Joseph A Gregori High School Welcome to 2016

Joseph A. Gregori High School Welcome to 2016 AP / Pre-AP Parent Information Night

Tonight’s Agenda �What are Advanced Placement Courses �The Benefits �What its like to take AP �Gregori’s AP course Offerings �AP Exams �Next Steps – �Letter of Commitment, �Meet with Teachers �Syllabus and Summer work

What is Advanced Placement? � Honor’s Courses ("Pre-AP"): These classes proceed at a faster pace and cover material in more depth than regular college prep classes. They offer stronger preparation for future AP Courses. � Advanced Placement Courses ("AP"): College level curriculum including end-of-course AP Exam. Taking the course and AP exam sends a powerful message to colleges and universities that a student is ready for them, and can enable students to gain admission, college credit, and placement into advanced courses.

Advanced Placement – The Basics ØAP courses are college-level courses offered in high school ØCourses reflect what is taught in top introductory college courses ØStudents take AP Exams at the end of the course, measuring their mastery of college-level work ØA score of 3 or higher on an AP Exam can typically earn students college credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college

What are the Benefits of AP? � Students learn rigorous college-level content and skills � Saves Money - Most of the nation’s colleges and universities, plus colleges and universities in 24 other countries, grant credit, and/or placement for qualifying AP Exam grades. � Standout in the admission process-higher GPA and comprehensive admission process. � AP students have higher college GPA’s and four year graduation rates. � Scholarship Opportunities

AP from the College Admissions Perspective Ø 85% of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions. Ø Colleges rank grades in college-preparatory courses and strength of curriculum as the two top factors in the admission decision Ø AP courses tell college admission officials that students are challenging themselves and preparing for the rigors they will encounter in their college careers

What are the Challenges of AP? � TIME MANAGEMENT: � HOME WORK Minimum of five hours each week for EACH course � BALANCING ACT - School, clubs, sports, friends, outside / family obligations � STRESS: � GRADES - Possibly getting a "B" or lower - students can not drop the course to preserve GPA's. � HIGH SPEED MARATHON - August to May. . finish line at AP EXAMS

Pre-AP & AP course Offerings �Gregori High plans to offer 10 Honors (Pre-AP) and 16 AP courses in English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Foreign Language, and Art.

English Department Pre-AP and AP courses at Gregori HS: �Pre-AP GATE English 1 -2 (9 th) �Pre-AP GATE English 3 -4 (10 th) �AP English Language & Composition (11 th) �AP English Literature & Composition (12 th)

Math Department Pre-AP and AP courses at Gregori HS: �Pre-AP GATE Secondary Math III �Pre-AP GATE Pre-Calculus � AP Statistics �AP Calculus AB �AP Calculus BC

Science Department Pre-AP and AP courses at Gregori HS: �Pre-AP Physics �Pre-AP Chemistry �Pre-AP Biology �AP Physics �AP Environmental Science

Social Science Department Pre-AP and AP courses at Gregori HS: �AP Human Geography (9 th) �AP European History (10 th) �AP United States History (11 th) �AP United States Government & Politics (12 th) �AP Psychology (11 th or 12 th)

Foreign Language Department Pre-AP and AP courses at Gregori HS: �Pre-AP Spanish III �AP Spanish Language �AP Spanish Literature

Performing Arts Department Pre-AP and AP courses at Gregori HS: �AP Studio Art: Drawing

AP Exam Fees �There is an $92 fee for each AP Exam, which the College Board uses to: 1) develop, print, ship, and score the exams 2) subsidize teacher training 3) develop classroom resources 4) support educational initiatives �Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

What’s the difference between credit and placement? � Some colleges award “credit” for qualifying AP Exam grades. This means you actually earn points toward your college degree. � Other colleges award “advanced placement. ” This means you can skip introductory courses, enter higher -level classes, and/or fulfill general education requirements. � Each college and university has its own policies regarding AP credit and placement. The College Board offers information about AP credit at thousands of college and universities at www. collegeboard. org/apcreditpolicy.

AP Credit and Placement Policy Information � General information regarding the AP credit policy of UC schools is available on the following web site: � http: //admission. universityofcalifornia. edu/counselors/exam -credit/ap-credits/index. html

Next Steps - Letter of Commitment � Pick up a "Letter of Commitment & Understanding" on your way out. � This letter is DUE no later than Friday, May 13 th to the "A" Building Office / Associate Principal Amanda Moore

Next Steps - Letter of Commitment � If you decide to pursue your course request, you must complete all summer assignments PRIOR to the first day of school. � All "AP / Pre-AP "Letters of Commitment and Understanding" must be submitted to Associate Principal Amanda Moore in the “A” building office by Friday May 13 th, 2016. � At the end of May, we will "build" our master schedule to accommodate your requests and you will receive confirmation by June 4 th that you are scheduled for your PRE-AP / AP Course requests.

PRE-AP FRESHMAN ENGLISH � MRS. CLOUD

CLASS OVERVIEW � HOMEWORK! (TIME MANAGEMENT) � Summer assignment � 3 Long-term reading and essay assignments � Always items to study and review for tests and quizzes � NO LATE HOMEWORK ACCEPTED � REVIEW OF SKILLS AND CONCEPTS/INTRODUCE NEW SKILLS AND CONCEPTS (PERSEVERENCE) � FAST-PACED and MULTITASKING � MULTIPLE GRADED CLASS DISCUSSIONS � WRITING

SUMMER ASSIGNMENT � Read To Kill a Mockingbird � 50 double entry � Characterization essay � Both parts TYPED � Due FIRST DAY of SCHOOL � Plot TEST FIRST BLOCK DAY � GO TO GREGORI WEBSITE FOR COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS

Are You up for the challenge?

AP Human Geography � Mrs. Amanda Neslen � Neslen. a@mcs 4 kids. com

What is Human Geography? Topics Covered: ü Consequences of population growth, changing fertility rates, and international migration ü Impacts of technological innovation on transportation, communication, industrialization, and other aspects of human life ü Struggles over political power and control of territory ü Problems of economic development and cultural change ü Conflicts over the demands of ethnic minorities, the role of women in society, and the inequalities between developed and developing economics ü Explanation of why location matters to agricultural land use, industrial development, and urban problems ü The role of climate change and environmental abuses in shaping the human landscape on Earth Course Goal: ü By the end of the course, students should be more geoliterate, more engaged in contemporary global issues, and more multicultural in their viewpoints.

Expectations of an AP HUG Student: ü ü ü ü Students need to be strong readers. We use a college textbook and college-level reading. Students need to be strong writers; a high level of writing is expected from all students in the course and is needed for success on the AP exam. Students need to take notes in class and at home. Students need to be self-motivated; there will be frequent assigned readings to be completed outside of class. Students need to be independent workers and be able to manage their studies. Students need to be very comfortable participating in and leading class discussions and presenting to their teachers and peers. Students need to be able to think globally and relate global trends to local areas. Students need to be mature and be able to handle mature material - we will be discussing many fascinating but sometimes troubling real-world topics.

Summer Homework � You will need to complete a series of maps to create your own AP HUG World Atlas. � We will refer back to these maps frequently over the year as we prepare for the AP Test in May. � These 8 maps will be due on the first BLOCK period of the new school year and will serve as your first 100 points in the class. � Students will take a test on these maps during the first two weeks of school— 50 point test. � Maps not received fully completed on the due date will be accepted for ½ credit. � Please be sure to follow all directions completely paying careful attention to required colors, symbols, and neatness. � Please contact me by email if you have any questions. Do not wait until the very last minute to begin your maps!

Precautionary Warning: � Students who are used to earning A's in middle school with little outside reading or study will have to read and study diligently outside of class or risk getting C's or below. � While these expectations are high, I will help you transition to high school and AP classes in a careful way. You will be challenged, but you will also be supported. The class is meant to give you a solid base to further your academic career especially in Social Studies. � Together we can have a great year if you will take on the challenge to work hard and put forth the required effort to make the most of this opportunity.

How can you help your student prepare now? � Encourage your student to read the newspaper or watch the news to stay up to day on current local and global issues � Engage your student in conversation about issues in the news � Buy/borrow an AP Human Geography Review Book to start previewing topics � Check Barnes and Noble or Amazon � Quiz your student on World country locations or encourage them to use an online quiz to prepare for World Map Test

Pre-AP Secondary Math I � Ms. Nicole Weber. N@monet. k 12. ca. us � Mrs. Stacey Damas. S@monet. k 12. ca. us