Welcome to Rahway High School Freshman & Sophomore Handbook
FRESHMAN YEAR HIGHLIGHTS Understanding graduation and grade level requirements Understanding how grade point averages are determined Becoming familiar with college entrance requirements Understanding the importance of a balanced programacademic, extracurricular activities, and community service Engaging the students in academic and career planning Knowing and understanding counseling services Knowing the steps involved in career planning. SOPHOMORE YEAR HIGHLIGHTS Reviewing graduation and grade level requirements Reviewing college entrance requirements Being aware of career and post secondary opportunities after graduation Taking a career assessment (C.O.I.N.) Taking the practice SAT (PSAT) Updating the student s Academic and Career Planner Stressing the importance of community service Emphasizing individual goal setting Introducing interviewing skills Emphasizing academic with a focus on test taking (PSAT, HSPA, SAT & AP) THE ROLE OF A RAHWAY HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR School counselors are responsible for helping students discover their potential and meet personal goals. Character education, self-esteem building, effective communication and positive decision-making skills are used to guide students though personal challenges. Daily tasks: Schedule building and advising Monitoring fulfillment of graduation requirements Reviewing yearly academic progress Organizing parent/teacher conferences Assisting with career planning Standardized test coordination Interpretation of test scores Identification of potential Advance Placement pupils Credit calculation
Minimum Graduation Requirements STUDENTS MUST SATISFACTORILY PERFORM ON ALL AREAS OF THE HSPA (High School Proficiency Assessment) 4 Years English 4 Years Physical Education/Health 3 Years Social Studies (American History I, American History II, World Cultures) 3 Years Science (including one lab science) 3 Years Mathematics 1 Year Foreign Language 1 Year Practical Art 1 Year Visual/Performing Art 20 Additional Credits 120 TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED FOR GRADUATION Attendance Your attendance at Rahway High School counts. More than eighteen absences will result in a loss of credit. If you have questions about your attendance contact the attendance office. You are allowed a maximum of eighteen (18) days for a full-year course, thirteen (13) for a three-quarter year course, nine (9) for a half year course, and five (5) for a quarter year course. There is an expectation that you are in school for a minimum of 162 days. Therefore, for those students that exceed this number in high school, credits will be withheld. Exceptions Absence from class due to participation in a school sponsored approved or mandated activity (such as field trips, athletic or academic competitions) will not be included in the maximum total absences. Suspension does not count toward the maximum total of absences Students losing credit will be removed from all extra-curricular activities (sports, band, cheerleading, etc.). Upon learning a pupil may be absent due to a long term illness (hospitalization, etc.), the parent/guardian should: i. contact the student s guidance counselor ii. contact the attendance office
iii. contact the Department of Services for Children to arrange for a home instructor Loss of Credit Students who do not meet the minimum attendance requirements are in serious danger of losing credit for courses. Most of the courses offered at RHS are required for graduation. They must be repeated until a grade of 63 or greater is earned and a student meets attendance requirements. If a student does not meet these standards, the course must be repeated in summer school (at cost) or repeated during the course of the school year. Excessive loss of credit will delay graduation. Students must earn at least 30 credits including a passing grade in English in order to pass on to the next grade level. Athletic Eligibility To be eligible for participation in any extra-curricular activity during the first semester (July 1 st -January 31 st ) of grades 10-12, a pupil must have passed 27.5 credits from the previous academic year. In all other grades students failing three or more subjects (full year equivalents) on the report card will also be ineligible for participation. Academic Dishonesty Any attempt to obtain credit for work done by another is unacceptable at Rahway High School. This includes cheating on tests, copying the work of others, copying word-for-word from published works (plagiarism) and similar activities. When a student participates in a form of academic dishonesty: 1. A zero will be assigned as a grade 2. No extra credit work will be issued to raise the grade. 3. Parent(s)/guardian(s) will be notified. 4. An assistant principal and the student s school counselor will be notified. 5. Any subsequent offences will result in removal from class and a loss of credit for the year. Tips & Study Skills
BE ON-TIME A great deal happens at the very beginning of class. Your teacher must take attendance and get the class started on their do-now assignments. If you are late or slow to get to class, you might miss the do-now and be marked as tardy or having cut the class. Getting to class on-time and ready to learn is a great start to earning good grades. GET ORGANIZED Make sure you have a notebook and folder for each subject. Remember to write homework assignments & projects in your agenda. Keep returned assignments in the folders for each subject. You might want to keep a shoe box at home or in your locker for notes from the previous marking period. You will need these notes for mid-term and final exams. While in class seat yourself where there are few distractions. Listen closely and take detailed notes in class. Focus on main ideas and don t be afraid to ask questions if you don t understand something. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Develop a routine by studying at the same time and place everyday after school. Learning how to study is critical to remembering important material. High School students are expected to do more reading than middle school students. After reading, you should be able to figure out what the main idea of an article is and how that main
idea is supported. Taking notes while reading, writing in the margins and highlighting are some effective strategies. Reading aloud to yourself and reading material over and over again DOES NOT WORK! CHALLENGE & STRETCH YOURSELF High school should be difficult at times. Colleges prefer that students take HONORS and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. These courses prepare you for life after high school by challenging and expanding what you already know. We offer Honors English, Social Studies, Science and Mathematics courses. We also offer many elective classes. GET INVOLVED!! Being involved in extra-curricular activities looks great on your high school activity sheet. Colleges and employers look for students who are team players and outgoing individuals ACADEMIC DECATHALON TEAM BAND BLUE TRIANGLE CLUB BROADCASTING CHESS CLUB CHORUS DANCE DECA (DISTRIBUTIVE EDUCATION CLUBS OF AMERICA) FRENCH CLUB/FRENCH NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY ITALIAN CLUB/ITALIAN NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY KEY CLUB MADRIGALS MULTI0ETHNIC CULTURAL CLUB NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY NEWSPAPER OUTDOORS CLUB PEER LEADERSHIP Q.U.E.S.T. JROTC DRILL TEAM REBEL SPANISH CLUB SPEAK UP CLUB STEP CLUB STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION THESPIAN SOCIETY CLUB WRESTLING CLUB WRITER S CLUB
Timeline September Freshman/Sophomore Parent Night October 14 th Administration of the PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Achievement Test) for grades 10 & 11 Progress Reports Mailed H.O.B.Y (Hugh O Brian Youth Leadership) program student selection November 1 st Marking Period Closes Report Cards available for pick-up or mailed home 24 th Parent/teacher conferences December Progress Reports Mailed January 26 th -29 th Mid-Term Exams February 2 nd Marking Period Report Cards Mailed March 2,3 & 4 th S-Test grades 9 & 10 Progress Reports Mailed April 3 rd Marking Period Report Cards Mailed May 17 th End-of-Course Biology Exam (make-ups May 20 th ) 24 th End-of-Course Algebra I Exam (make-ups May 27 th ) June Final Exams 15 th -18 th 10/9