1. VF Middle School Class of 2022
8th to 9th Transition
VF Middle School
Class of 2022

2. Upcoming Events & Deadlines
February 1, 2018
Your parents go to CHS to hear presentations from Counselors and department chairpersons regarding curriculum and credit requirements. Bring your Program of Studies home! Your parents need bring your Program of Studies!!!
February 5, 2018
CHS counselors visit VFMS 8th graders in math classes and give out course selection cards. CHS counselors will go over, in detail, the Conestoga course selection process.
**Students should have their Program of Studies booklet with them.
February 9, 2018
Conestoga Special Areas and Core Class Department Chairs visit VFMS and make presentations to 8th graders regarding course offerings, credit requirements, and other curricular information.
Special Areas:  8:00am - 8:45am (1st period)
Core: 12:10pm - 1:44pm (6th & 7th periods)
February 5-15, (9 SCHOOL days to get teacher recs)
8th grade teachers will make recommendations on students’ course selection cards.
February 20, 2018 (Tuesday)
Completed course selection cards are due back to Mr. Sola.
‘Green Cards’ must have teacher (for recs), parent, and student signatures on it
Late submissions will receive lower priority for electives!

3. CREDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR 9-12
English 4.0
Social Studies 3.0
Science 3.0
Math 3.0
These are minimum requirements; most college-bound students will take these core courses all four years at CHS
Core Electives 2.0
Must include at least one course in each of these three areas:
Visual & Performing Arts
Business & Technology
Family and Consumer Sciences
Health & Phys Ed 1.9
Electives 5.1

4. World Language Requirements
Level 1, 2 – CHS; if changing languages for 9th, must take minimum of 2.0 credits
Level CHS; if continuing same Middle School language for 9th, must take minimum of 1.0 credits in same language and 1.0 elective in any other course.
French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Latin
every student must finish at least one Level 2 or 3 language course at CHS
4 years of same language is strongly recommended by the department
If you plan on taking two languages your freshman year – please see Mr. Sola to plan your electives

5. COURSE LEVELS: Academic (A)
serious academic studies- pace is modified to accommodate the individual needs and abilities of the students. College-prep level.
Accelerated (X)
solid foundation for success in most colleges and universities. Pace is accelerated and the workload is demanding.
Honors (H)
taught at high school level, but like AP courses, provide greatest challenge and best preparation for success at academically rigorous colleges.
Advanced Placement (AP)
college-level courses taught according to syllabi prescribed by The College Board Advanced Placement Program. Possible college credit can be awarded by the college through AP tests.

6. Course Levels – 9th grade Core classes
SCIENCE
Biology
AP, H, X, A
SOCIAL STUDIES
World History
ENGLISH
World Literature
H, X, A
MATH
Next level after 8th grade math class
Offered: H, X, A for all freshman math classes
Except Algebra-1 (offered at X and A levels only)
LANGUAGES
French, German, Latin, Spanish, Italian, Chinese
Offered: H, X, A for levels 1-3.

7. AP COURSES – 9th Grade
AP courses offered to 9th graders for core, required courses are:
Biology
World History
AP classes are for students with:
Strong reading and writing skills
Strong motivation ( pages of text + note-taking)
College-level text books
Strong organizational and study skills
Speed matters: reading and notes
For students who have excellent attendance

8. HEALTH – 9th grade Freshman Health is now called “Health & Fitness”
Semester course meeting every day (6/6 days of cycle)
4/6 days Health
2/6 days Phys. Ed. (lab)

9. PHYS. ED. – 9th Grade Called “PE – 9” in 9th grade
Requirement for ALL students
One semester course
Meets 2/6 days of the cycle
PE required in 10th through 12th …EVERY semester
After 9th grade, students can substitute Core PE with “alternative experiences” (CHS team sports, ‘extended experience’, etc)

10. Periods Per Cycle
Students must schedule 36 (min.) and 42 (max.) periods per cycle
Exceptions not counted towards the 42 class period cap:
ESL
Academic Seminars
Co-Curriculars
Writing: Spoke (newspaper), Lit. Mag., Yearbook
Science Olympiad
Music Groups: Camerata, Chanteuses, Chorale, Concert Band, Concert Choir, Jazz Band, Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Wind Ensemble
Experiential Learning Opportunities:
ELO (online courses, service learning)
Science labs

11. STUDENT BLOCK SCHEDULE
1st Semester
2nd Semester
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Period 1
Period 2
Period 3
Period 4
Period 5
Period 6
Period 7
Period 8

12. 9th Grade Student’ BLOCK SCHEDULE
1st Semester
2nd Semester
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Period 1
Period 2
Period 3
Period 4
Period 5
Period 6
Period 7
Period 8
WORLD LITERATURE
WORLD HISTORY
MATH
BIOLOGY
WORLD LANGUAGE
HEALTH & FITNESS
PE 9
ELECTIVE
ELECTIVE
ELECTIVE
STUDY HALL
STUDY HALL

13. LUNCH
There are four 30-minute lunch periods per day (in either 5th or 6th period)
You find out first day of school which lunch you have.
Lunch does not count towards 42 periods per semester

14. ENGLISH CO-CURRICULARS
Applications due back to your English teacher
Yearbook February 28, 2018 (tentative)
Newspaper (Spoke) February 28, 2018
Lit. Mag. February 28, 2018
See your English teachers for applications
Multimedia Magazine English co-curricular elective
If you are applying to Yearbook, Spoke, or Lit Mag. – sign up for Multimedia Magazine
If you are not accepted to Yearbook, Spoke or Lit. Mag. as a freshman - taking Multimedia Magazine will provide students with journalism training that will:
enable students to acquire the skills needed to increase the likelihood of acceptance into the publication of choice for their sophomore year
If you are accepted to one of the three publications for 9th grade – Multimedia Magazine will be dropped from your schedule.

15. See Mr. Sola Make an appointment! Before school After school
Lunch or lunch activity
Make an appointment!