2016-17 Curriculum Info for Parents

1. 2016-17 Curriculum Info for Parents Moody High School

2. The Moody High School Curriculum Guide is located on the MHS website. Go to www.mhs.sccboe.org

3. For the first time in recent memory, all students will be under the same diploma guidelines! The focus for the Alabama High School Diploma is on the coursework taken that necessitates a clearly articulated and individualized four-year high school plan built for each student based on the results from the EXPLORE academic and career interest assessment and middle school coursework.

4. The purpose for the change is to allow more flexibility for students in pursuing their interests. There are many differences in the courses students may take with this diploma; everyone will not take the same courses just because there is one diploma. Also, LEAs may add requirements for additional endorsements.

5. Diploma Endorsement Option for St. Clair County Schools Students Students who entered 9th grade in or after 2013-2014 are provided the opportunity to earn one of the following types of diplomas: • the Alabama High School Diploma • the Alabama High School Diploma with Advanced Academic Endorsement (St. Clair County Endorsement) • the Alabama High School Diploma with Advanced Career Tech Endorsement (St. Clair County Endorsement)

6. Participation in Graduation Beginning with students who entered ninth grade in 2011-2012 (Class of 2015), non-special education students must be eligible to receive a diploma in order to participate in graduation ceremonies (“march”). Students completing the graduation requirements by attending summer school may receive their diploma at a regular Board of Education meeting or at their school.

7. NCAA INFORMATION FOR PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE STUDENT-ATHLETES All prospective student-athletes intending to enroll in an NCAA Division I or II institution must register with the NCAA Clearinghouse at the end of their junior year. Please visit www.eligibilitycenter.org for detailed information and instructions. All courses approved by the NCAA as core courses are designated with the following symbol.

8. Pre-AP Courses • Carefully consider your child’s academic strengths and interests when choosing these courses. Not every student excels in every subject area and that is okay! • We want and expect every student to challenge themselves to perform at the highest level possible. • To be successful, a student should be studying, reviewing notes, writing an essay, or working math problems each night. • Pre-AP courses are designed to prepare students to take Advanced Placement courses. These courses require students to complete more work at a higher level using more critical thinking skills than a regular course.

9. DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES • The Dual Enrollment program allows high school students to enroll in college courses and receive both high school and college credit for the same course. • Such arrangements allow students to meet the requirements for high school graduation while simultaneously earning college credit. • It is strongly suggested that students have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and meet any other requirements for specific courses in order to participate in this program. Students with at least a 2.5 GPA may register with the approval of the counselor and the principal. • Students should consult their prospective colleges and universities to determine if the credit is accepted by that college or university. • Students are required to pay college tuition for Dual Enrollment classes. Tuition (approx. $438) is due to MHS for the first semester before the school year begins. Tuition (approx. $438) for the second semester is due to MHS on the first school day in January.

10. NEW SCHEDULING OPTIONS FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES • The ALSDE has implemented a one-to-one credit option for dual enrollment courses. As a result, we have some new scheduling options for US History and English. • HISTORY 10th Grade11th Grade • Option 1 (Recommended for most): US History I HIS 201* & 202 • *HIS 201 would be for elective credit and will not replace US History I credit/grade earned previously. • Option 2: HIS 201 & 202 elective course of student’s choice • ENGLISH 11th Grade12th Grade • Option 1 (Recommended for most): English 11 (AP or general) ENG 101* & 102 • *ENG 101 would be for elective credit and will not replace English 11 credit/grade earned previously. • Option 2: ENG 101 & 102 elective course of student’s choice

11. ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) COURSES • AP Courses are approved by the College Board and are designed to provide college level studies for high school students using college level materials and strategies. • Amount and depth of material requires students to read and write extensively in and out of class. • Rigor of material requires students to develop advanced reasoning and problem-solving skills. • Students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the associated AP exam at a cost of $92. Students should consult their prospective universities to determine individual course exam qualifying score.

12. New Courses Being Offered This Year • Environmental Science • Physics • Event Planning • Sign Language

13. Last year, we began offering culinary classes. Under the guidance of Chef Melissa Allphin, our students have excelled in competitions. At the recent Alabama State ProStart Competition, both our Cooking Team and our Business Model Team won the state championship. Each team will compete in the National Prostart Competition in Texas in April! Culinary classes are for Juniors and Seniors. Sophomores may take the introductory course. Culinary

14. Agriscience is doing great things!

15. As seniors, our students have the opportunity to participate in the Pell City Fire Academy. This program is for seniors who are interested in the exciting career of fire service. Students will attend classes at the Pell City Fire Station for ½ of the school day. Upon completion of the year-long program, students will be eligible to enter a “Bridge” Recruit School to earn their Firefighter I/II certification in five additional weeks of hands-on training. This program is for accepted seniors only. Fire Academy

16. Eden Career Technical Center • Mostly for juniors and seniors • Students ride the bus to Ashville and are there for half of the school day. • Cost is $75 per year (as of now) except for Cosmetology students who are required to purchase a kit for $160. • Programs: • Automotive Service • Building Construction • Business/Marketing/Multimedia • Collision Repair • Cosmetology • Health Science/Technology • Information Technology • JROTC • Welding

17. Weighted Credits • Effective with the 2013-14 school year, St. Clair County has changed the method in which courses will be assigned weighted credit. • Honors or Pre-AP (Advanced Placement) courses or math courses meeting or exceeding requirements for Algebra II with Trigonometry and/or Pre-Calculus will be awarded 0.5 extra quality point. (Example: A grade of 90 A will earn a student 4.5 quality points instead of 4.0.) • Current MHS courses in this category: • Pre-AP English 9 and Pre-AP English 10 • Pre-AP Geometry, Algebra II with Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus • Pre-AP Biology and Pre-AP Chemistry • AP (Advanced Placement) or Dual Enrollment courses will be awarded one (1) additional quality point. (Example: A grade of 90 A will earn a student 5.0 quality points instead of 4.0.) • Current MHS courses in this category: • AP English Language, AP English Literature, and Dual Enrollment English 101/102 • AP Calculus, AP Biology, and AP Chemistry • Dual Enrollment History 201/202 • Dual Enrollment Psychology 200 and Speech 106

18. Moody High School Summer 2016 Reading Selections • All English classes will require summer reading.  • Students in general English classes will read one book from the list.  • Students in Pre AP English classes will read two books from the assigned list. • Students will be tested on the book(s) during the first 10 days of school in the fall. • Summer reading lists can be found on the school’s website, every English teacher’s website, and in the school office in the summer. • Be aware that some books may confront controversial issues, explore adult situations, and contain strong language. • As students read they may want to take notes, outline chapters and do whatever works best to ensure material is retained. • Some AP and Pre-AP classes have an annotation assignment associated with the reading. • Culinary has a summer reading assignment.

19. Course Scheduling Process: • The school’s master schedule is built based on the course requests of over 675 students. • Before selecting courses, check the prerequisites and academic instruction levels in the curriculum guide found at mhs.sccboe.org. • Return the signed course request by Thursday, February 25.

20. Course Scheduling Process • General information and instructions regarding the course scheduling process are provided to all students during large group sessions with counselors. • Students make selections and return Course Selection Sheet to their 3rd period teacher (8th grade to the MJHS Office) by Thursday, February 25, 2016. • Parents approve students’ choices by signing the Course Selection Sheet. • Any student not returning a course card by February 25, 2016, forfeits the right to choose his or her classes. Those students not meeting the deadline for turning in their Course Selection Sheets will not receive priority status in the scheduling process.

21. Each student meets with a counselor at a pre-designated time to check course selections and to be sure that the necessary courses are being requested. Counselors are: • Current 8th and 10th Grades – Maria Vincent • Current 9th and 11th Grades – April West • NOTE: All course change requests must be submitted by April 29, 2016. NO COURSE CHANGES WILL BE MADE AFTER April 29, 2016. This includes during the summer, at registration, and after the school year has started. Because of this, careful consideration should be used in the selection of courses. • (Every summer, we get phone calls from parents whose children decided they did not want to do the PreAP or AP English summer reading and want to be in regular English instead. This is too late to make a schedule change.)

22. Registration will take place during summer. Students will pick up schedules for the 2016-2017 school year at registration. At this time, students also will return the necessary registration information, pay lab costs, Dual Enrollment tuition, AP exam fees, and purchase parking permits, yearbooks, etc. • Please remember that the student’s schedule reflects the choices made by the student and approved by the parent during the course selection process in the spring. The master schedule will have been constructed and teachers will have been assigned based on these choices. Therefore, requests to change schedules will not be honored.

23. Summer Registration (Tentative Dates) Aug. 2 9:00-11:30 Seniors 1:00-3:30 Juniors Aug. 3 9:00-11:30 Sophomores 1:00-3:30 Freshmen

24. Bell Schedule

25. Other Information • In order to meet the requirements for Carnegie Units (credits), students must be in school. You have 5 parent excuses allowed each semester. If you know your child is going on a mission trip, family trip, or any other trip, save your parent excuses. • After 5 absences with a parent note as an excuse, your child will be unexcused unless he/she has a doctor’s excuse. • Your child cannot make up any work or tests occurring during an unexcused absence.

26. School begins at 8:00 every day except Wednesday. School begins at 9:00 on Wednesdays. Your child is to be in his/her classroom at 8:00 (9:00 on Wed.). Students who are tardy will have to stop by the office to sign in and get a tardy slip. • After 3 tardies, students receive ISS. After 9 tardies, students receive Saturday School. After 18 tardies, students will be sent to the Alternative School for a period of two weeks. • Check-ins and check-outs without a doctor’s excuse are also unexcused.

27. The Early Warning Program: • Each student is allowed 10 excused absences (5 per semester at the high school level) with a parent note. Days of absences beyond 10 days (5 per semester in high school) must be documented by a physician’s excuse. • SCC schools participate in the Early Warning Program in conjunction with the St. Clair County District Attorney and the St. Clair County Juvenile Court. • At 3 unexcused absences, a student is referred to the Early Warning Program. The parent is notified by the court, in writing, and along with the student, is required to attend the conference with the judge and probation officer. • At 5 unexcused absences, a student is referred to the Early Warning Program. The parent is notified by the court, in writing, and along with the student, is required to attend the conference at school with a juvenile probation officer. • At 7 unexcused absences, a petition is filed by the school in Juvenile court which may result in charges against parents/guardians and may also result in a CHINS petition being filed.

28. Final Exams • Please be aware that the school calendar for this year, which was approved by the SCC Board of Education, is posted on the county website and on our website. Check the calendar before you make any family vacation plans. • Family vacations are not excused absences. If your student misses a midterm or final exam because of a vacation, he/she receives a zero. Please plan your vacations/cruises accordingly.

29. Communication Please follow these instructions to receive text message reminders from the Counselors’ Office through remind.com. This program allows educators to text parents and students without knowing each other’s phone numbers. Standard text messaging rates apply. We expect to send no more than 1-2 messages per month to 9th-11th graders and 1-2 messages per week to 12th graders. We would love to have all parents and students sign up! 8th graders& parents   Text @moody2020 to 205-417-2047 and follow the prompt you receive. 9th graders& parents     Text @moody2019 to 205-535-1107 and follow the prompt you receive.                                10th graders& parents   Text @moody2018 to 205-417-2047 and follow the prompt you receive. 11th graders & parents   Text @moody2017 to 205-535-1107 and follow the prompt you receive.

30. Thank you so much for coming to this important meeting! Drive safely!