FORT MORGAN HIGH SCHOOL
FMHS Mission Statement:
The mission of Fort Morgan High School is to inspire creative thinking, high achievement, and lifelong learning.
FMHS Vision Statement:
FMHS envision 21st Century schools that:
· Educate and graduate a student population which is confident, skilled, and well spoken;
· Empower students to be caring, responsible citizens and lifelong learners;
· Provide safe and positive learning environments;
· Cultivate staff committed to quality and excellence.
STUDENT REGISTRATION GUIDE
AND
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
2012-2013
FORT MORGAN HIGH SCHOOL
ADMINISTRATION
Judy Florian, Principal
Dale Fleming, Assistant Principal/Activities
Richie Wildenhaus, Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
Statement of Nondiscrimination: An Equal Opportunity Employer
Morgan County School District Re-3 is an Equal Opportunity Employer, subject to all federal and state laws and constitutional provisions. Morgan County School District Re-3 does not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry or need for special educations services. Contact Person – Superintendent – 970-370-6110.
Administration and Counseling Office Contact List
Administration Office
Judy Florian - Principal 970.370.6686
Sue Ward – Admin Assistant 970.370.6689
Brenda Hofman – Attendance Secretary 970.370.6690
Dale Fleming – Asst. Principal/Activities Director 970.370.6687
Stacy Bell – Discipline Secretary 970.370.6691
Richie Wildenhaus – Asst. Principal/Athletics Director 970.370.6688
Cynthia Quarles – Athletic Secretary 970.370.6692
Counseling Office
Katherine Gertge – Registrar 970.370.6679
Judy Frasco – Counseling Secretary/Data Management 970.370.6682
Becky Gibbs – Counselor – ESL Coordinator 970.370.6680
J.B. Carrico – Counselor – SPED Coordinator 970.370.6681
Katherine Anderson – Student Success Coordinator 970.370.6675
Kelly Batt – Gear Up Coordinator 970.370.6669
School Nurse
Darla Brennemann – Nurse 970.370.6694
School Resource Officer
Officer Tim Malone – SRO 970.370.6698
School Webpage
http://fortmorganhighschool.weebly.com/
District Web Page
http://www.morgan.k12.co.us/
District Calendar
http://www.morgan.k12.co.us/phpscript/calendar/
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Administration and Counseling Office Contact List 3
REGISTRATION INFORMATION 6
PLANNING YOUR PROGRAM 6
Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness 7
COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS 9
CAREER PREPARATION 10
Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) 12
POLICIES AND GENERAL INFORMATION 13
EARLY GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 16
NCAA APPROVED CORE COURSES 18
NCAA – Eligibility Standards 20
ACADEMIC RECOGNITIONS 22
Colorado Commission on Higher Education 23
Admissions Eligibility Index 24
FORT MORGAN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 28
AGRICULTURE/FFA 29
ART 33
BUSINESS AND COMPUTERS 37
ENGLISH 43
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES 55
FOREIGN LANGUAGE 59
INDUSTRIAL ARTS 62
MATHEMATICS 65
MUSIC 69
PHYSICAL EDUCATION 73
SCIENCE 77
SOCIAL STUDIES 83
MUSTANG PRIDE 87
SPECIAL PROGRAMS 89
Teen Mentor Program 89
Special Education 90
ESL 93
TEEN PARENTING PROGRAM 94
TEACHER ASSISTANTS 95
WORK STUDY 96
A+ COMPUTER PROGRAM 96
SPECIAL PROGRAMS – CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION 98
FORMS 102
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
PLANNING YOUR PROGRAM
The Fort Morgan High School Student Registration Guide contains the information you need to select your program of study for the 2012-2013 academic year. Your course selections should be a result of careful consideration of your Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP), as well as discussions with your parents, teachers, and school Counselors.
Graduation requirements are designed to give you a well-balanced high school education. Included in the requirements for graduation is the opportunity to select a minimum of 15 elective credits. If a student is not at grade level in reading, writing and/or math they may be placed in an intervention class which will become an elective class. This will enable a student who is not at grade level to receive additional academic support, which will take the place of an elective. All students who have been placed in an intervention class in language arts (reading/writing and/or math, or science) will receive an elective credit.
Elective courses will help you explore your own career interests and pursue a pre-college or pre-vocational plan of study. Elective courses coupled with required core and non-core content courses will help provide you with a more holistic educational experience that is aligned with postsecondary and workforce readiness goals, prior to or upon attaining a high school diploma.
All plans are subject to availability of classes at a specific registration. Therefore, it is important to be prepared to choose several alternative courses, especially in elective program areas. Freshmen will not be allowed to make schedule changes. Only in extenuating circumstances that have been preapproved by the principal will a freshmen’s’ schedule be changed.
Planning Your Course of Study, you should consider the following:
1. Know the number of credits earned in each academic area and compare to the graduation requirements. Know and understand PREREQUISITES AND REQUIREMENTS for courses you wish to take, including whether special approval is required.
2. Fort Morgan High School operates on a traditional seven period schedule.
3. It is expected that students will be enrolled in seven classes per day. Students on track to graduate may have a reduced schedule if they have an honors pass, are enrolled in a college course off campus or and/or work study program, and/or are gainfully employed. All students who are employed will be required to submit proof of employment. In these circumstances a student might not be enrolled in seven class periods a day.
All students who are enrolled at Fort Morgan High School with less than seven classes per day must fill out, complete and turn in the “Part Time Student Status Petition” form to the Counseling Center. All “Part Time Student Status Petition” forms must be signed by the student, his/her parent(s)/guardian(s) and the student’s school counselor, prior to submitting this form to building principal. Once reviewed and approved by the principal the student may work with their counselor to make appropriate changes to his/her schedule.
All requests must be submitted by the end of November, fall semester, to be reviewed and may be approved by the principal. (A copy of the form can be found at the back of this registration guide).
NOTE: Senior athletes are required to be enrolled in a minimum of five graded classes to be eligible to play according to CHSAA guidelines.
Students who are not performing at grade level in reading, writing and/or math may be placed in an intervention class.
If a student has been enrolled in an intervention class, due to low performance, in language arts and/or math, the intervention class will be counted as an elective towards graduation credits.
Students may NOT repeat a class and use one for a required credit and one for an ` elective credit. Each course will serve as only one credit.
4. Early Graduation: If a Junior Student is on track to graduate and he/she wants to request early graduation they may do so by contacting his/her Counselor. Once the appropriate paperwork has been completed, signed and approved by his/her parents, Counselor and the Principal, the student may update their schedule to reflect their early graduation plan.
A student must apply in writing by the end of the 1st semester of the student’s junior year and receive approval from his/her counselor and the building principal if he/she is interested in requesting early graduation. Please refer to the 2012-2013 Student Handbook.
5. College Entrance Requirements: College entrance requirements and/or future vocational plans should be considered when selecting courses. Consult the College Entrance Requirement Chart contained in this guide as you plan your schedule. Make an appointment to see a Counselor if necessary.
Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness
Adopted June 30, 2009 by the Colorado Department of Education
Colorado Department of Education and Department of Higher Education Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Definition
Description of PWR:
“Postsecondary and workforce readiness” describes the knowledge, skills, and behaviors essential for high school graduates to be prepared to enter college and the workforce and to compete in the global economy. The description assumes students have developed consistent intellectual growth throughout their high school career as a result of academic work that is increasingly challenging, engaging, and coherent. Postsecondary education and workforce readiness assumes that students are ready and able to demonstrate the following without the need for remediation.
I. Content Knowledge Literacy
• Read fiction and non-fiction, understanding conclusions reached and points of view expressed.
• Write clearly and coherently for a variety of purposes and audiences.
• Use logic and rhetoric to analyze and critique ideas.
• Access and use primary and secondary sources to explain questions being researched.
• Use standard language properly: correct grammar, usage and spelling.
Mathematical Sciences
• Think critically, analyze evidence, read graphs, understand logical arguments, detect logical fallacies, test conjectures, evaluate risks, and appreciate the role mathematics modern world, i.e., be quantitatively literate.
• Understand and apply algebraic and geometric concepts and techniques.
• Use concepts and techniques of probability and statistics.
• Apply knowledge of mathematics to problem-solve, analyze issues, and make critical decisions that arise in everyday life.
Science
• Think scientifically and apply the scientific method to complex systems and phenomena
• Use empirical evidence to draw conclusions
• Recognize conclusions are subject to interpretation and can be challenged
• Understand the core scientific concepts, principles, laws, and vocabulary, and how scientific knowledge is extended, refined, and revised over time
Social Sciences
• Identify and describe historical, social, cultural, political, geographical, and economic concepts
• Interpret sources, and evaluate evidence and competing ideas
• Build conceptual frameworks based on understanding themes and the overall flow of events
• Understand civic responsibility, including how governments work in the United States and in other countries
• Interpret new information from a global and multicultural perspective
The Arts and Humanities
• Understand and appreciate how the arts and humanities (expressions of culture and identity through language, movement, sound, and visual representation) contribute to and shape culture and our understanding of culture
• Understand how the arts are used as an instrument of social and political thought
• Identify leading innovators in the arts and humanities and the contributions they have made to their respective genres
• Communicate and interact effectively with communicators of different languages
• Understand how communicating in another language can improve learning in other disciplines and expand professional, personal, and social opportunities
II. Learning and Life Skills
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
• Apply logical reasoning and analytical skills
• Evaluate the credibility and merit of information, ideas, and arguments
• Discern bias; pose questions, marshal evidence, and present solutions
Find and Use Information/Information Technology
• Assess the credibility and relevance of information
• Conduct research using acceptable research methods
• Apply different research paradigms, including the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data and research
• Select, integrate, and apply appropriate technology to expand information and knowledge
Creativity and Innovation
• Demonstrate intellectual curiosity
• Generate new ideas and novel approaches
• Develop new connections where none previously existed
Global and Cultural Awareness
• Appreciate the arts, culture, and humanities
• Interact effectively with and respect the diversity of different individuals, groups, and cultures
• Recognize the interdependent nature of our world
Civic Responsibility
• Practice civic responsibility and citizenship
• Balance personal freedom with the interests of a community
Work Ethic
• Set priorities and manage time
• Take initiative, and follow through
• Learn from instruction and criticism
• Take responsibility for actions and work
• Act with maturity, civility, and politeness
Personal Responsibility
• Act assertively
• Be a self-advocate
• Possess financial literacy and awareness of consumer economics
• Behave honestly and ethically
Communication
• Read, write, listen and speak effectively
• Construct clear, coherent, and persuasive arguments
Collaboration
• Be a team player
• Acknowledge authority and take direction
• Cooperate for a common purpose
COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
If your plans after graduation from high school include college, you should keep in mind five major factors upon which college entrance is most often based:
1. Course Selections:
Successful completion of a challenging academic program is the best preparation and is an important factor to colleges in determining the admissibility of the applicants. Take the most challenging curriculum you can successfully handle, and then achieve the best grades of which you are capable. The college entrance requirements chart in this guide provides general information on college prep course work. Algebra II and Chemistry are minimum requirements for most four year colleges.
2. Grades:
The grades you earned in these courses and the resulting grade point.
3. Test Scores:
Your test scores on college entrance examinations (ACT and/or SAT) and/or Accuplacer are always considered. Entrance examination that is required is dependent upon the college or University that a student is attending.
4. Personal Recommendations:
The personal recommendations of your Counselor, Teachers and/or Administrators Your personal recommendation, as submitted by your Counselor, Teachers and/or Administrators, is the fourth critical factor taken into consideration for college admission. Such aspects as insight, creativity, depth and intensity of study, academic consistency, and trend of grades, indication of positive progress, behavior, communication skills, dependability, and reliability are key factors to be covered in these recommendation letters.
5. Extra-Curricular Activities:
Participation in activities such as student government, clubs and athletics is the fifth factor of importance to college admissions officers. The critical point is not how many activities you have joined, but rather how meaningfully you have participated and carried out your responsibilities with those selected activities. Many organizations who offer scholarships look at what community involvement activities a student has accomplished during high school. The amount of time and the diverse nature of the community involvement can be the difference in getting these scholarships.
Please see the College Entrance Requirements Chart on page 13 for additional information.
CAREER PREPARATION
Many high school students prepare to enter a career or the military upon graduation from high school. FMHS offers a variety of technical and vocational training programs to provide students with the skills necessary for employment. Your high school Counselor can guide you on career exploration and course selection.