Scheduling
General Scheduling Information
Timeline
The scheduling process begins in February. Forms are due before February break. Counselors will follow up with students who have not returned their forms to ensure everyone has put in their requests before beginning work on the master schedule in March.
Counselors usually have access to draft schedules by late April/early May and will meet with students one-on-one through the end of the year to troubleshoot any issues (conflicting classes, classes that did not run, gaps, etc.).
Students will have access to their schedules through PowerSchool in late July/early August.
Schedule Changes
There is a 5 day add/drop period at the beginning of each semester. During that time, students can meet with their counselor to make changes to their schedule. Not all changes are possible, but we will do our best to find a solution that works for you.
7th & 8th grade students may make changes to their exploratory classes with parent/guardian permission. Core classes generally cannot be changed in middle school.
Forms & Resources
Scheduling forms will be distributed by School Counselors during class meetings and are available in the Guidance Office. Electronic copies of all scheduling forms are listed below by grade.
Grades 9-12, please refer to the Program of Studies for detailed information about courses and graduation requirements.
Information and forms for Independent Study, School-to-Work, School-to-Community Service, VHS, and Dual Enrollment are listed after the scheduling forms.
Graduation requirements, grading scale, course descriptions, and program offerings for grades 9-12
Rising 7th & 8th Grade
All middle school students take four year-long core subjects (English, Math, History & Science) and a combination of semester-long exploratories. Some exploratories are required (ex. Health & PE) and others are student choice (ex. Band, Art)
Please complete the Exploratory Choice Sheet for your grade to let us know which exploratories you would like to take. Refer to the Exploratory Descriptions page for a full description of each exploratory option.
Return completed forms to Mary Lapinski in the Guidance Office.
If you have any questions, reach out directly to your School Counselor or Ms. Lapinski.
Rising 9th Grade
The 8th grade class will meet with School Counselors in the spring for a workshop on how to choose classes for high school. The basic process is:
Step 1: Select the courses you want to take in PowerSchool.
Step 2: Record the classes you chose on the course request sheet. Make sure to include alternate/back-up classes.
Step 3: Have your parent/guardian sign your course request sheet and then return it to the Guidance Office.
If you have questions or need help, come to the Guidance Office to meet with your School counselor.
Rising 10th Grade
School Counselors will meet with the 9th grade class in the spring for a refresher on how to register for classes and to introduce any new courses. The basic process is:
Step 1: Enter the classes you want in PowerSchool.
Step 2: Record your choices on the Course Request Form. Make sure you write down some alternate/back-up choices.
Step 3: Get any AP signatures you need, have your parent/guardian sign your form, and then return it to the Guidance Office.
If you need help, come to the Guidance Office to meet with your School Counselor.
Rising 11th Grade
School Counselors will meet with the 10th grade class to get you started with scheduling, introduce new courses, and explain the alternative class options available to you as 11th graders. More information and the necessary forms for these options are listed towards the bottom of this page.
The basic scheduling process is:
Step 1: Enter the classes you want in PowerSchool.
Step 2: Record your choices on the Course Request Form. Make sure you write down some alternate/back-up choices.
Step 3: Get any AP signatures you need, have your parent/guardian sign your form, and then return it to the Guidance Office.
Step 4: Complete and turn in any forms needed for alternative class options by the deadline.
It is highly recommended that you meet with your School Counselor as you are planning your 11th grade schedule. Junior year is particularly important for students planning to attend a 4-year college and your counselor can help you make the best choices for your future goals. It is also important to check in and make sure you are on track to meet all your graduation requirements without overloading yourself in your Senior year.
Rising 12th Grade
By now, you probably know the scheduling drill pretty well, but we will still meet with the 11th grade class to announce new course offerings and go over graduation requirements.
Things to consider as you make your 12th grade schedule:
Have I met all of my graduation requirements?
Is my schedule challenging while still offering me some breathing room to enjoy my Senior year?
Can I take advantage of school-to-work or an independent study to better prepare for my career goals?
Is there anything I haven't done or experienced yet at Frontier that feels important to do before I graduate?
Meet with your School Counselor often as you plan for Senior year to make sure you are on track for graduation and beyond!
Alternative Class Options for 11th & 12th Grade
Independent Study
An Independent Study is an opportunity for you to do a deep dive on a topic that interests you. You can design an Independent Study to be 5 credits or 2.5 credits. Independent Studies can be research projects or projects that produce a product like artwork or engineering designs.
Examples of past Independent Studies include:
A research project on German psychology
Building a Rube Goldberg Machine
A research project on the statistics involved in solving a Rubik's Cube
Designing and producing an eco-friendly clothing line
A research project on gender performance focusing on pop icon Harry Styles
Once you have your idea, you will need to find a teacher who is willing to be your project advisor. The teacher's subject should align with your project topic (ex. a science Independent Study should be supervised by a Science teacher).
The final step is for you and your project advisor to fill out the Independent Study Form with the details of exactly what your project will entail, how many credits it is for, and what your final product will be.
At the end of the semester, you will present your project to a panel (usually a combination of the Admin tem and Guidance staff).
Your School Counselor can help you with any of the steps in this process and also help you decided where an Independent Study would fit in your schedule.
School-to-Work (SW) & School-to-Community Service (SC)
School-to-Work and School-to-Community Service projects are designed to give you credit for work you are doing that is helping you prepare for your future career goals. You can have up to 5 credits total of SW/SC each year. This can be broken into 2.5 credits over both semesters, or all 5 credits in one semester. You are required to log your hours and give a brief presentation about your SW/SC experience at the end of the semester.
Once you have established your SW job site or SC advisor, you will need to fill out the SC/SW Form. The form will need a signature from your parent/guardian if you are under 18, your boss or advisor, and you. You will also need to answer the questions under Part 3 of the form explaining how this job or project is related to your future goals.
Return the completed form to the Guidance Office to receive the final signatures from your School Counselor and the Principal.
Both options use the same form, but are slightly different. Your School Counselor can help you decide which option works best for you and your schedule.
The basic differences are explained below.
School-to-Work (SW)
A school-to-work block is credit for a job outside of Frontier. This job should be related to your future career goals. SW blocks are usually scheduled in A or E blocks, so you come in late or leave early depending on the block and the day. You do not have to be working at your job during the exact time of your SW block. The idea is that you have more flexibility in your schedule to get schoolwork done while you have a job.
School-to-Community Service (SC)
School-to-Community Service is based within Frontier or at Deerfield Elementary and should be related to your career goals. There are many teachers at Frontier who routinely take on SC students. Teachers are limited to two students per block, so make sure you get your form signed early if you are interested. Established SC advisors include:
Ms. Keenan - Library Aide
Ms. Mahar - Gym Aide
Officer Ravish - Criminal Justice Ride-Along
Mr. Merrick & Mr. Murphy - classroom aide for middle school exploratories
Deerfield Elementary - classroom aides (ask your School Counselor to help connect you)
There are other teachers who will take on SC students if asked, so don't hesitate to ask if there is a specific teacher you would like to work with.
Virtual High School - VHS
VHS is a national network of online high school classes. Classes are offered asynchronously, meaning there is no set meeting time and students work through assignments at their own pace. There is a real teacher for each class who grades assignments and can be contacted for content questions. During your VHS block, you are assigned to a classroom and have a teacher who helps you navigate the VHS portal and stay on track with your assignments.
Students may take any VHS course that is not offered in-person at Frontier. VHS courses may not be used as substitutes for required Frontier classes.
VHS spots are limited, so talk to your counselor early if you are interested. You can view the list of VHS courses and their descriptions in the VHS Course Catalog.
Dual Enrollment
Dual enrollment refers to being enrolled both in high school and at a community college. Students can opt to take a combination of high school and college classes, or they can take all of their classes at a community college. We partner with Greenfield Community College (GCC) and Holyoke Community College (HCC) for dual enrollment.
Check out the links to each school's dual enrollment information page, consider the pros and cons listed below, and talk with your School Counselor about what dual enrollment could look like for you.
Greenfield Community College
Pros:
Location - GCC is close enough for students to take classes on campus and still be able to take classes at Frontier, too.
Flexibility - The GCC student advising team is very flexible and will work with students to get them enrolled right up until the day classes start.
Familiarity - We have been sending students to GCC for dual enrollment for many years, so we are familiar with the course offerings and the advising staff.
Cons:
Cost - Students do have to pay for GCC classes. Sometimes, there is funding available in the spring, but it is not guaranteed.
Timing - Some of the more popular class times at GCC are difficult to fit into Frontier's schedule.
Holyoke Community College
Pros:
Cost - HCC has a grant program that offers one free course per semester to high school students. This is a huge pro, and the main reason we have begun suggesting HCC to students.
Cons:
Location - HCC is too far for students to attend classes on campus if they are also attending classes at Frontier. Because of this, students almost always take online classes at HCC. This can also be a pro, as online classes provide more flexibility in students' schedules.
Strict Deadlines - Unlike GCC, HCC has very strict deadlines for dual enrollment applications. Students must submit their applications by the deadline in order to take the class for free.
New Partnership - We have not been working with HCC as long as we have been working with GCC, so the process is not as streamlined. We are still learning the ins and outs of how their program works.