STUDENT LOAD

The typical student load is six classes per semester.  Six is recommended for freshmen, sophomores and juniors and a minimum of 5 is recommended for seniors, although many take more in at least one of the semesters.  Any variation on this requires special permission.

Students who plan to participate in co-curriculars (including athletics, cheerleading, theater and music programs, the Mock Trials team, and so on) need to plan their course load to ensure that they are earning sufficient credits each grading period to remain eligible to participate during the next grading period. This means that, among the courses they are taking, they must be passing five courses, each of which carry one-half credit for the semester. If you are taking any combination of Wellness 4 Life, Flex and Tone, or Strength Training classes, please check with your counselor to ensure Co-Curricular credit eligibility requirements.  Note that you must carry three graded courses of one-half credit or more per semester to be considered for honor roll and four to be considered for Academic Honor Awards. You must be passing a minimum of five one-half credit courses (or the equivalent) per semester and 1.25 credits per grading period to be eligible to participate in Co-Curriculars for the next grading period.

Students are cautioned to maintain consistency in the level of challenge represented by their course selections over the years. In specific, students should not plan to significantly reduce their load and the challenge of their courses for the senior year to ensure they are not reducing their chance of being accepted at the school or program of choice in their post-high school plans.  Students and parents need to carefully consider the complexities and commitments of student and family life when making course selections.  This often requires time for focused conversation and families may want to include the counselor in part of their decision-making process. Students should challenge themselves in ways which cause them to stretch and to learn without becoming overwhelmed.  In particular, students who select a 7-class load need to weigh carefully the balance of their lives: academic, co-curricular, work and personal life. Careful consideration should be given to the amount of work a student can handle (both school work and employment) and still maintain involvement in other chosen activities and the family, while at the same time getting enough sleep. Caution should be used in selecting a schedule which is top-heavy with advanced placement or honors courses, especially in conjunction with co-curricular commitments.