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1.  What resources exist to assist students in course selection?

Starting in February, our counselors will visit students in classes to present registration information.  We encourage students to follow up with appointments to discuss questions they might have, including assistance with their plans for the future.  Additionally, students can speak with current teachers about course recommendations for the following year, such as math, science, foreign language, and English (specifically when trying to decide whether to move to honors/prep).  There is also an Online Course Catalog available in the Student Services tab on the NHS Website.

2.  When will I register for next year’s courses?

Next year’s Seniors: February 5 - 9

Next year’s Juniors: February 5 - 9 & February 20 - 23

Next year’s Sophomores:  February 26 - March 1

Next year’s Freshman: February 13 - 16

Complete Spring 2024 Registration Calendar

3. How many courses do I have to take?

All students in grades 9-11 must be enrolled in 6 classes. Seniors must be enrolled in at least 5 classes. Consideration for Seniors to have a 4-period day will be given to students enrolled in a college course as their 5th class. (BP 6112 and AR 6112)

4. How many courses do I sign up for?  Do I need to sign up for more than 6? 

We recommend students sign up for 6 classes every year. Seniors may take 5 classes if they are on track for graduation.  As part of the course selection process, you can sign up for alternate courses that will be used if your preferred course is full.

5. Can I take an Early Flight Course?

Space in Early Flight courses is limited. Students enrolled in programs requiring a multi-year commitment (ex/ Performing Arts, AVID, LAYLA, ISA) are given priority.

6. How do I sign up for an AP or Honors class?  Am I guaranteed to get in?        

AP classes are college-level classes. Before a student will be considered for an AP or Honors class, it is important that they understand the expectations and commitment involved. Students will need to make sure they and their parents have signed the Advanced Placement Commitment Pledge and return it with their course selection card.

We work to create an overall master schedule that accommodates as many requests for AP and Honors courses as possible.  However, due to class size limits and potential scheduling conflicts with other courses a student is interested in, students may not ultimately be enrolled in every course they sign up for.  If a scheduling conflict exists, a counselor will contact the student before the start of school so that other options can be explored.

7.  How many AP and/or Honors classes should I sign up for? 

We recommend that students take advanced courses in subjects they are interested in and enjoy. Students need to talk to their families and their counselor to discuss how to balance the workload of these advanced courses with their extracurriculars. Students should account for advanced courses requiring about an hour of homework per
night. Planning out a daily calendar with the homework commitment and their extracurricular commitments can be beneficial. Students are also encouraged to research the classes and talk to their teachers and counselor so they know what to expect before signing up.

8. What do I do if I want to take a course at Napa Valley College over the summer or next school year? 

Make an appointment with your counselor to discuss which course you want to take. He/she can guide you in the process. Students must have a signed Permit to Attend form approved by their counselor before enrolling in a class.

9.  When is the last day to change my course requests? 

Students will be notified of their course requests for the following school year by late March. Students have until May 1 to request any changes. After that, any changes will be based on the space and availability of the course. (Students make a commitment to completing each course they sign up for, and sections of classes are allocated based on interest. If students change their minds after the course allocations and master schedule have been finalized, we cannot guarantee that changes will be possible.)

10. When will I know what courses I will be taking for next school year?

A list of course selections will be provided to students by late March. Students will have the opportunity to make changes/corrections until May 1. Prior to the last day of school, students will be able to see in Aeries a tentative list of the classes in which they are enrolled for Fall.

11. If I change my mind over the summer, can I make changes to my courses when I get my official schedule in August?

Once we get to August, the master schedule will have been finalized, and changes will not be considered (see #12 and #13 below). Course changes will, however, be made for the following reasons:

• Placement in the wrong academic class (Prep instead of Honors)
• Missing a Graduation Requirement
• Missing a period
• Two classes scheduled for the same period
• Too many periods
• Completion of a class at NVC or online over the summer

12. What happens if, once school starts, I decide I want to drop or change a class? 

All classes are 1 year long. Some changes can be made during the first 6 weeks of the semester, but only under special circumstances and provided that space is available in other classes to accommodate the move and if the change does not impact other courses. If a student and parent decide they want to drop a course after the first six weeks of the semester, the student will receive an ‘F’ grade on their permanent transcript.

13.  When is the last day to drop an AP or Honors course? 

Students make a commitment to completing each course they sign up for, and sections of classes are allocated based on interest. If students change their minds after the course allocations and final master schedule have been finalized, we cannot guarantee that changes will be possible.

If a student is unable to continue with an AP or Honors course because of an unforeseen circumstance, the student must make that change before the end of the first six-week grading cycle. Dropping an AP or Honors course will only be considered under the following circumstances:

1) there are extenuating circumstances that prevent the student from achieving success,
2) the student has followed the required list of steps prior to requesting a drop,
3) space is available in an equivalent Prep course,
4) the drop does not require changes that impact other classes.

14. If I earned an F or a D in a course, can I repeat it?

Some courses can be repeated, but most often, a student needs to take a class through our on-site credit recovery program. Our school offers credit recovery options that can be explored with the student’s counselor. This generally requires staying after school for a late flight 7th period.

15.  Am I guaranteed to get into all the courses I request? 

Students are mandated to take certain classes every year, and these classes are added to everyone’s schedule. We do the best we can to accommodate student requests, but at times, there are not enough sections of a course. Additionally, some courses meet during specific periods, so conflicts with other classes happen. In these cases, students must decide which course they prefer.

16. Can I choose my teacher(s) within a certain subject area? 

No, we do not allow teacher requests. Students are randomly placed into courses.

17. I have heard about Title IX. What is it? Title IX and Nondiscrimination refer to federal and state anti-discrimination laws that ensure equality in education. Napa Valley Unified School District wants all students to “Know Your Rights,” and this is important when selecting courses.

18. What are some important “Educational Rights” I should know about? Students have the right to counseling and equal learning opportunities in their schools. Students, you may not be excluded from participation, be denied benefits, be subjected to harassment or other forms of discrimination, be required to take a course, be denied enrollment in a course, or be evaluated and graded based upon actual or perceived personal traits and characteristics.

19. What is discrimination? Discrimination can be defined as distinguishing differences between things or treating someone as inferior based on their race, sex, national origin, age, or other characteristics.

20. What is nondiscrimination? The NVUSD nondiscrimination statement is important for all students to read, ask questions about, and use as a resource to ensure students have equality in education. The Napa Valley School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals and does not allow discrimination, intimidation, harassment, including sexual harassment, or bullying based on a person’s actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, nationality/national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification/ethnicity, age, religion, marital status/ pregnancy/ parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, medical information or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

21.  Do female and male students have the same rights not only to course selection but also to play sports? Yes, schools must offer female and male students equal opportunities to play sports. Additionally, equipment and supplies, game and practice schedules, budgets, coaching travel allowances, facilities, publicity, support services, and tutoring offered to teams are to be equivalent between male and female teams.

22. I have a friend who is in 11th grade, and she is pregnant. Does she have rights? Yes, pregnant and parenting students have the same rights as any other student to continue in their regular school and any program they qualify for. The NVUSD Board Policy 5146 Married, Pregnant, Parenting Students outlines additional guidelines to prevent nondiscrimination in district programs and activities and outlines support services, such as child care and development services for the children of parenting students, parenting education and life skills instruction, and health care services. Pregnant and parenting students have the right to receive accommodations for lactating and breastfeeding and accommodations for absences and parental leave.

23. What if I have concerns or questions about these “Rights” or other “Rights”? You are welcome to contact your school principal, who is your Title IX school-site Compliance Officer, Dr. Ean Ainsworth, 2475 Jefferson St., Napa, CA 94558, 707-253-3711, nhs@nvusd.org or the NVUSD Title IX Compliance Officer for Students: Director of Student Services, Maryanne Christoffersen, 2425 Jefferson St., Napa CA 94558, studentservices@nvusd.org, 707-253-3815.