Dear Hazen Wildcats and Wildcat Parents/Guardians:

In our efforts to unify and to strengthen our instructional program at Hazen Union, we are making a few changes that are outlined below. By combining our middle and high school Programs of Studies into one document, middle school students and parents will have the opportunity to do long-range planning and to begin to chart a course of study early on while at Hazen Union.

PEP, which stands for Personal Exploratory Program, will continue in the middle school for one period, but the program will be expanded to include a new strategies class for 7^th and 8^th graders who need and want help learning “how to learn.”

In addition, a new program will be introduced addressing the cognitive and the physical needs of our middle school students, which will blend a study hall with reading appreciation and team building.

The transition from 8^th grade to 9^th grade is a challenge for many of our students. One initiative to address this issue is to incorporate a study skills class into the schedule in combination with the physical education and computer aided design classes. This class will offer all 8^th grade students the opportunity to become better organized and ready for the demands and independence of high school.

At the high school level, we will continue to offer Psychology and Sociology. This year we will be offering AP Chemistry. The Honors classes for English 9 and 10 and Social Studies 9, 10, and 11 will continue to be offered to those students who wish to have more challenge and rigor in their course of study.

With the focus on instructional rigor, it goes without saying that technology plays an integral role in our educational program at Hazen. With this being a major thrust, we created another computer lab, known as the Research/Writing lab that is located in the Atrium of the Library.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 802-472-6511.

Remember, set goals that are challenging, yet attainable!

Hazen rocks!

Very Truly Yours,

Elaine F. Laine David K. Manning Brenda K. Durkee

Principal Associate Principal Director of Guidance

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To earn a Hazen Union School diploma, a student must complete the following requirements:

Total Credits Required 22 Credits

English 4.0 Credits

Performance Arts .5 Credits

Social Studies 3.0 Credits

Mathematics 3.0 Credits

Science 3.0 Credits

Physical Education 1.25 Credits

Fine Arts (music/art courses) 1.0 Credits

Health .5 Credits

Electives 5.75 Credits

ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS

All students in grades 9-12 must carry a minimum of 6 ½ credits per year. Exceptions to this requirement must be submitted in writing to the principal. This enrollment requirement includes physical education, driver education, science labs, classroom aides and independent studies.

Students in grades 8-12 receive credit toward graduation for high school courses taken in middle school. These courses count toward credits in the required sequences, the total number of credits required for graduation and calculation of the grade point average (GPA). Middle school parents may request that grades for any high school credit-bearing course taken in the middle school be removed from the student’s high school transcript, and therefore the student will not earn high school credit for the course. The request to remove a course from the transcript must be made in writing to the Director of Guidance prior to the beginning of the next school year.

Community Service Program 30 Hours

All students are required to perform community service work as part of their graduation requirement. Each student must complete 30 hours of community service to qualify for graduation. The rationale for this program is based upon a strong belief that community service is a powerful tool for youth development. It connects young people to the community, places them in challenging situations where they associate with others and accumulate experiences that can strengthen personal values and traditional academic work.

Students may engage in community service any time during the year. This service can be performed with any non-profit agency, within the school community, or in assisting members in the community who are not related to the student. Credit will only be awarded to students who perform work without receiving monetary compensation.

Please call the school and ask for the Community Service Advisor if you would like a copy of the program requirements, or wish to be placed on our community service resource list.

GRADING SYSTEM

Grading Scale

A+ 97-100 C+ 77-79

A 93- 96 C 73-76

A- 90- 92 C- 70-72

B+ 87- 89 D+ 67-69

B 83- 86 D 63-66

B- 80- 82 D- 60-62

F below 60

Incomplete Mark On Report Card

Any student who receives a grade of INCOMPLETE, must finish the work within the time determined by the teacher or school administrators. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, incompletes should be finished and a letter grade assigned by the next progress report time.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE

Grade point average (GPA) is calculated on the basis of all courses for which credit has been earned or attempted, including repeated courses previously passed. In order for a repeat course to raise a GPA, the student’s grade must be higher than the one originally given.

GRADE 9-12 PROMOTION CRITERIA

For promotion to the next grade level, students in grades 9-12 must accumulate the following credits at the conclusion of each respective grade:

Grade 9 5 ½ credits

Grade 10 11 credits

Grade 11 16 ½ credits

Grade 12 22 credits needed for graduation (including specific required course credits)

All incomplete work must be submitted within the time frame designated by school officials in order to be promoted. Most students will have more than the required amount of credits by the time they graduate.

EARLY GRADUATION

While Hazen Union School believes strongly that students should achieve beyond the minimum and should fully avail themselves of the four-year curriculum offerings at the school, students are eligible for graduation at the completion of all credit and course requirements for graduation. Individual students may graduate earlier than the normal four-year period; however, this is an unusual situation and is not appropriate for most students.

A student who desires to graduate early must consult with the Director of Guidance and complete the appropriate forms. The student’s parents, Director of Guidance and Principal must approve the decision for early graduation prior to the beginning of the new school year.

SENIOR STATUS

Senior status will be granted only if students:

1. Schedule enough credits in their final year to meet minimum requirements.

2. Schedule all specific course requirements necessary for graduation.

The above criteria should not affect a student's plan for early graduation, provided normal progress is made and the early graduation policy requirements are met.

COURSE SELECTION AND SCHEDULING

The following information is intended to help students in planning their academic schedules. Students, who are planning to continue their education after high school, should consult with their guidance counselor regarding the requirements for attending specific colleges, as admission requirements vary from college to college. In general, four-year post-secondary institutions require that a student present the following high school subjects on their transcripts:

English 4 years

Mathematics 3-4 years

Social Studies 3-4 years

Science (at least two of which should be a lab science) 3-4 years

Foreign Language (same language) 2-3 years

Some colleges may require additional course work for various majors; other types of post-secondary institutions may require less. Admission requirements do vary greatly; therefore college catalogs should also be consulted for exact admission requirements. A UVM course requirement list is included in the back of the Program of Studies, as an example.

It is strongly recommended that all students pursue a challenging academic program and enroll in elective courses offered in all academic areas.

Hazen Union recognizes the importance of the fine arts to a student's overall education and encourages all students interested in music, art, technical/technology education and life skills, to include these subjects as electives in their academic programs.

Honors Entrance and Exit Criteria

Entrance: No student will be denied access to Honors courses. However, these courses are offered with the expectation that they will be taken by students who have demonstrated successful performance in prerequisite courses. Typically, this will include grades at the A/B level and/or instructor recommendation for the Honors version of the following course.

Exit: Should a student earns a quarter grade between 60% and 69%, a meeting, will be required with the student, parent(s) or guardian(s), teacher, and guidance to discuss plans for successful completion of the course. Any student who earns a quarter grade below 60% will be transferred from the Honors course to a regular, non-Honors section of the same course.

SCHEDULE CHANGES AND COURSE WITHDRAWALS

Course selection will be carefully conducted each year in the spring. Students wishing to make any changes in their schedule of classes, will have the opportunity to speak with their counselor prior to the opening of school in the fall. Once school begins, schedule changes will only occur for the following reasons:

· Inappropriate placement, as defined by the teacher and counselor

· Completion of summer school work

Course Withdrawals - Courses dropped after the start of a semester will be noted on the student's transcript as a withdrawal. There are two types of withdrawals:

W - Withdrawal from a course because:

· Course work is beyond the ability or skills of the student and the student has made a reasonable effort.

· Work is satisfactory but the student wishes to devote more attention to other subjects, as the student is carrying a course load in excess of the minimum.

· Other good reasons as determined by the Guidance Director.

W/F - Withdrawal from a course with failure status because of unsatisfactory progress at the time of withdrawal.

INDIVIDUALIZED STUDY OPTIONS

Students in grades 9-12 may request an Independent Study or course equivalent work to be recognized as satisfying elective or academic graduation credit requirements. The Governance Committee, which includes the Individualized Study Coordinator, Principal, Guidance Director, and appropriate faculty member(s), will oversee the Individualized Study Program. Requests for Independent Study must be made by the end of the 1^st marking period for the spring semester and the 4th quarter for the following fall semester. Approval must be obtained prior to a student participating in an Individualized Study. The Governance committee will be responsible to:

· Review the students application

· Approve or deny a student's individualized study plan

· Award credit based on a student's successful completion of the course(s).

For more information, please see the Director of Guidance.

Provisions for Waiving Required Courses

There may be circumstances whereby a student may benefit by taking a required course outside the high school. Procedures for obtaining permission to waive this policy are as follows:

Written request made to the Principal including a rationale and description of the plan.
The Principal approves or denies the request.
If the student is dissatisfied with the Principal’s decision, he/she may appeal to the Superintendent. If dissatisfied with the Superintendent's decision, he/she may appeal to the Board of School Directors.

TUTORING SERVICES

Students who are interested in obtaining extra support in their courses have several options.

· To work with their instructor individually

· To participate in Peer Tutoring

· To attend Homework Café

Students and parents should contact the Guidance Office for more information about Peer Tutoring or Homework Café.

High School

Course Descriptions

ENGLISH

Graduation Requirements
Required Courses	Courses that meet the Literature Requirement	Courses that meet the Writing Requirement
English 9 or Honors English 9	Western Literature	Fiction Writing
English 10 or Honors English 10	World Literature	Non-Fiction Writing
Performance Arts	AP English	AP English
1 Credit in Literature	Understanding Mass Media	Understanding Mass Media
1 Credit in Writing		Journalism I

English 9 109 Full Year 1 Credit

Required of Grade 9

In Grade 9 English, a premium is placed on the development and application of critical thinking skills. Students will work to develop and refine reading and writing skills within the state’s Grade Level of Expectations. Students will master the five-paragraph essay format, write a variety of complicated sentences, and analyze literature. Readings will include novels, short stories, drama, and poetry. Homework: Nightly and ongoing. Methods of Evaluation: Students are evaluated on the basis of close readings, tests, quizzes, projects and compositions.

Honors English 9 132 Full Year 1 Credit

Required for Grade 9

Honors English 9 offers students who excel at reading and writing an opportunity to challenge themselves in the language arts. Readings will be more complex; students will be asked to dig more deeply into literature, discussing authors’ craft, themes, and other areas of higher order thinking. Compositions will move beyond the traditional essay format to ways authors break “the rules” of writing to create truly original and meaningful works. Homework: Nightly and ongoing. Methods of evaluation: Students are evaluated on the basis of close readings, tests, quizzes, projects and compositions.

English 10 110 Full Year 1 Credit

Prerequisite: English 9

Required of Grade 10

English 10 is the last, full year, general English course at Hazen. The literature focuses on American writers with a mix of fiction, nonfiction and poetry under American Dream and Melting Pot themes. Readings proceed chronologically to complement the students’ study of American history. Writing includes process pieces in several genres, weekly journals, and publishing. Students review sentence and paragraph writing strategies and learn theme-writing strategies. The Vermont Framework of Standards and Grade Expectations guide the curriculum. Homework: Nightly and ongoing assignments. Method of Evaluation: Students are evaluated on the basis of class participation, homework, journals, quizzes and tests and portfolios.

Honors English 10 133 Full Year 1 Credit

Prerequisite: English 9 or Honors English 9

Required for Grade 10

Honors English 10, like English 10, is an American literature course that proceeds chronologically and complements the tenth grade study of American history.