Sharyland High School
9th grade Orientation
Presented by:
Counseling Department
Sharyland High School
Student Orientation
Block Scheduling
What is Block Scheduling?
Block scheduling is a change in the daily schedule structure. The curriculum will
be presented with a different time format, which will be less stressful and more
productive for the student. Block scheduling will give students the opportunity to
learn subject matter in greater depth.

How is the block schedule different from the current schedule?


How much time will students have between each block?


Students can earn nine (8 to 9) credits per year, for a total of thirty-five to thirty-six (35-36)
credits over four years in high school.
Will students be able to participate in athletics or band for four (4) years?


Students will have seven (7) minute passing periods.
How many credits can a student earn each school year?


The daily schedule will consist of four (4) ninety (90) minute blocks and one (50) minute block.
Yes.
Will students be able to do both athletics and band for four (4) years?

Yes.
What might your schedule look like?
Fall (Aug-Dec)
English I (90)
Football (90)
BUSIM1 (90)
Algebra I (50)
Spanish I E (90)
Spring (Jan-June)
English I (90)
Football (90)
Biology (90)
Continuation of Alg I (50)
World Geo or World Hist (90)
At the end of the school year, you will have
completed 8-9 credits of high school
requirements. A student will need to complete
6 credits to be promoted to Sophomore status.
Graduation Program
Foundation High School Program
 Beginning with the 2014-2015 school year, the state
adopted a new graduation plan known as the
Foundation High School Program.
 The program consists of 22 credits with the
opportunity to earn 4 additional credits (for a total of
26 credits) in one of the endorsement areas. In
addition, a student may earn the Distinguished Level
of Achievement as well as Performance
Acknowledgments by completing certain additional
requirements.
State Graduation
Requirements
Foundation High School Program
Without endorsements
22 credits
Foundation High School Program
With one or more endorsements
26 credits
Foundation High School Program
Distinguished level of Achievement
At least one endorsement
26 credits
Foundation High School Program
without endorsements-22 credits

ELA – 4 Credits
(English I, English II, English III, and Advanced Course)
Math – 3 Credits
(Algebra I, Geometry, and Advanced Course)
Science – 3 Credits
(Biology, IPC or additional Advanced Course, Advanced Course)
Social Studies – 3 Credits
(World Geography or World History, U.S. History, Government, Economics)
LOTE (Language other than English) - 2 Credits
(In the same LOTE or Computer Programming Language)
Fine Arts- 1 Credit

Physical Education – 1 Credit

Electives- 5 Credits (to include Technology Application (1) and Professional
Communication(1))





Foundation High School Program
with endorsements-26 credits

ELA – 4 Credits
(English I, English II, English III, and Advanced
Course)
Math – 4 Credits
(Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and Advanced
Course)
Science –4 Credits
(Biology, IPC or additional Advanced Course,
Advanced Course and Advanced Course )
Social Studies – 3 Credits
(U.S. History, Government, Economics, World
Geography or World History)
LOTE (Language other than English) - 2 Credits
(In the same LOTE)
Fine Arts- 1 Credit

Physical Education – 1 Credit





Curriculum requirements for one or
more endorsements
1
2
3
4
5
Arts and Humanities
Business and industry
Public Services
STEM
Multidisciplinary Studies
A student may earn a Distinguished
level of Achievement by successfully
completing:
• FHSP
• Complete at least one endorsement
• 4 Credits in Science


Electives- 7 Credits (to include technology
application and Professional Communication)
• 4 Credits in Math, to include Algebra II
WHAT IS AN ENDORSEMENT?
An endorsement is a career pathway.





1. Arts and Humanities
2. Business and Industry
3. Public Service
4. STEM
5. Multidisciplinary Studies
An endorsement must be selected prior to
entering the 9th grade.
Endorsement #1
Arts and Humanities
Includes courses directly related to:
 Political Science
 World Languages
 Cultural studies
 English Literature
 History
 Fine Arts
Endorsement #2
Business & Industry
Includes courses directly related to:
Accounting
Communications
Finance
HVAC
Marketing
Agricultural science
Automotive tech
Information Technology
Architecture
Construction
Graphic Design
Logistics
Welding
Database management
Endorsement #3
Public Service
Includes courses directly related to:




Health sciences and occupations
Education and training
Law enforcement
Culinary arts and hospitality
Endorsement #4
STEM
Includes courses directly related to:




Science
Technology
Engineering
Advanced Math
Algebra 2, Chemistry, and Physics are required courses for this
endorsement.
Endorsement #5
Multidisciplinary Studies
 Allows a student to select courses
from the curriculum of each
endorsement area and earn credits in
a variety of advanced courses from
multiple content areas sufficient to
complete the distinguished level of
achievement.
A student may earn a
Distinguished level of
Achievement by successfully
completing:




FHSP
At least one Endorsement
4 credits in Science
4 credits in Mathemathics, to include
Algebra II
Performance Acknowledgement
A student may earn a performance acknowledgment

for outstanding performance:
1
2
In dual credit courses (12 hours or more with a grade of 3.0/4.0)
In bilingualism and bi-literacy (Showing proficiency in English and a
2nd language)
On an AP test or IB exam (minimum score of a 4)
On the PSAT, the ACT-Plan, the SAT or the ACT
Commended on PSAT, College readiness score on Plan, 1250 on SAT,
28 on ACT
For earning a nationally or internationally recognized business or
industry certification or license.
3
4

STAAR
STATE OF TEXAS
ASSESSMENT OF
ACADEMIC READINESS
What is STAAR?
State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness
STAAR course based assessments are available for:
•Algebra I
•Biology
•English I
•English II
•U.S. History
Art I
Through the course of the semester, students will establish a visual vocabulary through the elements and principals of art. Students will also create art works in drawing and
painting utilizing the elements and principles. Students will work in one, two and three-point perspective. Through the study of art history, students will also learn of major
art movements as well as masters of the art world. There is a $10 art fee for this course.
Drawing
Art I is a prerequisite for this class. Students must have maintained at least a “B” average in Art I. Students will be introduced to a variety of mediums concentrating
basically on tempera painting. Students will also do research papers on artist, art movements and art techniques. Students are required to keep a portfolio, folder and a
sketchpad diary. A fee of $20 is required.
Human Portrait and Human Figure Drawing
A course designed to focus on the techniques used to create the human portrait and human figure. All areas will be broken down and focused on individually creating a full
understanding of how to create a realistic likeness. Different mediums will be used throughout the course thus allowing the students to obtain an understanding of how to
manipulate those mediums while solving the problems of creating realistic portraits and figure drawings.
Journalism I-IV
This course in a comprehensive, introductory study of basic journalism which includes learning and applying the specialized writing techniques necessary for journalistic style and format.
Included within the course is a study of America media, its history and development, as well as an emphasis on the four types of journalistic writing which are prevalent in high school
journalism settings today: news writing, editorial writing, feature writing, and headline writing.
Debate I-IV
Controversial issues arise in aspects of personal, social public, and professional life in modern society. Debate and argumentation are widely used to make decisions and reduce conflict.
Students who develop skills in argumentation and debate become interested in current issues, develop sound critical thinking, and sharpen communication skills. They acquire life-long
skills for intelligently approaching controversial issues and clashes of opinion.
Theater Arts I-IV
Theater Arts I is a basic introductory course. It incorporates basic acting techniques, the role of the actor interpreting dramatic literature, and the historical evolution of performance
styles. This course will fulfill the fine arts requirement. This course is required to take before other theater courses.
Theater Production I
Theater production is a course designed for those students primarily interested in working on plays. Although theater background is encouraged, it is not required. All students will be
required to act on stage in front of an audience in the course of the year. Plays will be presented to the public throughout the school year. Students interested in trying out for the one-act
play must be in first period theater production. Students must audition and have director’s approval.
Junior ROTC
RESERVE OFFICERS TRAINING CORPS (ROTC) I
CREDIT (2) each year
PREREQUISTE: Approval
The Reserve Officers Training Corps is a corporative effort between the U.S. Army and school districts to provide a character and leadership development program of military science. It
instills the student with an enhanced sense of self-esteem, teamwork, and self-discipline that will be applied to any post-secondary situation. Studies include topics such as military
history, geography, service learning, first aid, citizenship, duty, responsibility, communications, leadership, drill and ceremony. Satisfactory completion can lead to advanced placement in
the active Army, Army Reserves, or National Guard.
band, U.I.L. concert and sight reading contest, U.I.L. solo and ensemble contests, and All-State Band.
Choir I-IV
Choir is a mixture of unison, 2-part, 3-part, and 4-part choral music, with emphasis on the fundamentals of sight-reading, correct breathing and performance skills. Basic
music theory will be taught as a main part of this course (learning to understand written music and apply it to vocal production). Students will have the opportunity to
perform at least two concerts, attend festivals, participate in U.I.L. solo/ensemble competition and audition for the district, regional, and area state choirs. A student who
excels in this class will be adequately prepared for the Concert Chorale. This is a performance class.
Spanish I S
The philosophy of the program is to enable students to attain a measurable degree of communicative competency and proficiency in each of the language skills. In order
to be authentic in the oral presentations, the students look at the reality in their text books. They will answer questions and talk about such real life situations. This
course is open to students who have some understanding of the Spanish Language.
Spanish I E
This full term course is designed to develop the basic skills of reading. The objective of this course is to create simple Spanish communication among students, by
enabling them to write and speak. Instructional topic include: the Spanish alphabet, number and gender of articles, nouns and adjectives and a variety of vocabulary.
Regular and irregular verbs are also introduced. This course is open to non-Spanish speakers only.
Spanish II S or Spanish II E
For students who have completed Spanish I
AP Spanish Language
An AP Spanish Language course is an accelerated enriched study of advanced grammar, composition and literature. The student will be required to write several long
essays, write literary critiques on woks read. This course also included the study of representative works from Hispanic authors from many of the Spanish speaking
countries. The AP program is designed to help college board students prepare for the AP examinations which give high school student the opportunity to demonstrate
college level achievement while still in high school
AP Spanish Literature
An AP Spanish Literature course is comparable to a third-year college introduction to Hispanic literature course. It is based on a required reading list. The works on the
list are of literary significance and represent various historical periods, literary movements, genres, geographic areas, and population groups within the Spanish-speaking.
The objective of the course is to help you interpret and analyze literature in Spanish.
French I
This is a full credit course designed to develop the ability to understand, read, speak, and write the French language. Time will be spent on conversation, reading and
writing and learning about culture structure and grammar both in their native language as in French. This is open to students whose native language is not French.
French II
Next French course for students who have completed French I
Principles of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
In this course, students will develop knowledge and skills regarding career opportunities, personal development, globalization, industry standards, details, practices, and
expectations in the area of agriculture, food and natural resources.
Principles of Architecture & Construction
This course is an overview of the various fields of architecture, interior design, construction science and construction technology.
Principles of Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Careers in the arts, audio/visual technology and communications career cluster require, in addition to creative aptitude, a strong background in computer and technology
applications, a strong academic foundation and a proficiency in oral and written communication.
Principles of Business, Marketing & Finance
In this course, students develop knowledge and skills in economics and private enterprise systems, the impact of global business, marketing of goods and services,
advertising and product pricing.
Business Information Management I
In this course, students apply technical skills to address business applications of emerging technologies, create word-processing documents, develop a spreadsheet,
formulate a database, and make an electronic presentation using appropriate software.
Principles of Education & Training/ Dollars and Sense
This course is designed to introduce students to the various careers available within the education and training career cluster. Students will develop a graduation plan that
leads to a specific career choice in the student's interest area.
Principles of Health Science
This course is an overview of the therapeutic, diagnostic, health informatics, support services and biotechnology research and development systems of the health care
industry.
Principles of Information Technology
In this course, students develop computer literacy skills to adapt to emerging technologies used in the global marketplace.
Principles of Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
This course introduces students to professions in law enforcement, security, corrections, and fire and emergency management services. Students will examine the roles
and resp. of police, courts, corrections, private security and protective agencies.
Principles of Agriculture,
Food, & Natural
Resources
[9-12] (1 Credit)
ANIMAL SYSTEMS
PLANT
SYSTEMS
Livestock
Production
[10-12] (1 Credit)
Professional
Standards in
Agribusiness
[10-12] (1 Credit)
Equine Science
[10-12] (1 Credit)
POWER, STRUCTURAL
& TECHNICAL
SYSTEMS
Agricultural Mechanics
and Metal Technologies
Intro to Woodworking &
Welding
Landscape Design
& Turf Grass
Management
[10-12] (1 Credit)
Professional
Standards in
Agribusiness
[10-12] (1 Credit)
[10-12]
(1 Credit)
Professional
Standards in
Agribusiness
[10-12] (1 Credit)
Agricultural
Facilities Design
and Fabrication
[11-12] (1 Credit)
Wildlife, Fisheries &
Ecology
Management
[10-12] (1 Credit)
Agricultural Power
Systems (Welding)
[11-12] (2 Credits)
Advanced Animal
Science
[12] (1 Credit)
STC Precision
Manufacturing
Technology
Program
[11-12]
Example of Freshman elective
sheet with course numbers:

AGRICULTURE FOOD & NATURAL RESOURCES
0500 Principles of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION
0480 Principles of Architecture and Construction

ARTS, A/V TECHNOLOGY & COMMUNICATIONS
0691 Principles of Arts, A/V Technology & Communications





Art I
Drawing I
Photoshop
Portrait (Figure Drawing)
Theatre Arts
0200
0202
0209
0204
0208
Let’s begin
Filling out the
Pre-registration forms
Student Name:_____________________________
ID #: _______________ Phone #: ______________
Endorsement name and number______________
Circle courses taken in JH:
IPC
Algebra I Geometry
Spanish I AP Spanish GTT
Will you be applying
to the Advanced
Academic Academy?
Current Grade Level: ________________________
Speech Health BUSIM 1
Yes _____ No ____
Summer Assignment for
English I Pre AP
 Note: Check the Sharyland High
School website for details on
summer readings.
 www.sharylandisd.org
 High School Counselor’s Corner
 Summer Assignments