Highly Capable Program th and 8 th Grade

VHS -Highly Capable Students who are in 7 th and 8 th grade and have been accepted into the Highly Capable Program are being offered a choice of VHS classes or group research as options. VHS is an online high school class VHS seats are limited and are made available based on a ranking system.

VHS -Highly Capable Program Students can choose to participate by semester so they can balance their commitments to the program with other activities they may participate in. Students can access their class through the Internet 24/7. You may need to download some programs to play videos or features on some websites. These programs would be free and available on the Internet. You need to have better than dial up Internet access at home to participate in VHS.

Highly Capable - VHS If the class requires software you will only receive one copy for home use (students who move between residences will need a laptop with Internet access). Students are expected to complete VHS work during our scheduled vacations. If a student will not have access to a computer he or she needs to notify Ms. Kelley and their instructor.

High School Considerations Students do not receive credits that count toward graduation from Chariho High School Students may test out of a course they have taken through VHS if it is a required class or one that is a pre-requisite for another class Students must receive a grade of 80 or better to test out of a class

High School Considerations Transcripts will indicate that a student has taken a VHS class Students can include work from their VHS class in their senior portfolio

VHS Scheduling: Flexibility is the Key! We will work with the student, family, and team to come up with a plan that will try to address the best interests of the student in implementing this program. Students will be scheduled to come to work in the library for one block per day five days a week.

VHS site: Students are required to take a demo course before registering. Demo courses can be found under the “Academics” tab on the VHS Website

VHS Site: Students can also try a Pre-Student Survey questionnaire to help determine if VHS is a good match for them. The survey can be found under the “Info For” tab by following the link for “Students” Primary considerations: –Students work on computers in the library and leave their teams one block per day to do so –VHS teachers will respond but not instantly so students need to develop time management skills

Course Selection To see what classes are offered, please go to the VHS website. Click on the “Academics” tab. On the left side menu you will see a link for VHS Catalog. Follow this link and choose “High School Courses for Middle School Students”. These are the courses your child has to choose from. The “Offering section” of each course description tells what semesters it will be available. Look closely at the Level of the class. “Honors” classes are very difficult and time consuming. It is best to try a “Standard” class if it is the first time a student has taken a VHS course.

Course Selection We prefer to teach students Algebra here at CMS. Math is a difficult subject to learn online. If you child needs advanced work in math please speak to us and we will handle it internally. Prior experience would make us not recommend Intro to Chemistry. It is an extremely difficult course for students who have not completed Algebra. The same can be said for Video Game Design Using Game Maker.

Course Selection Young Adult Literature does have some mature themes. You can check the course description for the books that will be used in the course. Democracy in America has very high level reading and some mature themes. It would not be recommended for 7 th grade students. Check out the prerequisites listed on the VHS Website on the “Academics” tab with the link to the VHS Catalog while trying to determine what courses will be a good fit

VHS- Highly Capable VHS classes are expensive and we ask that students make a commitment to working hard to complete them VHS classes on average require an additional five to six hours a week on top of the in-school scheduled time of one block per day Team teachers will work hard to make accommodations for VHS students

Highly Capable Research Group A research group will be scheduled for each semester. The group will meet three times per week.

Highly Capable Research Group Scheduling of the group is based on staff availability and is not flexible Teachers will make accommodations for students in the research group

Highly Capable Research Group Work time outside of the scheduled school day may be up to three hours per week. They will engage in a research project that will focus on the integration of technology and the creation of projects that reflect an intellectually challenging research question

Mix and Match Scheduling allows students to participate in the program for one semester or two. Students can mix taking a VHS course one semester with participating in the research group another semester as long as VHS seats are available.

Any Questions or Concerns Kate Kelley ext 2240

Highly Capable Program Thank you for your time and consideration. We hope this will be a wonderful opportunity for our students!