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FRESHMAN FOCUS

Creating Your 4-year Plan Day 1

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  • Understand my GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
  • Understand the importance of my GPA
  • Complete FIND YOUR PATH in SchooLinks
  • Identify CAREER CLUSTERS that fit my interests.

Learning Objectives: Day 1

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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

English 4 credits

Math 3 credits

Science 2 credits

Social Studies (Civics) 3 credits

PE/Health/Drivers ed 4 credits

Career Tech Ed 0.5 credits

Fine Art 0.5 credits

Consumer Ed 0.5 credits

Electives 4.5 credits

World Language 0 credits

TOTAL =

22 CREDITS

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MOST 4-YEAR

COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS

English 4 credits

Math 3 or more credits

Science 3 or more credits

Social Studies (Civics) 3 or more credits

PE/Health/Drivers ed 4 credits

Career Tech Ed 0.5 credits

Fine Art 0.5 credits

Consumer Ed 0.5 credits

Electives 4.5 credits

World Language 2 or more credits

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GPA: What is it and why does it matter?

SEMESTER GPA

CUMULATIVE GPA

  • Only includes your grades from the current semester.
  • You get a new GPA at the end of every semester (December and May).
  • Average of all the semester grades you have ever earned.
  • If you apply to 4-year college, you will have 6 semesters in your GPA (fresh, soph, junior years).
  • By the time you graduate, you will have 8 semesters of grades in your cumulative GPA.

Impact of Cumulative GPA

HIGHER GPA =

  • MORE COLLEGE/CAREER OPTIONS
  • MORE POTENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP MONEY

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GPA SAMPLE COMPARISON

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Student 1

Student 2

English

A (4)

B (3)

Math

B (3)

C (2)

Science

B (3)

C (2)

Global Connections

A (4)

B (3)

PE

A (4)

A (4)

Elective

A (4)

C (2)

Elective

B (3)

F (0)

GPA

25 / 7 = 3.57

16 / 7 = 2.28

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INTERESTS

PERSONALITY

VALUES

EXPERIENCES

SKILLS & ABILITIES

CAREER

DECISION-MAKING

FACTORS

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WHAT ARE CAREER CLUSTERS?

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SchooLinks

Link found in your D99 Favorites bar

1. 2.

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FIND YOUR PATH

2. FOLLOW ALL STEPS TO GET RESULTS

  1. COMPLETE THE ASSESSMENT

3. EXPLORE RESULTS

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SET YOUR CAREER GOAL

  • On the left side, click Student > Profile and Resume
  • Click on “My Story” > Change Goals
  • Choose a Career Goal and Save it

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TOMORROW

  • Connect your CAREER CLUSTERS to potential elective options
  • Create a draft of your 4-Year plan

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FRESHMAN FOCUS

Creating Your 4-year Plan Day 2

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  • Connect CAREER CLUSTERS to potential elective classes
  • Begin to build a DRAFT of your 4-YEAR PLAN

Learning Objectives: Day 2

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4-Year Plan Worksheet

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Choose electives that align with your career interests

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SchooLinks Course Planner

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2.

3.

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SchooLinks Course Planner

We will go course by course TOGETHER to draft your plan

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Click on ENGLISH

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You already have 4 years of classes in your plan.

Grade level English:

Or honors level English:

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Click CONTINUE on the top right to get to

MATH

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You already have 3 years of Math in your plan.

If you want to add a 4th year, click Add another course and select from the options listed.

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Click CONTINUE on the top right to get to

SOCIAL STUDIES

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  • Sophomore year, click on Add another course. Choose US History or AP US History.

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  • “Jr/Sr Social Studies” is selected for you during junior year. If you know what Social Studies you want as a junior, you can delete that and…
    • choose one class that has an *asterisk* symbol. This is your CIVICS requirement (can be done junior or senior year).
    • choose one semester of any other Social Studies

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Click CONTINUE on the top right to get to

SCIENCE

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Click on Add another course

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  • Plan MUST include 1 year of Biology and 1 year of Physical Science (Physical Science = Earth & Space, Chemistry, or Physics)
  • Sophomore year, choose Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Earth & Space Science (regular or honors)
  • Junior & Senior years, choose 1 or 2 more years of science if you plan to go to college, or pursue a science-related career

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SCIENCE OPTIONS

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Click CONTINUE on the top right to get to

PE/Health/Driver Ed

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Not taking Driver Ed next year? Click on Standard PE with Driver Ed, and then select Standard PE without Driver Ed.

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HOW/WHEN CAN I TAKE DRIVER ED?

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  • Turning 15 by June 1st? Apply for summer school. First come, first served!
  • Birthday cutoff for next school year will be decided later. Some students take it junior year.
  • Private driving school - can take when you turn 15.

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Click CONTINUE on the top right to get to

CAREER TECH ED

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  • Think about your Career interests. Consult your DGS Courses & Career Alignment sheet.
  • You need to take one semester of CTE anytime throughout high school to graduate.
  • TCD Programs can be added to junior or senior year if you want.
  • If you want to add more CTE classes to your plan, click Add another course to any school year, and then scroll through the list or type in the search bar to find and select the course.

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Click CONTINUE on the top right to get to

FINE ARTS

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  • Think about your Career interests. Consult your DGS Courses & Career Alignment sheet.
  • You need to take one semester of Fine Art anytime throughout high school to graduate.
  • If you want to add more Fine Art classes to your plan, click Add another course to any school year, and then scroll through the list or type in the search bar to find and select the course.

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Click CONTINUE on the top right to get to

ELECTIVES

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  • This is where you can add Spanish, French, or German.
    • NOTE: If you are in a language this year, the next level has been added to your plan. You need to add junior and/or senior year if you want.
  • This is also here you can add Theater Design, Acting, TV, and Radio if you want.
  • If you want to add Language or the above Elective classes to your plan, click Add another course to any school year, and then type in the search bar to find and select the course.

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