Decatur High School Presentation to Parents and Students of the Class of 2019 March 31, 2015

Decatur High School Contacts Jeff Russell—Principal Sheila McCollum—Assistant Principal, Students A-L Debbie Boatright—Assistant Principal, Students M-Z Neal Hall—Counselor, Students A-L Paige Liggett—Counselor, Students M-Z Rene’ Fuller—STAAR/ACT/SAT, College & Career Readiness

High School Bell Schedule ThursdayTutorials—7:30 2 nd 8:00-9:30 4 th 9:35-11:10 6C 11:14-12:44 6L 12:01-1:31 8 th 1:35-3:05 FridayTutorials—7:30 1 st 8:00-9:30 3 rd 9:35-11:10 5C 11:14-12:44 5L 12:01-1:31 7 th 1:35-3:05 Students will be able to earn 8 credits each year. Mon/Tues/WedTutorials—7:30 1 st 8:00-8:47 2 nd 8:51-9:38 3 rd 9:42-10:29 4 th 10:33-11:22 5C 11:26-12:17 5L 12:11-1:02 6 th 1:06-1:53 7 th 1:57-2:44 8 th 2:48-3:35

The Plan for the Class of 2019 All students will be on the Multidisciplinary Endorsement. Students completing Algebra 2 as part of this endorsement will also earn the Distinguished Level of Achievement and be eligible for top 10% and automatic admission to state universities. All students will complete a projected 4-year plan before the end of their 8 th grade year using Career Cruising. During student’s freshman year, counselors will have a mandatory meeting with student and parent to review student’s graduation plan and anticipated courses. Parent signature will be obtained at this meeting to comply with state law.

DHS Requirements for Multidisciplinary Endorsement with Distinguished Level of Achievement 26 Total Credits English 1, 2, 3, & 4 Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 4 th Math Biology, Chemistry, Physics, 4 th Science World Geography, World History, US History, Government/Economics 2 credits of Spanish 1 PE credit 1 Fine Art credit 6 elective credits

Performance Acknowledgements Students may earn Performance Acknowledgements for outstanding performance in the following areas: AP, PSAT, ACT-Plan, SAT, ACT Exams Bilingualism and Biliteracy Dual Credit Courses Nationally or internationally recognized business or industry certification or license Performance Acknowledgements are like Advanced Measures from the previous Distinguished Plan, and students will be required to submit documentation to have them included on transcript and diploma.

End of Course Exams In addition to completing required courses, students must also meet passing standards for the following state assessments: English I (Reading/Writing combined) English I (Reading/Writing combined) English II (Reading/Writing combined) English II (Reading/Writing combined) Algebra I Algebra I Biology Biology US History US History

Scheduling Procedures 8 th graders will complete 9 th grade course requests and projected 4-year plan with guidance from counselors on April 9 th and 10 th. (Students with 1 st semester Technology have already completed this process but may make adjustments in Career Cruising through April 10 th.) Any changes to 9 th grade course requests after this date must be made through to your counselor before the last day of school. Requesting changes to courses beyond 9 th grade year is not necessary since 4-year plans will be reviewed and adjusted annually if needed. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY. The master schedule and teacher assignments are generated from your requests, so changes to your schedule after requests have been processed are seldom approved.

When scheduling has been completed (sometime during the summer), you will be able to view your schedule on Skyward Family Access. All requests to change your schedule must be made by Thursday, August 6 th. Only LEGITIMATE requests will be considered. (Requests from students and/or parents for a specific teacher will NOT be considered.) Administrative changes to schedules may occur up until the first day of school, so please check Skyward for the most current schedule. All changes are subject to review/approval by principals and are dependent upon class size and other factors.

Athletics The following sports currently have an athletic period during the school day: FootballSoftball VolleyballBaseball BasketballSwimming Cross CountryGolf All other sports are offered outside the school day. Talk to your coach prior to the start of the season if you plan to earn PE credit through an outside sport.

Designation of Courses for Class Ranking Beginning with the freshman class of , the only courses that count in GPA are core academic courses and Spanish. Electives no longer factor into GPA. Local school board policy regarding GPA and class rank can be found on the DHS website through the Counseling Center site shortcut.

Weighted GPA System SCALEAP, Dual, Honors & PAP Regular A A A B B B C C C *0-69 F0.00

Advanced Courses AP, Dual, Honors, and Pre-AP courses are extremely rigorous and require additional work both in and out of class. Do not sign up for these courses unless YOU are highly committed and SELF-motivated to complete the additional work at an advanced level. If your grade is less than 70 at the first 3 weeks or the first 6 weeks, you will be moved to a regular class. If your grade is less than 75 for first semester, you will be moved to a regular class.

Fish Camp Will be held in August just prior to beginning of the school year. Information will be provided to parents in July.

Accessing Information Skyward Family Access Grades Missing Assignments Teacher addresses Written Daily Announcements Weekly Calendar Student Gaggle Decatur High School website Latest News Video Announcements Upcoming Events Campus Information—Written Daily Announcements

Contact Information A-L: M-Z: STAAR/ACT/SAT, College/Career: Main campus number:

All information can be accessed on our website: Select a School: Decatur High School Campus Information Counseling Center All information can be accessed on our website: Select a School: Decatur High School Campus Information

What should I do now? Talk with your student about what courses he/she should take next year Regular or Honors? Choose electives Choose two alternates If your student has already completed his/her 4-year plan, changes may be made in Career Cruising until April 10 th. Check requests in Skyward and inform counselor if there is a mistake (announcement will be made when requests are ready to view) Attend meeting with counselor during student’s freshman year