Student Handbook 2013/2014 5774 Graduation Requirements
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RAMBAM MESIVTA STUDENT HANDBOOK 2013/2014 5774 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS Every student at Rambam Mesivta must complete and pass all of the following courses in order to receive a Rambam Kodesh Diploma, Rambam Secular Diploma and a New York State Regents Diploma 9th Grade: Minyan, Gemara Iyun, Halacha, Bais Medrash, Mishna (B shiur), Mishmar, Tanach, Hebrew, Math I or II, Global Studies, English, Biology, Minors: Physical Education and Study Skills 10th Grade: Minyan, Gemara Iyun, Halacha, Gemara Bekiyus or Mishna, Mishmar, Tanach, Hebrew or Spanish, Math II or III, Global Studies or Honors Global Studies or AP European History, English, Earth Science or Chemistry Minors: Physical Education 11th Grade: Minyan, Gemara Iyun, Halacha, Gemara Bekiyus or Mishna, Mishmar, 5th Period Elective (6 choices) and 6th Period Elective (6 choices), one of which must be a Kodesh course. Math III, Business Math, Accounting, AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC. AP American History, Honors American History or Regents American History. AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, Forensics, EMT or Halacha and Physiology. English or Honors English. Minors: Physical Education 12th Grade: Minyan, Gemara Iyun, Halacha, Gemara Bekiyus or Mishna, Moadim (B shiur), Mishmar, 5th Period Elective (6 choices) and 6th Period Elective (6 choices), one of which must be a Kodesh course. Business Math, Accounting, AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC. AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Psychology, Forensics, EMT or Halacha and Physiology. English or Honors English and Economics. Minors: Physical Education, Music, Art, Health Education and Zionism. If your son is in an AP class but doesn’t take the AP exam, his transcript will not reflect AP but rather Honors. In total we require all students to take and pass 9 Regents Exams: Math I, Math II and Math III 3 Math Regents Biology and Chemistry or Earth Science 2 Science Regents Global Studies and American History 2 Social Studies Regents Hebrew (BJE Version, accepted by NY State) 1 Foreign Language Regents English (Language Arts) 1 English Regents ---------------------------- Total 9 Regents Regents with Advanced Designation Honors is an average of 90% on all 9 regents. Valedictorian and Salutatorian Criteria In order to qualify for valedictorian or salutatorian a student: ▪ must be a Rambam student for a minimum of 3 years ▪ must take a minimum of 3 AP’s, one of which has to be a math or science ▪ must have been in honors section for both Limudei Kodesh and Secular for 3 years ACADEMIC STANDING AT RAMBAM MESIVTA We believe that a student at Rambam Mesivta should enjoy his years at the Mesivta. He should immerse himself in our culture of Limud Torah, learning and studying about the world that the Almighty created and the one in which we inhabit. Additionally, we hope he participates in the myriad extra-curricular activities that we offer and, of course, form friendships with the other students. At the same time a student should keep an eye on his post-Rambam goals as well. Yeshivot in Israel are interested in a Talmid’s Kodesh and Secular grades, Tefillah grades as well as the student’s attendance and behavior record. Colleges are interested in all four years of Secular and Kodesh grades, as well as SAT and/or ACT scores, and your involvement in extra-curricular activities. What this all means is that all four years at Rambam are important, and sadly, there are no do-overs, so each Shiur and each class counts! On the previous page we presented the Rambam Mesivta Graduation requirements. Please go through them carefully and use them as a guide throughout your four years at Rambam. Missing any one of the requirements will hold a student back from receiving a Diploma and hence graduating. In Limudei Kodesh a student can stand out by qualifying to be part of our Masmidim Program, in essence a Limudei Kodesh Honor Society. Yeshivot in Israel as well as Yeshiva University and Landers College will be aware of this status and will be looking for young men who are members of the Rambam Mesivta Masmidim Program. Masmidim Program In order to be a member of this prestigious program, Talmidim will be required to attend one Night Learning and one Lunch Learning per week, maintain a 92 average in Kodesh including davening, act in a way befitting a ben Torah and have an excellent attendance and discipline record. By doing so, they will be given certain incentives, including trips, apparel and final exam exemptions. In order to have the Masmidim designation appear on the transcript a student must maintain Masmidim status for at least 1 academic year. The greatest level of achievement will be to maintain the Masmidim status for all four years. Honor Roll, Principal’s List and Dean’s List At the end of each semester (fall and spring) a student can qualify for a special designation. There are three categories: Honor Roll – Maintaining an 85 average in Limudei Kodesh and an 85 average in Secular subjects. Principal’s List – Maintaining a 90 average in Limudei Kodesh and a 90 average in Secular subjects. Dean’s List – Maintaining a 95 average in Limudei Kodesh and a 95 average in Secular subjects. These averages are not combinations of the Kodesh and Secular averages; the student must achieve an 85, 90 or 95 in both Kodesh and Secular subjects in order to qualify for these designations! If a student qualifies for one of these three designations then he will be mailed a certificate with his report card, and the designation will appear on the transcript. Arista National Honor Society There is a Secular and Kodesh National Honor Society which is called Arista. At our Graduation we formally induct the top students at Rambam Mesivta. Yeshivot in Israel and Colleges are all impressed by a student who is a member of Arista. Arista National Honor Society, Rambam Mesivta Chapter requirements: Maintain a 92 Average in both Kodesh and Secular subjects throughout your years at Rambam Mesivta. The student must also act in a way befitting a ben Torah, and must have an excellent attendance and discipline record. This designation is only awarded at Rambam in the senior year. This designation appears on the transcript. Honors and AP Courses There are three different types of Shiurim and courses offered at Rambam Mesivta. a) Regular high school level Shiurim and Courses b) Honors level Shiurim and Honors and College level Courses c) AP Courses – Advanced Placement College Courses The student’s transcript will show which courses are Honors, College level, and AP. By definition the Honors Shiurim and courses are more demanding than the regular Shiurim and courses, and the AP courses are more demanding than the Honors courses. Hence, a student has to have certain grades in order to qualify for an Honors Shiur, or course, and certainly to be in an AP course. These different qualifications will be spelled out when the students receive their course selection sheets in late February.* By definition Honors Shiurim, Courses and AP Courses require a great deal of dedication, time and effort, but the rewards are also great. This is especially for the student who aspires to enter a top Israeli Yeshiva and a top University and/or is looking to win a merit-based scholarship. Obviously, Yeshivot in Israel and Honors Colleges are impressed by students who have taken many Honors and AP courses. *In late February we give out the course selection sheets to the students. These sheets contain course descriptions, what the qualifications to be in these courses are, and what courses they are up against. The students will have close to three weeks to review the course choices before they make their selections. Students will have time to speak to their parents, Principals, Rebbeim and Teachers, and our College Guidance Counselor, Mr. Schildkraut before making their final selection. Based on these course selection sheets we create the following year’s schedule as well as each student’s individualized schedule. Hence, a great deal of thought should be given to these course selections. PPSAT, PSAT, SAT and ACT Standardized Tests In addition to a student’s course load and his Grade Point Average (GPA), Yeshivot in Israel and colleges are interested in seeing how our students score on standardized tests taken by millions of college bound high school students. The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) exam focuses on Math, Reading and Writing skills. The ACT (American College Testing) focuses on subjects: English, Math, Reading and Science. Each test is geared to a different type of student and his test taking skills. But each student at Rambam, by the time he finishes his junior year, should have taken at least one SAT and one ACT exam. The results of these exams play a very important role in determining how Yeshivot in Israel and colleges view them when it’s time for them to apply. One could argue about the fairness and the merits of both of these exams (SAT and ACT) but we all must understand and accept the significant role they play in a student’s acceptance to Yeshivot in Israel and to colleges. These tests also focus on the skills our students will need once they graduate from Rambam and move on to the next phase of their education. PPSAT – At Rambam, in mid-October, we administer a practice version of the Practice SAT to our incoming 9th grade class. We contract the Princeton Review to mark the exam results and analyze them. The results help Rambam Mesivta, the students and their parents get a handle on what the student’s strengths and weaknesses are in Math, Reading and Writing.