ACADEMIC POLICIES

*****FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL*****

1. Requirements for Graduation

A. BASIC CORE REQUIREMENTS

Theology 2 years of study

English 2 years of study

Social Studies 2 years of study

Math 2 years of study

Science 2 years of study

B. ADDITIONAL NEW YORK STATE REQUIREMENTS

Second Language 1 unit of study

Technology Education ½ unit of study

The Arts ½ unit in visual arts, ½ unit in music

Health ½ unit of study

Physical Ed 2 years of study

2. New York State 8th Grade Assessments

A. English Language Arts Assessment

B. Math Assessment

C. Social Studies Assessment

D. Science Assessment

E. Spanish Proficiency

3. Integrated Algebra Regents

Earth Science Regents

4. IOWA tests of basic skills

Grade 7 Core battery

Reading/Language Arts/Math

The above State learning standards and requirements define what is taught in the middle school. At Catholic Central, the middle school presents opportunities that challenge students as it provides them with structure to transition to the next academic level. Students are held accountable for their work, their actions, and their ability to succeed.

****FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL*****

Graduation Requirements

Total Number of Units of Credit: 22

In keeping with the educational objectives of CCHS, every student will be

expected to carry a FULL academic schedule each semester.

New York State Required Courses

Regents Diploma Regents w /Advanced Designation

Credits Credits

English 4 4

Social Studies 4 4

Math 3 3

Science 3 3

Language other than English 1* 3**

Art/Music 1 1

Health . 5 .5

Physical Education 2 2

· *Students are required to complete 1 unit of study in a Language other than English by the end of their 9^th grade year. One unit of credit is earned either by passing the NYS proficiency exam for a language other than English or by earning a passing grade in 1 unit of language in grade 9-12.

· **Students may be exempt from the language other than English requirement by completing five units of credit in Art, Music or Business.

Additional CCHS Requirements

4 years of Theology and 1 year of business

Required Examinations

(All examinations require a score of 65 or above)

Regents Diploma Advanced Designation

Comprehensive English Comprehensive English

Global History and Geography Global History and Geography

United States History and Government United States History and Government

1 Science 2 Science (at least one in life science)

1 Mathematics 2 or 3 Mathematics***

Language other than English Exam**

***( Integrated Algebra or Math A) and Geometry and Algebra 2/Trignometry

Math A and Math B

Math A and Algebra 2/Trignometry)

With Honors: Students receiving a diploma with honors will have earned at least an average of 90 in the required regents examinations.

B. ELECTIVES

Departmental electives may vary in their prerequisites. Their school counselors direct students in their choice of electives based on their interests and abilities.

C. REGENTS EXAMS

The NYS Regents Board requires that students demonstrate competency in basic subject areas before a diploma is issued. The specific number of required Regents exams for a Regents diploma or a Regents diploma with advanced designation is outlined on the previous page. The requirements for a second language other than English are also explained on the previous page.

D. PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS

A NYS Proficiency Exam is given after the completion of the 8th grade language other than English course. To earn one high school credit, a student must receive a passing grade of 65% on this exam. Otherwise, the student must pass a Language other than English course in high school to satisfy the requirement for a diploma. It is recommended that all students take three or four years of a language in order to prepare for college.

2. Course Levels

The following "levels" are used to compute class ranks. Courses are "weighted" according to their level of difficulty and receive the multipliers listed below:

LEVEL 3 – Advanced/AP/UHS courses – 1.16

LEVEL 2 - Honors courses – 1.08

LEVEL 1 - Regents and Regents-level courses – 1.00

3. Course Selection and Adjustment

Ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students will take 7 courses. It is strongly recommended that twelfth grade students carry a schedule of no less than 6 courses. The student in course selection should take great care. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT ALL STUDENTS TAKE MATH AND SCIENCE ALL FOUR YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL FOR OPTIMAL COLLEGE PREPARATION. Consultation with teachers, school counselors, and parent/guardian is VERY important. Special attention should be paid to prerequisites, past performance, and teacher recommendations before courses are selected. In January, the master schedule is constructed and the computer scheduling process is begun. Course change requests after May cannot be guaranteed since class sections may have already reached the maximum number of students.

4. Independent Study

For students who are interested in pursuing areas of study not generally covered in the regularly offered courses, the possibility of independent study exists. Please contact the guidance office for additional information by May 1st of the school year prior to the start of the independent study.

School districts which provide textbooks to our students require textbook orders to be placed by June 1. Therefore, course selections must be finalized before this date.

UNIVERSITY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL (U @ HS)

The University in the High School Program is under the direction and sponsorship of the University at Albany. The program allows qualified students to earn college credit while still at CCHS. By entering college with previously earned credits, students can hasten their graduation from college or explore a wider range of academic areas during a regular college sequence.

The following U @ HS courses are available at CCHS:

English

World Literature

History

Semester one:American and Political History I

Semester two:American Political and Social History II

Spanish

Spanish IV: Intermediate Spanish

Spanish V:Intermediate Spanish II

Science

Semester one:Physics I

Semester two:Physics II

Mathematics

Calculus I

World History and American History are offered for AP Credit

THEOLOGY

The CCHS program in Theology provides a comprehensive study of the history and theology of Roman Catholicism, following the sequence of courses as outlined by the religion syllabus of the Diocese of Albany. The goal of the members of the Theology department is to help students to integrate knowledge about their faith with the living of what they believe. For this reason, all students are required to study Theology as a necessary part of living the Christian Community that the school strives to be.

______________________________________________________________________________________

COURSE TITLE REQUIRED/ GRADE CREDIT WEIGHTED # OF

ELECTIVE LEVEL VALUE LEVEL PERIODS

______________________________________________________________________________________

Life of Christ Required 7 - - 6

The Church Required 8 - - 6

Theology 9 – Scripture/Christology Required 9 ½ 1 6

Theology 10 – The Church Required 10 ½ 1 6

Theology 11 - Christian Morality/ Required 11 ½ 1 6

The Sacramental Life

Theology 12 – Encountering Jesus/ Required 12 ½ 1 6

Christian Ministry/World Religions

LIFE OF CHRIST (Grade 7)

The life of Jesus is the focus of this course. The role of Jesus as the Messiah is emphasized through the study of the infancy narratives, the life, teachings, death, Resurrection and Ascension stories. A study of the social and political environment of Palestine in Jesus' day is examined. Time is allotted for students to participate in private and group prayer, for reflection and meditation, and to receive the sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation. Service projects, such as aiding the poor and homeless, are offered. The theme of the Sunday readings throughout the liturgical cycle is studied weekly.

THE CHURCH (Grade 8)

The church is the focus of the year with special emphasis on its origin, apostolic age, persecutions, conversion of the barbarian invaders, monasteries, medieval growth, and modern times. Continuing development, contact with Christ, and relevance to present day questions underpin each era. Prayer experiences include formal prayer construction, daily petitions, rosary, way of the cross, meditations and para-liturgical services. Service projects stress care for the poor, homeless, elderly, and environment. The importance of the ten commandments and the moral implications of contemporary events are the framework of the course. The various sacraments are explored at appropriate points in the overall curriculum. In Theology 8, an overview of the sacraments is included with a special emphasis on the Eucharist.

THEOLOGY 9 – SCRIPTURE / CHRISTOLOGY

The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth study of the Bible as a foundation for further theological study throughout the remaining years of high school. As St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” The course will study salvation history, dating back to Abraham in the Old Testament and continuing throughout the Gospels and the Letters of St. Paul. The Church’s understanding of the person and natures of Jesus Christ will be analyzed in the light of the Scriptures. The role of Tradition and the Magisterium in understanding the Bible will be explained. At all times the students will be encouraged to seek God's revelation and the religious truths found in the Bible stories and to discuss how they can relate to and apply these truths to their daily lives. The sacrament of the Eucharist is covered as students learn of the Old Testament Passover meal and the New Testament Last Supper.

THEOLOGY 10 - THE CHURCH

This course provides a historical survey of the Church from the time of Jesus and the Apostles right up through modern times. Such topics as Pentecost, monasticism, the Middle Ages, the Eastern Schism, and the Reformation are valuable for understanding how the Church was shaped by the times and how it emerged as the Church of today. With this foundation, the students will come to understand how the Church--with both divine and human aspects--functions as the Body of Christ in the world. The sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation are covered in the context of Jesus’ ministry and the Pentecost experience.

THEOLOGY 11 - CHRISTIAN MORALITY / THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE

This course explores the principal foundations of Catholic moral theology including such topics as sin, conscience, freedom, law, values and methods for moral decision-making, in an effort to help the student live in accordance with Christian values and beliefs. This course also challenges the student to complete the faith-action relationship by applying the principles of Catholic moral theology to the discernment of correct action in many of the moral issues of our times such as: social justice, medical/ moral issues, war and peace, sexuality and dating, poverty, etc. Theology 11 provides a fitting opportunity to study the sacramental basis of morality. The sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) and the sacraments of healing (Reconciliation and Anointing) are given emphasis.

THEOLOGY 12 – ENCOUNTERING JESUS / CHRISTIAN MINISTRY / WORLD RELIGIONS

The first segment of this course – Encountering Jesus –builds on the academic study of the life of Jesus Christ already begun in seventh grade and reinforced in ninth grade. The senior curriculum allows the opportunity for a more personal approach to the Jesus of history/Christ of faith, emphasizing the Scriptures as a basis for meditation. Building on this, a more personal approach to Jesus through prayer is developed. Various prayer traditions that have emerged in the life of the Church are examined: the Jesus prayer, the Rosary, centering prayer, etc. Particular emphasis is given to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, as these help in the discernment of one’s vocation in life. During the second segment of this course, students will study the different vocations as a way of serving Jesus Christ. The single life, religious life, and the priesthood are studied, as is the vocation to which most Christians are called—marriage. Love, relating, family, sexuality, and communication are all studied with an emphasis on student participation in discussion and activities. The sacraments of Holy Orders and Matrimony are examined in the context of Christian lifestyles. Finally, as students are about to go out into the world upon graduation, a deeper understanding of the religions of our world is called for. The great faith traditions will be examined with a special emphasis given to the other monotheistic religions besides Christianity: Judaism and Islam. Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism will also be studied. A particular focus will be given to the common truths that exist between these religions and Christianity.