MESSAGES FROM WRHS HEAD OF GUIDANCE, Kendra Cantrell (02/17/2022)

Scheduling Process Overview 2022-2023 School Year

Students, parents/guardians should review graduation requirements and course offerings through our Wachusett Regional High School Educational Guide, review prior grades in PowerSchool, and revisit career clusters and pathways that have been revealed and suggested through Naviance interest inventories.

The scheduling process involves three parts:

1. Recommendations for course levels will be inputted into PowerSchool for students.

2. Students will review those recommendations in PowerSchool, select their core classes, and choose elective courses based on areas of interest.

3. Students will meet individually with their counselors to review their choices and finalize their course requests for next year.

*Please note, the order in which students review their scheduling requests with their counselor in no way influences the likelihood that they will be scheduled for the classes/electives they request.*

Scheduling Timeline

February 2nd - February 25th

Current Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen should login to PowerSchool and make course selections using their teacher recommendations (visible in PowerSchool) and the WRHS Educational Guide.

February 28th - March 7th

Current Juniors meet with their school counselors individually during their science classes to review and finalize course requests.

Thursday, March 3rd at 6:00 pm

Parents of 8th graders are invited to a presentation beginning at 6:00pm that will feature administrators and department heads discussing the academic experience at Wachusett. We will be discussing the differences between CP, CPA, Honors, and AP levels; what a typical freshman schedule may look like; what electives are available to freshmen; how to pick courses for next year in Powerschool; and other important academic topics.

March 8th - March 14th

Current Sophomores meet with their school counselors individually during their Health class to review and finalize course requests.

March 15th - March 21st

Current Freshmen meet with their school counselors individually during their Freshman Seminar class to review and finalize course requests.

April 4th - April 8th

Current 8th graders login to PowerSchool to review recommendations and make course requests.

If families have questions about levels of courses, please email the appropriate Department Head.

April 11th - April 15th

Counselors will meet with current 8th grade students to review and finalize course selections and to answer any questions about balancing of course load, graduation requirements and/or elective choices.

April 15th for current high school students (Grades 9 - 11)

All requests for reconsideration of level changes are due for grades 9-11.

The links to request Reconsideration Forms for grades 9 - 11 can be found here. The links to request Reconsideration Forms for grade 8 can be found on the last page of this document.

April 22nd for incoming Freshman (Grade 8)

All requests for reconsideration of level changes are due for grade 8.

The links to request Reconsideration Forms for grade 8 can be found on the last page of this document.

Selecting Courses

It is important to familiarize yourself with the graduation requirements for WRHS before the scheduling process. These are detailed in the WRHS Educational Guide. Additionally, it is recommended that students consider their post-secondary plans when selecting courses. For instance, if you plan to attend a four-year college, you should keep in mind that while WRHS students only need 3 years of History, Science, and Math to graduate, colleges will have different expectations. Largely, colleges require or recommend 4 years of English, Math, History, and Science and 2-4 years of Foreign Language, on top of whichever electives you may select.

Current 8th graders will see that their course request screens will be pre-populated with the PE and Freshman Seminar classes that they will take. We also recommend that 8th graders consider completing their Fine Arts requirement during their freshman year. Information about the Fine Arts requirement and other graduation requirements can be found in the WRHS Educational Guide. Additionally, incoming freshmen have a separate reconsideration form to complete for level changes.

Current Freshmen should keep in mind that their course request screens will be pre-populated with the required PE and Health classes that they will take as sophomores.

Current Sophomores should remember that their English classes are different than they have been for the last two years. No longer will you have a class like English 9 and English 10. Instead you will select 2 semester long English classes and 2 alternates. It is very important that Sophomores review the WRHS Educational Guide to read about each English course and learn about the WRHS English Graduation Requirements. The same is true for PE offerings; you will have many more options than you have had for the past two years.

Current Juniors should re-familiarize themselves with the English electives that are available, as some change from year to year. Generally, rising seniors will also have more Math, History, and Science options than they may have previously. Remember that this is the last time you are picking classes, and the last opportunity you have to select a high school schedule that colleges will review. Please consult with the WRHS Educational Guide and your school counselor to make your senior year a competitive yet enjoyable one.

How to Select Your Course Requests

• Step 1 - Review course descriptions and graduation requirements in the WRHS Educational Guide.

• Step 2 - Log in to Powerschool during the course scheduling window for your grade level (see timeline).

• Step 3 - Click on the "Class Registration" button on the left side of the screen.

• Step 4 - Click the Pencil Icon on the right side of the screen under each subject to see your recommendation and/or select the courses you would like to take. For courses that require a recommendation, you can only select the course that was recommended for you. To change a level, follow the steps above for completing a request for reconsideration.

• Step 5 - Review your selections and submit your requests.

• Step 6 - Meet with your counselor during the designated scheduling timeframe to review your selections, submit any requests for reconsideration you may have, and ask any questions you would like. 8th graders will meet with high school counselors based on the timetable above.

A few notes:

• One of the biggest benefits of attending Wachusett is the access students have to a multitude of classes. For example, upperclassmen have many English electives to choose from and all students have a plethora of elective options. Please take your time and make the decisions that will best align with your interests and prepare you for your future plans. Our WRHS Educational Guide is your best resource to read about what each course is like and the material you'll cover.

• Often, students are under the false impression that the sooner they meet with their school counselor to finalize their course requests, the better chance they will have at getting into the classes they are requesting. This is not true. The timeline above details when students will meet with their school counselors. Once all students have finalized their requests, the scheduling process begins and all students have an equal opportunity to get into the classes they chose, regardless of when they met with their counselor.

Reconsideration Forms

Reconsideration Forms should be used when a student disagrees with his/her recommended course level, and would like to move up a level or down a level, circumventing the current WRHS teacher's recommendation.

If you are a current Wachusett Regional High School student, you’ll need to request a Reconsideration Form from your school counselor. The specific Google Form required to request a Reconsideration Form from each specific school counselor are linked here. Students should click on the link for their school counselor to request a form and begin this process.

If you are a current eighth grade student, you’ll need to fill out THIS google form for a level change request in Math, Science, English and Social Studies. Please fill out THIS google form for a level change request in World Languages.

Reconsideration Forms must be turned in by:

• April 15, 2022 for Grades 9 - 11

• April 22, 2022 for Grade 8

Please remember that course recommendations are made with a lot of factors in mind. For current WRHS students, your course recommendations are made by your current teachers, who have had a chance to get to know you, your work ethic, and your ability level over the course of the school year. You should talk with your current teachers and your school counselor before you submit a reconsideration form. For 8th graders, great care goes into reviewing MCAS scores, reviewing middle school grades, and soliciting teacher feedback.

Please note that not all reconsideration requests will be approved. The relevant academic Department Head may approve the request based upon prior student performance, space available in the requested class, historical grades and test scores, and other factors.

Helpful Resource

This Course Registration Recap Presentation was originally given to our current 9th - 11th graders in January, 2022 and walks students through the scheduling process. It includes a step-by-step video of how to make your requests in PowerSchool.