Hull High School
Grade 8 Course Selection
2011
Paula Maxwell, Acting Principal, MMS
Michael Devine, Principal, HHS
Scott Sivo, Assistant Principal, HHS
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Mission and Core
Values of Hull High
School
Program of Studies
Graduation
Requirements
1. Sample Progressions
What Colleges Want
Expectations for
Student Learning
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Advisory
Co-Curricular
Activities
Daily Schedule
Attendance
Freshmen Schedules
Pre-requisites and
Waivers
Process
Questions
Grade 8 Course Selection 2011
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Mission of Hull High School
Hull High School is committed to
academic excellence, personal
responsibility, and the
development of life-long learners
within the global community.
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Core Values of Hull High School

Life-long Learning
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A culture that develops
essential skills and stimulates
intellectual curiosity to
promote life-long learning.
Integrity

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Creativity

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A culture that expects
integrity and honorable
behavior.
Citizenship

Responsibility

A culture where students take
responsibility for their
academic progress, behavior,
and wellness.

A culture that provides a
rigorous curriculum
promoting creativity in all
classrooms.
A culture that encourages
collaboration, respects
diversity, and empowers
students with the rights,
privileges, and duties of
citizenship.
Service

A culture that promotes
service to others.
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Program of Studies

The 2011-2012 Program of Studies lists:
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All courses offered at HHS
HHS academic policies
Just because it is listed in the P of S does not
mean that the course will run.
We determine which courses will run based on
request and staffing level.
The P of S can be found at:
http://www.town.hull.ma.us/Public_Documents/
HullMA_HighSchClass/homepage
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Graduation Requirements
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All students must earn a minimum of 140 credits in order
to graduate.
All students must carry 42 credits per year (168 credits
total).
All students must earn passing scores on the following
MCAS exams:
 Introduction to Physics – Grade 9
 English / Language Arts – Grade 10
 Mathematics – Grade 10
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Graduation Requirements

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4-years of English
 English 9, 10, 11, and 12
4-years of math
 Algebra I
 Algebra II
 Geometry
 Other
4-years of social studies
 World History II
 US History I*
 US History II*
 Government / Economics
*


4-years of science
 Introduction to Physics
 Biology
 Chemistry
 Other
4-semester of wellness
 Wellness 9
 Wellness 10
 Wellness 11
 Wellness 12
Or AP United States History
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English Progressions
GRADE
9
GRADE
10
GRADE
11
GRADE
12
A
Honors English 9
Honors English 10
AP English Language
AP English Literature
B
Honors English 9
Honors English 10
Honors English 11
Honors English 12
C
English 9
English 10
English 11
English 12
Grade 8 Course Selection 2011
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Math Progressions
GRADE
8
GRADE
9
GRADE
10
GRADE
11
Honors Algebra I
H.Geometry &
Freshmen Math
Honors Algebra II
Honors Pre-Calculus
Algebra I
Geometry &
Freshmen Math
Algebra II
Trigonometry
Honors Pre-Calculus
Pre-Algebra
Algebra I &
Freshmen Math
Geometry
Algebra II
Trigonometry or Topics
in Mathematics
Grade 8 Course Selection 2011
GRADE
12
H/AP Calculus
9
Social Studies Progressions
GRADE
9
GRADE
10
GRADE
11
GRADE
12
A
(H) World History II
AP US History I
Economics/
Government
Other
Elective
B
(CP) or (H) World History
II
CP or Honors
US History I
CP or Honors
US History II
or
AP US History
Economics/
Government
C
(CP) or (H)
World History II
CP or Honors
US History I
CP or Honors
US History II
Grade 8 Course Selection 2011
Economics/
Government
10
Science Progressions
GRADE
9
GRADE
10
GRADE
11
A
Honors
Introductory
Physics
Honors
Biology
Honors
Chemistry & AP
Science Course
Honors Physics &
AP Science
B
Honors
Introductory
Physics
Honors
Biology
Honors Chemistry &
Science Elective
Honors
Physics & Science
Elective
C
Introductory
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
D
Introductory
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Science
Elective
Grade 8 Course Selection 2011
GRADE
12
11
Foreign Language Progressions
A
GRADE
8
GRADE
9
GRADE
10
GRADE
11
GRADE
12
French I
French II
French III
Honors French IV
Honors French V
French I
French II
French III
Honors French IV
Spanish II
Spanish III
Honors Spanish IV
Honors Spanish V/
AP Spanish
Spanish I
Spanish II
Spanish III
Honors Spanish IV
B
C
D
Spanish I
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Hull High School Expectations
for Student Learning
A Hull High School student will:
1. will write effectively for a variety of purposes
2. will read actively and critically
3. will present information and ideas fluently and
comfortably before an audience
4. will be a competent problem solver
5. will develop the knowledge and understanding
necessary for informed citizenship, social action, and
collaboration Grade 8 Course Selection 2011
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Hull High School Expectations
for Student Learning
6. will demonstrate a knowledge of world cultures
7. will understand and apply wellness skills
8. will utilize and evaluate creative skills
9. will use technology appropriately to acquire, integrate,
evaluate, create, and impart information in a knowledge
economy
During their time at Hull High School, all students
must show that they meet or exceed these
expectations.
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What Do the Colleges Want to
See?

UMASS Amherst:

“You will also need to meet certain high school unit requirements
(remember, these are minimums): Four years of English,
three years of college preparatory mathematics (Algebra
II is a minimum requirement), two years of the same
foreign language, three years of science (including two
with a laboratory component), two years of social
science including one course in U.S. History, and two
electives from the above areas, arts and humanities, or
computer science.”

UMASS will recalculate the applicant’s GPA using ONLY
the academic subjects.
http://www.umass.edu/admissions/
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What Do the Colleges Want to
See?

Harvard:

“There is no single academic path we expect all students to
follow, but the strongest applicants take the most rigorous
secondary school curricula available to them. An ideal four-year
preparatory program includes four years of English, with
extensive practice in writing; four years of math; four
years of science: biology, chemistry, physics, and an
advanced course in one of these subjects; three years of
history, including American and European history; and
four years of one foreign language.“

Harvard will recalculate the applicant’s GPA using ONLY the
academic subjects.
http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/index.html
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What Do the Colleges Want to
See?

Boston College:
 “While specific courses are not required, the Undergraduate
Admission Office recommends that students pursue a strong
college preparatory program including four units of English,
mathematics, foreign language, laboratory science, and
social science. The Committee on Admission also looks at the
rigor of your high school program. Students challenging
themselves with Honors, AP, IB, and/or college-level courses
tend to be more competitive in the admission process.”
 BC will recalculate the applicant’s GPA using ONLY the
academic subjects.
http://www.bc.edu/admission/undergrad/process/faq.html
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Advisory
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Each student will be assigned to an advisory.
Students meet with their advisory once each
week for 30 minutes.
This time is used for informational and
educational meetings.
The focus of advisory is to develop community
and to address the social and emotional needs
of the students.
Advisory groups are developed and assigned by
the MMS and HHS staff.
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Co-Curricular Activities
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HHS offers co-curricular programs in:
 Athletics
 Drama
 Music
 Anime
 Mock Trial
 PHI (Community Involvement)
 TALK (Diversity Issues)
 Yearbook
 Student Government
 National Honor Society
All students are encouraged to participate in one or more
co-curricular opportunities.
Research shows that students who are connected to
their school in clubs, teams or activities have greater
success in school.
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Daily Schedule
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School starts at 7:25am
All 7 classes meet daily
Each class is approx. 50 minutes
3 minutes passing time between each
class
24 minute lunch
School ends at 2:00pm
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Attendance
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Credit for courses is awarded on a semester (half-year)
basis. Any student who has more than 8 total unexcused
absences during a semester will be denied half of the
stated credits for that course, unless the student earns
back those days through his/her participation in an
administrator-approved credit recovery program.
Family vacations are not considered excused absences.
Teachers will not be required to provide work prior to a
student leaving for vacation. The student will be
required to make up all missed work upon his/her return
to school.
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Credit Recovery

When a student accumulates more than 8
absences during a semester, the student’s
parent/guardian will be notified by mail. The
student may appeal this denial of credit to the
Attendance Review Board or directly to the
principal. Credit recovery programs may include
(but are not limited to): community service,
internship, increased course work, “borrowing”
days from another semester. In cases of
internships and community service, one hour of
internship or service will equal one hour of
absence.
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Tardy Policies
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Students who miss more than 15 minutes of a class due
to tardiness will be considered absent from that class.
More than eight (8) absences per semester will lead to
loss of credit for the course.
Students must be in their first period class by 7:35 a.m.
and must remain in school for the entire school day in
order to participate in or attend any co-curricular activity
for that day. An administrator’s pre-approval will waive
any penalties. Students who spend a class period in the
nurse’s office will not be eligible to participate or attend
any co-curricular or school events that day.
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Freshman Schedule
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English 9 (CP or Honors)
Geometry or Algebra I (CP or Honors)
Introductory Physics (CP or Honors)
World History II (CP or Honors)
Freshman Writing - ½ Year (non-leveled)
Freshman Math – ½ Year (non-leveled)
Foreign Language (non-leveled)
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French I
Spanish I
Wellness 9 – ½ Year
Elective – ½ Year
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Freshman Writing and Math
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Required of all freshmen
5-week cycles
Math:
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Focus on MCAS and/or PSAT / SAT
preparation
Writing:

Focus on persuasive and analytical writing
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Electives
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Massachusetts requires that all students
take physical education / wellness each
year in school.
All freshman are required to take Wellness
9.
Wellness is a one-semester course.
Freshmen will take Wellness 9 during 1st
or 2nd semester.
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Electives
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All freshmen considering college in the future
should take a foreign language class.
Freshmen will have the opportunity to take a
one-semester elective during their freshman
year, unless they choose not to take a foreign
language class – then they would take 3
electives.
Then, the student will have the opportunity to
take 3 one-semester electives.
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Pre-requisites
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In order to take Honors-level classes,
students must:
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Earn an B or better in their grade 8 class in
that subject area
This is based on the final grade for the year
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Pre-requisites
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Grade 8 to Honors =
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CP to Honors =
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B or better
Honors to AP =
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A- or better
Honors to Honors =
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B or better
B or better
CP to AP =
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A- or better
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Pre-requisite Waiver Request
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Students who do not meet the pre-requisite for
a course may request a waiver.
Waiver found on the high school webpage.
Waivers are due on: June 1, 2011
No waivers received after the deadline will be
considered.
Students who currently meet the pre-requisites
but do not after term 4 will be mailed a letter
and a waiver request at the end of June.
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Pre-requisite Waiver Request
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Waiver decisions will be based upon:
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Discussions with Mrs. Maxwell
Student essay
Space limitations
If a student is granted a waiver he/she has until
the term 1 progress reports are issued to drop
the class.
After this time, the student will be committed to
the class for the ENTIRE year.
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Process
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April 1
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April 7:
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Course selection forms due back to the MMS office
April 27:
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Students and MMS teachers will discuss and fill out course
selection forms
Student will bring form home for discussions with
parents/guardians and signature
April 8
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This information will be presented to all grade 8 students
Waiver Requests Due
Step-up Day
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May 6
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Final Points
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Schedules will be mailed at some point during
May.
I will not consider any requests based on
teacher preference.
You will receive several letters from me this
summer with more details about the opening of
school in August.
Only 152 days until your son or daughter starts
high school!
Only 1368 days until your son or daughter
graduates from high school!
MAKE THE MOST OF IT!!!
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