STUDENT/PARENT HANDBOOK
2007 –
2008
STUDENT: __________________________
“Cherishing
the Past – Embracing the Future”
625
(518)
235-7100 – Fax (518) 237-1796
August 2007
Dear
Students:
I
hope that all of you had a great summer and are ready to start the 2007-08
school year. I know it is going to be a
tremendous year for all of us.
Enclosed
with this letter is the 2007-08 Student/Parent Handbook. The handbook is broken into three (3)
sections:
Academic
Requirements
Extracurricular
Activities
Student
Regulations
On
the first day of school I will be reviewing the handbook with all
students. In turn, students will bring
the handbook home for their parents to review.
The declaration page must be signed by both the student and a parent and
returned to school no later than September 10, 2007.
In
order for the 2007-08 school year to be successful for each of you, you must do
two (2) things. You must be familiar
with and follow the Student/Parent Handbook and you must dedicate yourself to
your studies. Parents can assure these
two (2) things by being actively involved in their child’s education.
Best
wishes for a great year!
Christopher
Bott
Principal
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
In
keeping with the educational objectives of CCHS, all students in grades 7 – 11
must carry seven (7) courses excluding Physical Education. Seniors, with the permission of the
Administration, may carry six (6) courses excluding Physical Education.
At
the discretion of the Administration and in consultation with parents, a
student’s schedule may be adjusted due to an individual student’s ability, past
performance and grade level.
Seniors
must pay full tuition for their senior year even if they are off campus taking
college courses full or part time.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL
|
Required
Courses |
Units of Study |
|
Theology |
2 |
|
English |
2 |
|
Social
Studies |
2 |
|
Math |
2 |
|
Science |
2 |
|
Second
Language |
1 |
|
Technology
Education |
1 |
|
Visual
Art |
½ |
|
Music |
½ |
|
Health |
½ |
|
Physical
Education |
2 |
|
Library
Education |
¼ |
·
English Language
Arts
·
Math
·
Social Studies
·
Science
·
Second Language
Proficiency
Any
Middle School Student who fails one or more core subjects (Theology, English,
Social Studies, Math or Science) must attend summer school for the failed
subject(s).
Middle
School students failing three (3) or more core subjects must successfully
repeat the entire grade at a school other than CCHS before being considered for
readmission to CCHS.
Any
student in grade 8 who fails two (2) core subjects will not be allowed to
participate in the graduation ceremony.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HIGH
SCHOOL
|
Required
Courses |
Regents
Diploma |
Advanced
Regents Diploma |
|
|
Credits |
Credits |
|
Theology |
2 |
2 |
|
English |
4 |
4 |
|
Social
Studies |
4 |
4 |
|
Math |
3 |
3 |
|
Science |
3 |
3 |
|
Second
Language |
1 |
3 ** |
|
Health |
½ |
½ |
|
Art/Music |
1 |
1 |
|
Physical
Education |
2 |
2 |
|
Business* |
1 |
1 |
|
Electives |
3 ½ |
1 ½ |
Required High School Examinations
(All require a score of 65 or higher)
|
Regents Diploma |
Advanced Designation Diploma |
|
Regents English
Comprehensive |
Regents English
Comprehensive |
|
Regents Math A |
Regents Math A & B |
|
Regents Global Studies |
Regents Global Studies |
|
Regents |
Regents |
|
1 Regents Science Exam |
2 Regents Science Exams |
|
|
Language Other Than English Exam** |
*
This will be required of all students starting with the graduating class of
2008
**
Students may be exempt from the Language Other Than English requirement by
acquiring five (5) units of credit in any one of the following subject areas:
·
Music
·
Business
·
Fine Arts
Theology
is a required course for all students at CCHS.
A student receives ½ unit of credit each year for four (4) years.
An
integrated course in math/science/technology may be used to satisfy the
requirement for a third unit of credit in either math or science.
Students
who fail an English or Social Studies course will not be allowed to double up
(take 2 English or Social Studies Courses in the same academic year) the
following year.
ELECTIVES
Elective courses are
available in some departments and they vary in their prerequisites. Students are directed in their choices of
elective courses by their school counselors and by teachers in the respective
departments.
REGENTS EXAMS
The NYS Regents Board
requires that students demonstrate competency in basic subject areas before a
diploma is issued. In order to graduate,
all students must take and pass a Regents exam in English, Global Studies, U.S.
History, Mathematics A, and one science.
To determine the specific number of required Regents exams for a Regents
diploma or a Regents diploma with Advanced Designation, students should confer
with their counselor.
PROFICIENCY EXAMINATIONS
A NYS Proficiency
Examination is given after the completion of the Grade Eight Language other
than English course. A student must
receive a passing grade of 65% on this exam for high school credit OR take a
Language other than English course in Grade Nine to satisfy the language
requirement for a diploma. It is
strongly recommended that all students take three or four years of a Language
other than English in order to best prepare for college.
COURSE
LEVELS
The following “levels” are used to compute third year,
final averages AND class ranks. Courses
are “weighted” according to their level of difficulty:
Level
3 – Advanced Placement/University at the High School Courses
Level
2 - Honors Courses
Level
1 - Regents and Regents-Level Courses
CLASS RANK
Class rank is determined at the end of the Junior year
by adding the cumulative total of all marks and dividing by total credits. These cumulative totals are arrived at by using
the final average in each subject multiplying by the quality weight (level 3 -
1.16, level 2 - 1.08, and level 1 - 1.00) and dividing by total credits. College courses taken outside of
Catholic High will NOT be included in ranking/average, but will appear on the
transcript. Grades from the University
at the High School classes WILL be included in ranking/average as level 3
courses. Weighted and unweighted
averages will appear on the permanent record card.
COURSE
SELECTION AND ADJUSTMENT
Great care should be taken when a student is selecting
courses. Consultation with teachers,
guidance personnel and parents/guardians is VERY important before final course
selections are made. Special attention
should be paid to prerequisites, past performance, and teacher recommendations
before courses are selected. In February,
the master schedule is constructed and the computer scheduling process is
begun. Thus, any course change requests
after this point cannot be guaranteed since class sections may have already
reached the maximum number of students.
School districts which provide textbooks to our students require
textbook orders to be placed by June 1.
Therefore, course selections should be finalized before this date. Once the school year begins, it is hoped that
students have been placed in proper courses relative to their ability. Requests to drop a course WILL NOT BE
CONSIDERED AFTER THE END OF THE SECOND CYCLE.
LIKEWISE, STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GAIN ADMISSION TO A CLASS AFTER
THE END OF THE SECOND CYCLE. Requests to
take a course at a higher level will be considered, but not guaranteed after
the second cycle.
INDEPENDENT STUDY
The possibility of independent study exists for
eleventh and twelfth grade students who are interested in pursuing areas of
study not covered in the regularly offered courses. Upon choosing a topic of interest, it is the
responsibility of the student to find a teacher to act as a mentor and to
develop a detailed proposal and timeline of the proposed work. The proposal must be submitted by the end of
the first cycle of the school year to the faculty independent study committee
for review and then to the Principal for final approval. If approved, the student will meet with their
faculty mentor once per cycle to report on their progress and discuss problems
encountered. Failure to follow proposed
timelines will result in termination of the independent study. At the completion of the work, the student
will be expected to present the results to the faculty in an oral presentation
with an accompanying written paper or portfolio. Topics and format are very flexible and may
be molded to individual student taste.
Creativity is strongly encouraged.
CCHS
POLICIES REGARDING EXAMS AND SUMMER SCHOOL
Any student who fails a course required for graduation
MUST repeat that course in summer school.
If the failed course is not required for graduation, it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that the course be
repeated in summer school.
If a student fails a Regents exam but passes the
course, he/she may go to summer school OR
take the exam over in August as a “walk-in”.
It is recommended that a “walk-in” must have at least 10 hours of
verified tutoring by a certified/qualified teacher in order to be admitted to
the exam. Students who present proof of
this tutoring will have the exam fee waived.
If a student passes both the course and the Regents
exam, but wishes to raise the grade of the exam, he/she may go to summer school
OR take the August Regents exam as a
“walk-in” without the verified tutoring, but some type of tutoring is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The request to try the exam at CCHS in August must be made to the
Assistant Principal or a Guidance Counselor by the end of the first week in
July. There is a required fee that must
accompany the registration for the exam.
Any student who plans to attend summer school OR take
an August Regents exam as a “walk-in” for any reason MUST obtain prior approval
from the CCHS guidance office before the end of the first week in July.
January Regents exams will only be given to students
who need to pass a specific exam for graduation or for a Regents diploma. Students must be able to verify that they
have received at least 15 hours of tutoring from a certified teacher in the
specific subject being tested.
Grades from ALL courses and/or exams taken during the
school year AND during the summer will be recorded on the Permanent Record Card
of the student.
GRADING
Report cards are issued four (4) times a year. Progress reports are mailed to the
parents/legal guardians of all students halfway through each ten (10) week
marking period. Parents who want to meet
with a teacher may send a note or leave a voice mail message with the teacher
or call the Guidance Office.
The dates for the mailing and/or distribution of
progress reports and report cards are included in the school calendar.
Numerical grades are used to evaluate the students’
understanding of the subject matter. A
grade of 70 or above is considered passing in the Middle School. A grade of 65 or above is considered passing
in the High School. No mark below 60 for
the Middle School or 55 for the High School may be placed on the report card
during the first three quarters. The actual fourth quarter grade may
be placed on the report card as well as the actual exam grade.
An honor roll will be published each quarter and will
include those students who have an average of 95-100 (High Honors) and 90-94
(Honors). No student with a failing
grade or with a comment indicating “disruptive behavior,” will be included on
the honor roll. Copies of the
academic honor roll are posted throughout the school and are sent to the local
newspapers, local pastors and Catholic elementary school principals.
ADMISSIONS POLICY
·
At least the last
two years of academic, attendance, and standardized test records
·
Current health
and immunization records
·
A completed CCHS
recommendation form
·
Results of CCHS
Placement Exam
Important
information regarding admissions:
·
Admission of
students who require additional support services will be considered on an
individual basis
·
Admission of
students who have been expelled from another school will be
considered on an individual basis
·
Seniors are not
admitted to CCHS unless they are applying due to a change in residence
·
Transfers from
area schools after the school year has begun are not recommended, but may be
considered by the Principal upon review of the student’s records, and interview
with the Principal and Guidance Counselor, and two letters of recommendations
from teachers in the student’s last school. No transfers from area schools will
be admitted after the first semester.
·
Before applying
for admission, the student is strongly encouraged to spend a full day attending
classes at CCHS to be sure that he/she is committed to making the change to
CCHS.
GUIDANCE AND
Our counselors are specially trained to help students
work toward their potential as unique persons.
Students may want to talk to the counselor about life issues, personal
issues or academic issues, which can include:
course selection, difficulty with courses, college choices, and career
planning. Students are encouraged to
stop in to see their counselor outside of class time whenever they would like.
The Guidance Counselors may utilize services within
the Catholic Diocese in responding to the needs of the students. These needs may be in the areas of sexuality,
substance abuse, etc.
Information regarding scholarships and financial
assistance for college is made available periodically through the guidance
bulletins, posters and other forms of announcements.
Any requests for adding or dropping courses or
changing a level of a course must be brought to a guidance counselor
FIRST. Before a student will be allowed
to drop or change a level of a course, the guidance counselor will consult with
the teacher, parent/legal guardian and student.
ONLY A MEMBER OF THE GUIDANCE STAFF OR AN
ADMINISTRATOR MAY ADJUST A STUDENT’S SCHEDULE.
WEBSITE
CCHS
maintains a website with a wide range of information related to the
school. Parents/ guardians and students
are encouraged to access it frequently.
The address is www.cchstroy.org
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Students
who participate in extracurricular interscholastic activities representing CCHS
should be aware that it is the intent of CCHS to provide these activities as
beneficial learning experiences. These
activities are an extension of the regular educational program and are
optional.
PARTICIPATION
Student
participation in extracurricular/interscholastic activities is a privilege not
a right. Student participants must
conduct themselves as responsible young adults displaying such virtues as
courtesy, cooperation and honesty while refraining from acts of behavior and/or
language that are incompatible with the purpose, goals and mission of CCHS.
ATTENDANCE
Any
student absent from school for the whole day or who arrives at school after the
end of first period, may not participate in a practice, rehearsal, game or any
activity sponsored by CCHS either after school and/or in the evening of that
day. A Friday absence may exclude a
student from participation in weekend activities. Permission to participate may be given by the
Principal in unusual circumstances.
Students
who are suspended (in-school or out of school) will forfeit participation in
any school related activity for the duration of the suspension.
Student
participants will be expected to ride to and from away activities on CCHS
approved transportation unless another arrangement has been approved by the
moderator/coach. Students who intend to
ride home after an away activity with their parent/legal guardian must have
their parent/legal guardian notify the moderator/coach in writing before the
activity.
ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY
Extracurricular/interscholastic
activities can demand a great deal of time on the part of the student. All students should be vigilant to make sure
that their participation in extracurricular/interscholastic activities is not
at the detriment of their academics.
A
student will be declared ineligible to participate in
extracurricular/interscholastic activities when the student receives two (2) or
more failing grades at the time of any mid-quarter progress report or on any
quarterly report card. Students who are
declared academically ineligible to participate in
extracurricular/interscholastic activities should meet with their Guidance Counselor
to discuss the steps a student needs to take to become eligible to participate
in extracurricular/interscholastic activities.
During
their period of ineligibility, students are not allowed to attend any
rehearsals, meetings, practices, etc. related to
extracurricular/interscholastic activities.
The
following is a listing of extracurricular activities available to CCHS
students. Activities may or may not be
available each school year due to student interest. Students interested in developing an
extracurricular activity not listed should meet with their class moderator.
|
Open To Grades |
Pre-requisites |
Description |
|
|
All |
7-12 |
advanced
musical ability |
performs
in 2 All County Music Festivals each year |
|
Art Club |
7-12 |
none |
create projects
for the school and the outside community |
|
Audio
Visual Club |
7-12 |
none |
Assist in
the production of school assemblies such as masses, plays and sporting events |
|
Bloodmobile |
10-12 |
16 to
donate; volunteers are in grades 10-12 |
bi-annual
blood drive conducted by the Red Cross and student volunteers |
|
|
10-12 |
qualifying
test is given |
Master
Minds type competition against other area schools. |
|
Character
Council |
7-12 |
application
and adult recommendation |
Promotes
character education |
|
Chess
Club |
7-12 |
desire to
play/learn chess |
competition
between classmates |
|
Crusader
Cabaret |
7-12 |
desire
and ability to perform |
yearly
evening of student entertainment |
|
Ecology
Club |
9-12 |
none |
educate
the student body about environmental issues and actively work on projects
within the school community |
|
Foreign
Film club |
7-12 |
none |
learn
about other cultures and languages through film |
|
Future
Business Leaders of |
9-12 |
none |
variety
of learning situations related to the business world. |
|
Improv
Club |
9-12 |
none |
improvisational
comedy troupe |
|
Interclass
Plays |
7-12 |
none |
One act
play competition between grades 7-12 |
|
Key Club |
9-12 |
student
in good standing with a desire to provide service |
provides
members with opportunities to perform service outside of the school community |