or not to pursue the IB diploma. The IB diploma is a 2 year sequence of courses, so if you choose the IB diploma, you are choosing your student’s courses for both Junior and Senior years.

CATE (CA/CH/CC/CE) OPTIONS What are your choices? MAGNET TRANSFERS MUST PURSUE THE IB DIPLOMA CATE TRANSFERS MAY CHOOSE THE IB DIPLOMA OR THE IB CAREER RELATED PROGRAM ZONED/BO/OOD/IB MAY CHOOSE THE IB DIPLOMA OR TAKE ONLY CERTAIN OF LAMAR’S IB COURSE OFFERINGS CATE (CA/CH/CC/CE) OPTIONS IB DIPLOMA IB CAREER RELATED PROGRAM LEVEL 4 LANGUAGE B LEVEL 2 LANGUAGE B 5 YEARS OF MATH 4 YEARS OF MATH 6 TESTS 2 TESTS CAS PROJECT & EXTENDED ESSAY CAREER RELATED PROJECT WITH LANGUAGE B COMPONENT TOK THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE WAS ATL/GTIS IS NOW: PPS PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

What are the requirements specific to the IB diploma?

Graduation Requirements + IB DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS 4 full year credits of English (English 1, 2, 3, and 4) 4 full year credits of Math (Alg1, Geom, Alg2, AQRr/PreCal/IB Math 1). 4 full year credits of Social Studies (WGeo, WHx, USHx, Govt/Eco*) 4 full year credits of Science (Bio, Chem, Physics, Science SL – Bio/Chem/Phy/or EnvSys) 2 full year credits of a language other than English (Sp, Fr, Ch, Arabic) 1 full year credit PE (athletics and ROTC count) 1 full year credit of Fine Arts (Choir, Dance, Orchestra, Band, Piano, Theatre, Music Media) Or 2 years of a PE/Fine Arts combo: MBand/Band, Drill/Dance, and Cheer/Dance. .5 credit in Health 5.5 elective credits (Lamar offers many elective options, including 5pt/full year Govt &/orEco* ) ____________________ 26 credits total (not just any 26 credits, but the 26 credits listed above + IB Math 2 + years 3&4 including TOK A&B, 3SL & 3HL testing level courses, CAS hours & the Extended Essay

Please read this entire form carefully. Everything written on the form is important.

TA/OA/Govt GEOMETRY A GEOMETRY B

IB Testing Plan SL = Standard Level studied subject 1 year HL = Higher Level studied subject 2 years IB Testing Plan HOA IB EXAMINATION PLAN SL/HL TEST YEAR LANGUAGE A ENGLISH 4 HL 12 MATHEMATICS   SOCIAL STUDIES SCIENCE LANGUAGE B AREA 6 MATH SL 12 HOA HL 12 SCIENCE SL 12 SPANISH SL 12 ECON HL 12

Why would my student want to do that extra rigor and work?

Why do the extra rigor and work to pursue the IB Diploma? It is the first question colleges ask your advisor when filling out recommendation forms. You are here. It’s what we do - so well! Public universities in Texas, Colorado, California, and Florida give a of 24 hours of credit to IB diploma recipients attending state colleges. minimum 3. Lamar graduates have received as many as 52 hours of credit based on their scores on the IB diploma SL and HL exams. Even if your student falls short of earning the IB diploma, the rigor of the coursework prepares students for college.

What colleges want… Above all, they look for a strong record in difficult classes Continued rigor through senior year An improving transcript rather than one in decline Improved communication skills especially writing Involvement in outside activities Better for strong record with low scores than vice versa. Finish strong 17 17

Course Recommendations for College Take as much as you can: MATH SCIENCE LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH Drop PIB/IB language for regular 18

Make an ACT/SAT plan The free SAT @ LHS each April during junior year (start preparing now) Access Khan Academy for free online SAT prep at www.khanacademy.org

You will your Academic Advisors on the Lamar homepage, too! Google www.lamarhs.org

Scroll down and you will see Academic Advising on the teal button in the right margin. Click that button. Click here

. . . and this resource page comes up

IB is the most rigorous curriculum offered in High School.   IB is the most rigorous curriculum offered in High School. Junior year can be a BEAST. Even strong students can struggle. That’s why Lamar has resources in place. But where to begin? Who can help?

   If the struggle is academic, your first contact is to email the teacher for a parent/teacher conference. The purpose of the conference is to find out what the teacher is seeing in class and get the teacher’s suggestions about how you can best support your student from home. Ask the teacher to show you how to monitor your student on the HUB and Gradespeed. Monitor your student’s progress and follow up with the teacher as necessary.  

Teacher Tutorials Find dates/times on the teacher’s HUB page   Teacher Tutorials Find dates/times on the teacher’s HUB page

Writing/Social Studies Library Tutorials   Library tutorials Monday – Friday 7:15 – 8:15 am Sciences Biology History English CTE Geometry Algebra Economics 4:05 – 5:35 pm Writing/Social Studies

NHS Peer Tutors Ask in Library Tutorials   NHS Peer Tutors Ask in Library Tutorials

But what if the struggle is not academic, or is not only academic But what if the struggle is not academic, or is not only academic? What if the struggle is Social/Emotional?

The Lamar Success Center CIS’ goal is to build relationships with the students, so that they feel safe telling the team members if they are worried about another student, or struggling themselves. “They know they have someone safe to go to, and then we can support that student. These are growing, developing kids. We can encounter awful times to make us have awful thoughts. We are here for them.” CIS offers academic tutoring in the Student Service Center, Monday through Thursday. SBEGGS@houstonisd.org What is the program? To assist students and their families with needs ranging from academic, to social and behavioral issues, to drug counseling and much more. We engage experts in the community to meet the needs of the student. Who is eligible? Any student at Lamar and their family. atello@houstonisd.org

Questions?

for coming out this evening!