A Guide to Course Selection

   Course selection has to be one of the most stressful things to think about for some students. Most students don’t know what they want to do with their life once they finish High School, so picking classes that might help them in the future is a struggle.

   However, no one is saying that your High School classes need to dictate your future life. For instance, you can take a lot of science and math classes thinking that you might get a job in the medical field but end up wanting to be a lawyer. Or, you might take higher level English classes and electives thinking about being an English teacher, but you might end up wanting to serve in the military or U.S. Air Force.

  That’s the thing, you don’t have to know what you want to do after High School to pick you High School courses. Sure, it helps to know what you want to do so you can prepare yourself as best you can, but in the end, your final decision for courses is there to assist you, it’s not you final decision for your career outside of High School.

  With that said, there are a few things that you have to take in account when choosing your courses.

• You need 25 credits to graduate (but seven credits each year is ideal)
• Must have career skills completed by the end of your junior year
• It is recommended that you take at least two years of a language
• You need four non-elective courses of Social Studies, which will include American Society your senior year
• You need four non-elective courses of English
• You need three non-elective courses of Mathematics
• You need three non-elective courses of Science
• You need four courses in Health/Wellness, which will include Introduction to Sports and Fitness, Health Education, and two elective Physical Education courses
• You need two courses in the Arts and Humanities (Art, Music, World Language)
• You need two courses in the Practical Arts (Technology Education, Family and Consumer Science, Business) which will include Career Skills for the Future
• *Students who score “Basic” or “Below Basic” on the Keystone Literature Assessment are required to take the course Enhanced Reading Skills 12 during their senior year.
• ** Students who score “Basic” or “Below Basic” on the Keystone Algebra I Assessment are required to take the course Enhanced Math Skills 12 during the senior year

  If you are still struggling to decide which classes to take, talk with your teachers and guidance counselor to see what they recommend. Contact information for your guidance counselor and a link to the School’s Course Selection Guide are listed below:

Mr. Stephen Bischof: Last names beginning with letters A-G  email: [email protected]

Mrs. Michelle Mummert: Last names beginning with letters H-Q  email: [email protected]

Mrs. Carrie Schmoyer: Last names beginning with letters R-Z  email: [email protected]

Course Selection Guide Link: https://www.sgasd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=8553&dataid=21685&FileName=2018-2019Career%20Planning%20and%20Course%20Selection%20Guide-CHANGES.pdf