Freshman Newsletter #1
9/5/2013
Graduation Requirements for Class of 2017
English- 4.5 credits
Math- 4.5 credits
Science- 4 credits
Social Studies- 4 credits
Humanities- 1 credit
Health/PE- 1 credit (.5 credit each)
Electives- 13 credits
Total Credits to Graduate: 32 credits
*This means you may fail 1 trimester of English 9 only!
*This means you may fail 1 trimester of math only!
*This means you CANNOT FAIL ANY trimester of science!!
*This means you may fail 1 trimester of social studies!!
*Must pass both trimesters.
*Must pass both courses.
Co-op Requirements: 26 credits to co-op, 2.0 GPA
Less than 10 absences junior year
3 credits in area of co-op
*This means you can only fail ONE CREDIT in THREE years and still co-op!!
End of Course Exams
By now, I’m sure you have heard from your teachers about End of Course (EOC) exams. All Kentucky public
high school students enrolled in Biology, English 10, US History & Algebra II will take the same EOC exam at
the conclusion of the course. This exam will constitute 20% of your final grade and will average in with your
grade from each of the three trimesters. You will not be receiving a 0.5 credit each trimester for Biology; you
will be receiving 1.5 credits at the end of the year upon completion of the EOC exam. As long as your overall
average is 60% or higher, you will receive your 1.5 credits for Biology.
This is how your final grade is calculated in Infinite Campus:
Trimester 1 +
26.66%
Trimester 2 +
26.67%
Example: T1 grade + T2 grade
65 (.2666) + 65 (.2667)
17.335
+ 17.335
Trimester 3 +
26.67%
EOC Exam
20%
=
Year End Final Grade
100%
+ T3 grade
+ 60 (.2667)
+ 16.002
+ EOC
+ 40 (.20)
+ 8
= Final Grade
=
= 58.6% Final Grade
As you can see from the example, you can PASS Biology with low D’s, FAIL the EOC exam and thus FAIL the
course for the year. If that happens, you will LOSE 1.5 credits and will retake the course again as a sophomore.
See your Biology teacher if you have questions.
Homecoming Week-Sept. 9th-Sept. 13th
“Friday the 13th: A BAD Day to be a Gator!”
DRESS-UP DAYS
“TWIN DAY”
MONDAY (SEPTEMBER 9TH)
“BLACK OUT”
TUESDAY (SEPTEMBER 10TH)
“SWAMP PEOPLE”
WEDNESDAY (SEPTEMBER 11th)
“VILLIANS”
THURSDAY (SEPTEMBER 12TH)
“SPIRIT DAY”
FRIDAY (SEPTEMBER 13th)
(AKA “BLUE AND WHITE DAY”)
OFFICIAL HOMECOMING SHIRTS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED)
DAILY EVENTS TAKE PLACE DURING SCHOOL HOURS, AND RUN CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT
THE WEEK! ALL STUDENTS ARE URGED TO PARTICIPATE IN ORDER TO HELP THEIR CLASS WIN
HOMECOMING POINTS!!!
AFTER SCHOOL EVENTS
WINDOW PAINTING
MONDAY (SEPTEMBER 9TH)
CAPTURE THE FLAG
TUESDAY (SEPTEMBER 10TH)
@Community Park
DODGE BALL
WEDNESDAY (SEPTEMBER 11TH)
4:30pm @ either FSMS
or FSHS Gym
POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL
THURSDAY (SEPTEMBER 29th)
6:00pm @ practice field
FLOAT DECORATING and COMMUNITY PARADE
****FLOAT SITES WILL BE OPENING AT 3:30PM ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2013!!!****

All float sites will open at 3:30pm and will be closed at 9:30pm Sept. 9th –Sept. 12th.
Any freshman student may participate in decorating the class float.

The FSHS Homecoming Parade will take place on Sept. 13th, 2013. The parade will begin at 1:30pm. All floats
should report to their designated area for line-up no later than 12:30pm on Sept. 13th.
PEP RALLY
The pep rally will take place AFTER the HOMECOMING PARADE!!! Students will follow their homecoming
candidates and floats to the football stadium for some FUN and GAMES…and a little competition!
PLAN Test for Freshmen
ACT Plan serves as the midpoint measure of academic progress in ACT's College and Career Readiness
System. ACT Plan helps 10th graders build a solid foundation for future academic and career success and
provides information needed to address school districts' high-priority issues. It is a comprehensive guidance
resource that helps students measure their current academic development, explore career/training options, and
make plans for the remaining years of high school and beyond.
In preparation for the mandatory PLAN testing in 10th grade, the freshmen will be taking the PLAN test on
Tuesday, September 24th. ALL freshmen need to make sure they are at school on time because testing will
begin at 8am! We will use the results of the PLAN test to place students in intervention that are not meeting
college benchmarks as required by Kentucky’s Senate Bill 1.
Whether students are college-bound or plan to enter the workforce directly after high school, ACT Plan can help
all students.

The PLAN English Test measures your understanding of standard written English—punctuation,
grammar and usage, and sentence structure (Usage/Mechanics)—and your understanding of the use of
strategy, organization, and style in writing (Rhetorical Skills).
o The test consists of four prose passages, each accompanied by a number of multiple-choice
questions. You receive a total score for the English test and separate scores (called "sub-scores") for
Usage/Mechanics and Rhetorical Skills.

The PLAN Math Test measures your mathematical reasoning. The test focuses on your ability to reason
in math rather than on how well you have memorized formulas or can do involved computations.
o The skills tested are those you learn in first- and second-year high school courses (pre-algebra, firstyear algebra, and plane geometry). Most of the questions emphasize content presented before the
second year of high school.

The PLAN Reading Test measures your reading comprehension by focusing on skills such as: referring
to details in a passage, drawing conclusions, making comparisons and generalizations
o The test consists of three prose passages: one in the social sciences, one in the humanities (literature,
history, philosophy, etc.), and one in prose fiction. Each passage is followed by several multiplechoice questions.

The PLAN Science Test measures your scientific reasoning skills, based on material that is typically
taught in first- and second-year high school general science courses. The material includes topics in
biology, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, and meteorology. The test presents five sets of
scientific information, using three formats: two sets of data representation format (graphs, tables,
diagrams, etc.); two sets of research summaries format (descriptions of several related experiments); one
set of conflicting viewpoints format (two or more interpretations that are inconsistent with one another)
o
Several multiple-choice questions follow each set. To answer them, you must:



understand the information provided
examine critically the relationships between the information and the possible
interpretations
generalize from the information in order to draw conclusions or make
predictions
PLAN BENCHMARKS (highest possible score is 32 in each area)
English- 15
Math- 19
Reading- 18
Science- 20
If you meet these benchmarks, it means that you have a 50% chance of earning a B or higher in the
corresponding credit-bearing first-year college courses (English composition, college algebra, introductory
social science courses, & biology). In other words, meeting the benchmarks means you are well on your way to
becoming a successful college student! Those students who do not meet benchmarks in math or reading will
receive some sort of intervention services as required by Senate Bill 1.
Scholarships
Voice of Democracy Scholarship Contest
The “Voice of Democracy” contest is open to students in grades 9-12. You have to record your original
3-5 minute essay on a standard cassette tape or CD on this year’s theme. Label your cassette or CD and
neatly typed essay with your name and complete the entry form. This year’s theme is “Why I'm
Optimistic About our Nation’s Future”. If you would like to enter this contest, please come by and
see Mrs. Tyler for the official entry form or apply online at www.vfw.org/Community/Voice-ofDemocracy/. Deadline is Nov. 1st and must be in the hands of the local VFW post.