th
8
Grade Parent Orientation
First Flight High School
April 10, 2014
What Makes 9th Graders
Successful?

Motivation
 Attitude
 Organization
 Parent Support
 Sense of direction/purpose
 Attendance
Hybrid Schedule

A combination of 55 min. year-long classes
and 90-min. semester classes
 Better transition for entering 9th graders
 More time to learn concepts and practice
 Less of a gap between sequenced courses
 Coincides with NC graduation requirements
 Students can still accelerate as necessary
Sample Schedule
First Semester
Second Semester
1st Period English I
2nd Period HWorld History
3rd Period HPE
4th Period Art I
5th Period H Earth Science
1st Period English I
2nd Period Marketing
3rd Period Math I
4th Period Art I
5th Period H Earth
Science
Frequently Asked Questions

What determines 55/90 min. classes?
Teacher recommendations and course
selections – we will determine #s of
sections and schedule students to best meet
their needs
 How many credits will I need to graduate?
24 credits out of a maximum potential of 28
FAQs continued

How do we decide which and how many
honors classes to take?
Go with the students’ strengths
Look at teacher recommendations and be
honest about the work ethic
Consider extra curricular activities and go for
a balance
Course Placement Guidelines
Grades and End-of-Grade scores are
considered in placement decisions as well
as guidelines for core areas in the slides that
follow
English and Social Studies

Critical thinking/problem solving skills
 Work ethic/work habits
 Reading level/comprehension
 Writing skills
 Ability to apply what they are learning
 Attendance
 Attitude towards academics
Science

Ability to form a hypothesis
 Natural curiosity
 Ability to work in groups
 Performance in lab work
 Emphasis on higher order thinking skills
Math

Consider factors for English and Social
Studies +
 Ability to show work – a must for higher
levels of math
Graduating Future-Ready

Freshmen entering high school in 20092010 now affected by the state’s FutureReady Core
 Students have options to select the best path
to meet life goals
 Strong academic foundation is provided
 2 kinds of requirements: course
requirements and NC Graduation Project
Course Requirements
English – 4 credits
 Science – 3 credits (Earth, Biology and a
physical science)
 Social Studies – 4 credits (World History,
Civics and Economics, 2- US History
courses or AP US History + one additional
SS)
 Health and PE – 1 credit

Future-Ready Core continued
Math – 4 credits (Math I, Math II, Math III and a
4th math aligned with student’s post high school
plans)
 A student in rare instances may be able to take an
alternative math course sequence – in place of
Algebra II and 4th math
 Second Language – not required for graduation
but required for admission to UNC system

Future-Ready Core continued

8 elective credits – 2 of any combination
from either CTE, Arts, Second Language; 4
strongly recommended from one of the
following: CTE, Arts, any other subject area
(e.g. math, science, social studies, English)
Secondary Attendance Policy
Highlights

Bring a note within 3 days of being absent
 Be present for at least 2/3 of a class period
 High school attendance is by period
 Any student missing more than 5 days has
exceeded the attendance requirements
Athletic & Driving Eligibility

Based on NC High School Athletic Association
policy, an athlete must be in attendance at least
85% (loss of eligibility after 13 abs.) of the
previous semester and have passed a minimum of
three full credit courses that semester in order to
be eligible for sports
 State law requires a student to be passing 70% of
courses attempted in order to receive a driving
eligibility certificate or keep their driving permit
or license
NC Scholars Requirements

4 Levels of English
 4 Maths (Math I, II, III
and one beyond III)
 3 Sciences (Earth,
Biology, and Chemistry or
Physics)
 4 Social Studies (World
History, Civics, U.S
History)






2 Levels of Foreign
Language
Healthful Living (HPE)
1 Career/Technical
Education Course
1 Arts Ed. Course
5 Electives to include at least
2 second level or advanced
courses
3.5 Grade Point Average
Unweighted
Minimum Admission Requirements
of the UNC System
To enroll in one of the 16 public universities making up the UNC System,
students must meet the following minimum requirements; however,
some have higher requirements:
 High School Diploma or Equivalent
 4 levels of English
 4 units in Math (Math I, II, III + one beyond Math III
 3 units in Social Studies, including U.S. History
 2 units of one Foreign Language
 3 units in Science, including at least 1 life/biological, one physical, and
one additional lab course
 * in addition, it is recommended that one foreign language and one
math unit be taken in the 12th grade
Choosing Courses

Make course selections carefully
 First choices will be honored if possible
 Alternate course selections are as important
as first choices
 Courses will be offered based on demand
and teaching staff availability
 Conflicts arise in the master schedule
Making Good Choices

Direct questions about teacher
recommendations to the 8th grade subject
teacher
 9th graders have five classes they must take
– decisions on whether a student should
take an honors or regular class are best
made from the input of the student, parent
and teacher
Schedule Changes

Teaching staff is employed and assigned
based on course registration
 Schedule changes will be made only under
certain conditions:
*student is scheduled for a course for which he/she did not
register or which was not selected as an alternate
*student does not meet the prerequisite
*student is academically misplaced or there is a computer error
Freshman Core Courses

English I or I Honors
 Math I
 Math II –
regular/honors


Earth Science or Honors
Earth Science
Honors World History
Freshman Core Electives

H Math III
 General Chemistry
Freshman Electives

Health and PE*

 Intro to Publications

 Creative Writing
 Speech Communications 
 Life Skills & Sports** 
 Strength Training**
*HPE required

**must have HPE first


Career Management
Microsoft IT Academy
Personal Finance
Marketing
Core Sustainable
Construction
Health Team Relations
Parent and Child
Development
Freshman Electives cont.

General Mixed Chorus
 Concert Choir – teacher recommendation
 Band
 Jazz Band
 String Orchestra (7-8 a.m.)
 Theatre Arts I
 Visual Arts I
Registration Schedule
April 23-24 – FFHS counselors go to FFMS
classes
 May 6-7 – FFHS counselors meet individually
with 8th graders
 May 14 – signed registration forms due to social
studies teachers

Scheduling Process

Tally of students signed up for courses
 Tally of teacher recommendations
 Sections determined by number of sign ups
and staff availability
 Develop master schedule
 Schedule individual students
Questions?