1. Parent Night Class of 2014 September 22 nd, 2010 Home of the Muskrats!

2. To Contact Your Counselor… Mrs. Coss Freshman Students (810) 794-4911 ext. 1281 ncoss@algonac.k12.mi.us Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 am – 2:45 pm

3. Counseling Services Crisis Intervention Academic Issues 504 plan Facilitators Credit Checks/ Graduation Audits Scheduling of Students Peer Mediation Career Counseling TEC Placement College Applications Financial Aide help Local/National Scholarship Coordinators Military Liasions And much more!

4. Visit the AHS Counseling Center Website Website: http://www.protopage.com/ahscounselingcenter

5. AHS Counseling Center Website ACT/SAT Information College and Financial Aid Information FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Contact Information on Counseling Agencies in our Community All public and private colleges and universities in Michigan Transfer guides Much more

6. High School Schedule 1 st Hour: 7:35-8:35 2 nd Hour: 8:40-9:38 3 rd Hour: 9:43-10:41 4 th Hour: 10:46-12:14 Note: 3 Lunches are included in this time. Lunches are determined by the 4 th hour teacher 5 th Hour: 12:19-1:17 6 th Hour: 1:22-2:20 NOTE: Tuesdays and Thursdays will vary slightly due to our seminar rotations.

7. SEMINAR All students have a seminar on Tuesday & Thursday. 30 minutes Various topics including academic assistance, mentoring and character education. Four (4) rotations a year.

8. How many credits do you earn per class/per year? You earn.5 credit for each semester class. So … you should have 6 credits at the end of your freshman year but you can have 5.5 and still be on track. Semester 1Semester 2English 9 (.5)Core II (.5) Biology (.5)Biology (.5)World History (.5)Elective (.5)Elective (.5) = 3 credits 6 credits a year multipled by 4 years = 24 credits

9. How many credits do you need to graduate? You need 23.5 overall credits to graduate You earn 6 credits a year x 4 years of high school = 24 credits Many kids graduate with more than 23.5 credits!

10. Additional Credits Extra-Curricular Activities (.25 Credit Each)  All Sports  Student Council  Quiz Bowl

11. Grade Level Status Students are only promoted to the next grade level when they have attained the required number of credits. You must have at least 5 credits by the end of your freshman year to be a sophomore!

12. What classes do you have to take? 4 English (English all four years) 4 Math (Math all four years) 3 Social Studies – World History, US History, Federal Gov’t & State/Local Gov’t (9 th, 10 th, 11 th grade) 3 Science Health/Gym One credit – Visual, Performing or Applied Art

13. What are the electives? They are the other classes that you take besides what is “required”. Some electives include – band, chorus, newspaper, yearbook, psychology, drawing & painting, drama. You need 6.5 elective credits

14. Required Freshmen Courses 20010/11 School Year Math : Core Plus II or Core Plus II Honors Social Studies: World History English: English 9 or English 9 Honors Science: Biology I & Biology II

15. The High School Transcript Is a record of all the class taken and grades earned in high school. Middle school grades are not reported on the high school transcript. The high school grade point average is cumulative, meaning that all grades are averaged together. The GPA is unweighted. 4-point scale A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, E = 0

16. AHS Ranking System Beginning with the class of 2007, AHS put in place a new ranking system: Suma Cum Laude: 4.0 – 3.67 Magna Cum Laude: 3.66 – 3.3 Cum Laude: 3.29 – 3.0 Ten (10)Summa Cum Laude speakers will be selected to compete for the opportunity to speak at graduation. The rubric is as follows: 1. Overall Grade Point Average 2. ACT Score 3. Class Selection Rigor These ten candidates will be invited to audition in front of a selection committee if they wish to be one of three speakers at graduation.

17. Here are a few pointers for parents… Sign up for Parent Connect. Parent Connect is a great way to see how your child’s grades are looking. Grades are updated daily, so it is always a good idea to look at it everyday. To sign up, bring a photo id and your e-mail address into the AHS main office. Stay in contact with your students teachers. Teacher’s e- mail addresses can be found at the Algonac High School website. E-mail is a great tool because teachers can reply to e-mail’s through out the school day. In many cases, you will get a quicker response if you use e-mail. Teachers generally have to wait until their prep time

18. The high school does not close its doors until 7 pm, and even later on nights when we have athletic events. If your student is constantly telling you that he or she does not have homework, they are not being truthful. Bring them up to the school and go through their locker. We have had many a parent amazed at what they find when they go through their child’s locker. Our teachers are willing to meet with your student before school and after school… your student just needs to ask. Your student also has a 30-minute seminar every Tuesday and Thursday. Students can use this time to meet with their teachers for extra help. Student’s just need to prearrange this with their teachers.

19. A wealth of information can be found at the Algonac High School website. Our web address is www.algonac.k12.mi.us/ahs. While high school students like to be independent from their parents, it is still critical that you be an active participant in their education. Take some time with them every night to look at their binders, papers and homework. While you may not understand what they are doing in math class or science class, it shows that you care and are willing to help them out if they need it.

20. What to Accomplish in 9 th Grade? Take challenging classes. Get good grades! Create a 4-year plan. Develop good study habits. Become involved in school and community. Explore careers. Explore colleges and universities.

21. Check Out College Websites 9 th grade is not too early to begin college planning. Your student should check out the websites of schools that he/she is considering. They are full of a wealth of information including suggested, recommended or even required high school courses. Visit the AHS Counseling Center Website for a list of links to all two and four year collges and universities in Michigan.

22. St. Clair TEC Kids attend TEC during their junior and senior years TEC counts as elective credit Morning TEC students must be to AHS by 6:55 a.m. PM TEC students return to AHS at 3:05 p.m. At AHS 3 hrs/TEC 3 hrs Lots of different programs including, auto body, welding, cosmetology, health careers, constructions, digital media technology and more! You apply for TEC during scheduling in sophomore year.

23. Need Help? Mrs. Coss and Mrs. Blair are always happy to help. Students can see their counselor by requesting an appointment in the counseling center. Thanks for coming.