Maranatha High School
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MARANATHA HIGH SCHOOL 2018 - 2019 Course Catalog MISSION STATEMENT We are a Christ-centered, evangelical college preparatory school that celebrates the whole student by equipping hearts and minds to reflect God’s glory through academics, as well as the arts, athletics, and service. Dear Maranatha Families, I have the distinct honor of introducing the 2018-2019 Maranatha High School Course Catalog. As demonstrated in these pages, Maranatha High School is committed to offering a wide range of academic courses that will provide each student with a quality educational experience that is both challenging and rewarding. Skilled and trained faculty members are committed to providing academic instruction in a setting that fosters critical thinking skills, presents course material that surpasses California Content Standards and the Common Core Standards, and develops nurturing relationships. The academic program at Maranatha encourages spiritual, social, and intellectual growth. This Course Catalog provides each student with the following: • Add/Drop Policy • Course Descriptions • Graduation Requirements • Honors and Advanced Placement Courses • Student Placement Policy • University of California Requirements We encourage you to utilize this Course Catalog to help guide you in the selection of courses that offer a formidable and gratifying educational experience. The Maranatha High School College Counselors, in partnership with the Mentor Leaders, are prepared to assist you in the configuration of your optimal four-year plan and will provide informed direction. Within the structure and rigor of a college preparatory education, it is the hope that each Maranatha High School student will be dedicated to pursuing excellence in all areas of life. Participating with you in the Maranatha experience, John Rouse Principal Maranatha High School 1 Maranatha High School is a college preparatory high school providing a rigorous course of study to prepare students for enrollment in institutions of higher education. Students are to schedule seven courses each semester (with the exception of seniors who are allowed a minimum of six courses) and must complete a total of 260 units to receive a diploma. To be eligible for graduation, students are required to complete community service each year. Our college preparatory curriculum offers enrichment opportunities with thirty-seven Advanced Placement and Honors courses. Maranatha High School Graduation Requirements (5 credits per semester; 260 credits total**) TABLE OF CONTENTS Courses # of years Theology 4 English 4 Course Requirements and ...................... 2-3 Math 3 Maranatha Policies Science 3 At least 1 year Physical Science (Physics, Chemistry)* At least 1 year Life Science (Biology, Anatomy/Physiology)* English ........................................................4 Social Science 3 Physical Education 2 Visual/Performing Arts 1 Mathematics ...............................................6 Foreign Language (same language) 2 Electives 4 *Or advanced levels of these courses **Transfer students are required to provide 60 passed units for each year of Modern Languages ......................................8 attendance in their former school, which may reduce the total number of credits required to graduate. ***Military Service Academies require 4 years of Science with a lab. Physical Education/Athletic Program ........10 University of California & Science ......................................................11 California State University Requirements Courses # of years English 4 Social Science ...........................................13 Math 3 Science 2 1 year Physical Science (Chemistry, Physics)* Theology ....................................................15 1 year Life Science (Biology, Anatomy/Physiology)* History* 2 1 year world history, cultures and geography (a single yearlong Visual & Performing Arts ............................17 course or 2 one-semester courses) 1 year U.S. history or one semester of U.S. history and one semester of civics or American government Academic Support and Additional ..............20 Visual & Performing Arts 1 Foreign Language (same language) 2 Enrichment Program/Classes A-G Electives 1 Please note: Satisfying the number of years stated above meets only the minimum admission requirements. Keep in mind that competitive campuses and programs look for applicants who exceed the minimum requirements when selecting students. *Or advanced levels of these courses Senior students who desire to schedule an independent study/college admission preparation period may do so with parent approval. Senior students are expected to use this time for study and college preparation. If this time is not used wisely, the student may lose this privilege and be assigned to a class. Junior students who desire to schedule one Teacher Assistant period may do so with parent approval and teacher recommendation. 2 CURRICULUMCURRICULUM UC/CSU APPROVAL While the majority of courses offered at Maranatha High School are accepted as college preparatory courses at colleges and universities nationwide, the University of California and California State University systems have their own certification process of high school coursework. Courses accepted by the University or Cal State systems appear on Maranatha’s official UC-certified course list for the year the student took the course. This listing is available at https://doorways.ucop.edu/list. For your convenience, within the course descriptions that follow, N will be used to indicate courses that have been approved by these university systems. To understand the appropriate progression of the courses offered at Maranatha High School, please refer to the icon just to the right of the course title. For example, the icon below denotes a course that is taken in grade 11 or 12. While this information provides an idea of when a student can take each class, it is also important to consider the prerequisites, co-requisites and notes listed in the course descriptions that follow. 11 12 ADD/DROP POLICY The add/drop period will begin at the conclusion of the registration process and end two weeks after the first day of the semester. All schedule changes must be approved by the student’s mentor leader and the Dean of Academics. After the add/drop period expires, no further schedule changes will be permitted except under all the following circumstances: • Teacher recommendation • Administrative discretion If you are requesting to drop a class because it is too demanding and difficult to pass, you need to go through the following steps in order to have your request considered. First, you need to document in writing that you have exhausted all available resources in an effort to be successful in the class (i.e. seek the teacher out for help or suggestions on how to improve, ask peers for tutoring or better understanding of the material, seek outside tutoring, turn in all assignments, make-up all missed tests/quizzes as allowed by the teacher). Secondly, your parents or guardians need to write a letter explaining that they understand the impact of dropping the class, acknowledge that you have exhausted all available resources, and agree that dropping the class is in your best interest. Finally, your teacher needs to put in writing the reasons why the class is not a good fit for you. These documents must be submitted to the Dean of Academics upon request of a class change after the add/drop period, along with the add/ drop form available in the Registrar’s office. Dropping a class after the add/drop period will result in a Withdrawal (W) or an Incomplete (I) on the official transcript, depending on the circumstances. HONORS AND AP COURSES A student qualifies for Honors and Advancement Placement courses by demonstrating proficiency in the applicable subject area. As department policy, enrollment in all Honors and AP courses requires approval from the student’s prior teacher and/or Department Head. Students interested in Honors and/or AP courses are advised that the pace and rigor of such classes require a greater level of self-motivation. In order for a student to remain in an AP or Honors level course, the student is to maintain a minimum grade of C or better. Students not maintaining a minimum C grade or better may be transferred to the standard level of the course at the end of the first quarter or the end of the first semester. Honors and Advanced Placement courses are designated on the student’s transcripts and are weighted in the calculation of the GPA. These designated courses receive an additional grade point (i.e., A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, F=0). Students who enroll in an AP course must take the AP exam for the course. The fee for each AP exam is $100. Students are not allowed to take an AP exam if they are not enrolled in the corresponding MHS AP course. In order to earn college credit, these students need to take the College Board’s College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) instead of the AP exam, and demonstrate in this way their mastery of introductory college-level material. AP Courses: Studio Art: Drawing and 2-D Design, Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science A, Physics 1, Physics 2, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Statistics, English Language & Composition, English Literature, World History, U.S. History, U.S. Government, Psychology, Macroeconomics, Music Theory, Spanish Language, French Language, and Chinese Language. Honors Courses: Biology, Chemistry, Modern World History, English 9, English 10, Algebra II, Geometry, Math Analysis, Multivariate