Grade 9 Students and Parents

FAQs- (Please Submit Questions Here) 

The Following Questions are From the Meeting on February 15, 2024.

Curriculum Questions

• What are JIS courses? Where do they lead? And how do they help students earn the IB Diploma Program (IBDP)?

  • JIS faculty have designed the curriculum for 100+ courses.  We are very proud of these courses and encourage you to learn about these courses in the Course Description Guide. These courses are based on international standards and prepare students for success in both IB and AP courses. 

• When it is said that a course is for students in Grades 10, 11, and 12, does it mean that taking the course in Grade 10 mandates continuation in Grades 11 and 12?

  • No, it means the course is open to students in ALL three grade levels. The ability for students to take a wide variety of classes in multiple grade levels is something we’re proud of in the high school. 

Indonesian Government Requirements

• Which subjects must a G10 Indonesian student take?

  • Bahasa dan Sastra Indonesia, Pendidikan Pancasila as a semester class, and Agama (religion)

• What about for students who have taken up Bahasa Indonesia in Grade 9, do they continue with it in Grade 10?

  • Yes, Indonesian passport-holding students must take Bahasa Indonesian each year. 

• Is the Indonesian Studies Art and Indonesian Studies Culture mandatory for Non-Indonesian kids (in addition to the 0.5 credits of language)?

  • They can choose Indonesian studies or Indonesian studies Drawing and painting/carving and crafts - students do not need to do both. They can also choose Indonesian language classes as well to satisfy the requirement.

• For students with Indonesian passports, since they are required to take Indonesian Civics (Pancasila) from Grades 10, 11, and 12, can they take other social studies classes (e.g., AP Human Geography or AP World History)?

  • Yes - definitely.  Almost all Indonesian passport holders will take a social studies class in addition to Pancasila in Grades 10, 11, and 12.

• As PPKN is considered a 1-semester course in Gr.10 for Social Studies (0.5 credit), can a student just take another 0.5 Social Studies to fulfil the HS graduation requirement of 2.0 Social Studies credits?

  • Yes, this would satisfy the JIS High School Graduation requirement. However, we would strongly encourage students to at least consider one of our year-long social studies courses, as those classes have learning targets that prepare students really well for future study both at JIS and beyond. Please see a similar question asked in Social Studies below.

Social Studies

• "In Grade 10, can I choose 2 social study courses which are 0.5 credits each, so that becomes a total of 1 credit? Are we not allowed to take 2-semester courses?"

  • Hypothetically, a Grade 10 student can take two .5 credit social studies classes after Grade 9 and still be eligible to graduate from JIS. However, some universities might not consider JIS's .5 credit social studies to meet their admission requirements, and this is something we sometimes stress in our Grade 10 course selection meetings.  (This link shows which HS social studies courses will satisfy the admission requirements of University of California). Beyond college admission implications, taking a year-long social studies course in Grade 10 (Global Perspectives, Physical and Human Geography, AP World History, AP Human Geography) will typically better prepare a student for more rigorous Grade 11 social studies courses than .5 credit social studies courses.  

Mathematics

• Is there a minimum grade requirement to advance to Honors Math 2 in Grade 10?

  • There is no set minimum grade requirement, however, we would highly recommend your student speaking with their math teacher to confirm which class they would recommend for your child.

• Does the school have plans to offer AP math courses for Grade 10? That would be beneficial for students who want to take all three AP math courses offered by JIS.  Would the school consider this?  

  • We currently don’t offer AP Precalculus to Grade 10 students.  Instead, we believe our JIS math courses are the ideal courses for our students to keep open the maximum amount of choice for students in Grade 11 with regards to IB, AP, and additional JIS math courses. 

Advanced Placement Courses in G10 

• Are AP Physics 1 and AP Computer Science Principles both year-long? 

  • Yes.

• Can AP Physics 1 and AP Computer Science Principles be taken in Grade 10?

  • Yes, but please be aware that there are some prerequisites for taking AP Physics 1 in Grade 10. 

• Can AP Physics 1 and AP Computer Science Principles lead to HL courses for the IBDP in Grade 11? 

  • Yes. 

• Will AP Physics 1 and AP Computer Science Principles be valued at another school if the student ends up moving?

  • While we can’t speak for other schools, these courses are offered worldwide. 

The International Baccalaureate 

• Students get a chance to take AP courses in Grade 10.  How will they get to know about IB courses in Grade 10?

  • All Grade 10 courses are designed to give students exposure and preparation for both IB and AP courses.  Additionally: (1) we annually deliver a presentation to Grade 10 families during the second semester that helps clarify the benefits, similarities and differences between the IB and AP; (2) we offer a course fair for Grade 10 families that allows students and families to speak with our faculty an ask questions about individual IB and AP subjects; and (3) we ask that every Grade 10 family meet with their counselor to discuss which courses they will take during their final two years of high school.

• For the IB, what is the difference between an Analysis class and an Applications class?

  • You can learn about what’s covered in these courses in the Course Description Guide and through flowcharts and presentations that have been created by the math department here.

• Is IB Physics optional for Grade 10?

  • We do not allow Grade 10 students to take IB courses.  IB courses are meant to be taken during a student’s final two years of high school.

Schedule

• Will each child receive the courses they requested in Grade 10?

  • We promise to try our best. That said, you can greatly increase the chances of getting all your course choices if you have your course choices submitted to PowerSchool by the deadline. 

• Is it possible to pursue IB and AP courses simultaneously?

  • Yes, we do have some students in Grade 11 and Grade 12 do a mix of IB and AP courses. However, this is not the right option for everyone.  In Grade 10, each student  and family will have a meeting with their counselor to discuss which courses they will take during their final two years at JIS. 

• How are AP courses incorporated into the 10th grader’s regular schedule? Are these taken in lieu of regular subjects or in addition? 

  • It depends on the subject area.  All Grade 10 students are required to take Life Sciences.  If a student wants to additionally take AP Physics 1 or AP Computer Science Principles, that would be a second science course.  In Social Studies, students can take AP World History or AP Human Geography as their main social studies option. They are not required to take Global Perspectives, which is our standard social studies course for Grade 10s.

• I am interested in the IB courses available for Grade 10. Are there any options?

  • No, the IB Diploma Program is a two-year program Grade 11 and 12 students only.

• What is the maximum number of AP classes a student can take in one year?

  • Typically, a Grade 10 student interested in taking AP courses in Grade 10 will take one AP course. This is not the maximum, however, we highly encourage students interested in taking more than 1 AP course to discuss this with their counselor.  Please note scheduling limitations do not allow students to simultaneously take AP Seminar and AP World History in Grade 10.

Credits and Graduation Requirements

• What sort of credential does a student receive if they complete a mix of IB and AP courses?

  • This student would receive a JIS High School Diploma. Depending on their exam scores, students may be eligible to receive certificates passing the individual IB and AP courses they have taken.

• If students don’t plan to graduate from JIS, what credits will they need to meet?

  • This will depend on the school they are moving to.

• If a student takes AP courses and moves to another school, will the credits still count?

  • Yes, the new school should give the student credit for the classes they’ve taken at JIS.

• If a student takes AP courses will they offer an advantage in pursuing HL courses in Grade 11?

  • AP courses in Grade 10 can be excellent preparation for IB HL courses in Grade 11, but AP courses are not necessary for success in Grades 11 and 12.

• Do I need to take two Creative Arts courses in Grade 10, or is one Creative Arts course sufficient?

  • All students need to earn two credits from the Creative Arts department to earn the JIS High School Diploma. Most students have fulfilled this requirement in Grade 9.  If not, we highly recommend students completing this requirement in Grade 10.

• Regarding language requirements, is studying English and an additional language (ie mother tongue) sufficient?

  • Yes, students required to earn four credits of English and two credits of another language to graduate from JIS.

• Is Language B mandatory?

  • Students only need two credits of a second language to graduate from JIS.  Please note studying a second language is not mandatory for all four years. 

• For IB, can I take both a Language A and B course?

  • Most students at JIS who pursue the IB Diploma Program will take an IB English class  at the Language A level (native level).  For a second language, students can also take it at the Language A level or at the Language B level (including ab initio).

Support

• Does JIS offer any aptitude tests to help students discover their skills or interests, and how could the results assist them in choosing their courses?

  • We believe it’s very important to help students discover their skills and interests.  In addition to finding academic passions in the classroom and through co-curricular activity participation, all students in the high school will participate in Careers Day.  Students will take self-assessments that will allow them to reflect on their strengths and values, and hear from and ask questions of professionals in various industries. 

• Please advise if a counselor is available in Grade 10 to help students identify interests in college majors and assist in choosing suitable AP subjects.

  • Yes, each Grade 10 family will meet with a counselor in the second semester to discuss which courses they will take during their final two years of high school.

University Questions

• Are AP results accepted by Canadian universities?

  • Generally speaking, AP courses are viewed as very rigorous courses that prepare students for university.  Some Canadian universities may allow students who have earned very good AP exam scores to skip certain introductory courses.  This information is typically available on a university’s website.

• Do Australian universities accept AP results, or is the IB Diploma more useful for students applying to universities outside the US?

  • Yes, most Australian universities will accept students who have taken the IB Diploma and who have taken AP courses.  Please note, however, that Australian universities may expect students who take AP courses to satisfy additional admission criteria (i.e. earn a certain GPA and/or SAT score).

• Some UK universities require 32 credits from high school. I understand that JIS supports earning 24 credits. How can students obtain those additional credits if they are required?

  • Almost all of our graduates leave school with a lot more than 24 credits. Furthermore, our graduates have typically been able to access the most selective British universities without any problems. 

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IB/AP Questions

• Can you take AP Grade 10 courses and then do the 2-year IB?

  • Yes, many students do this

• Will there be Environmental Science AP classes in G11/12?

  • Yes

• How is AP Physics 1 different from JIS year-long Physics in terms of the topics taught?

  • AP Physics covers a bit more and in much greater depth but the topics are similar for the most part. Both cover: motion, forces, energy, momentum, basic waves. AP Physics 1 also covers: rotational motion, and basic circuits

• What are the prerequisites or requirements for AP Computer Science Principles? 

  • The prerequisite for AP Computer Science Priniciples is an A or A* in Physical Science.

• Is math required in every year with AP or JIS diploma?

  • No, the HS graduation requirements only require 2 years of maths. Please do speak to your child's counselor for more details

• If a student is taking Bahasa Indonesia as a subject can he take it as a foreign language for IB?

  • Yes, the typical pathway for that would be G9 Indonesian 3 G10 Indonesian 4 G11 IB HL/SL G12 IB HL/SL

• Does AP have benefit only if a student plans to study in the US?

  • There are more universities in the US that will offer college credit for the AP classes. However, the AP classes will be beneficial regardless of where a student chooses to go to university. All of the AP courses will help students develop skills and knowledge that will be useful no matter what courses they take or where they go to university. 

• Is AP physics 1 more advanced than honors physics?

  • We do not currently have an honors physics class. AP Physics 1 is a very rigorous course. 

• Can my child take AP Comp Sci principles in 10th grade either in place of another science course or in addition to another science course?

  • In addition to the regular Grade 10 science course.

• How many AP Courses we can choose along with IB courses?

  • When students get to G11, they can take a mixture of IB and AP courses. The number really depends on the student schedule, graduation requirements, and what the student wants to do.

• Do you get to choose 1 course from the list of options in social studies?

  • All G10 students will choose one of the year-long Social Studies courses to take. They can also take other Social Studies courses (either year-long or semester-long) in addition.

• Where can we get more detail about what exactly is covered under those courses? 

  • The HS Course Description Guide has a great deal of detail.

• Can student only choose one-semester course for social studies?

  • All G10 students will choose one of the year-long Social Studies courses to take. They can also take other Social Studies courses (either year-long or semester-long) in addition.

• If my kid is taking the self-taught language (Mother Tongue), is she still required to take the Modern Lang course (Lang B)?

  • No, self-taught mother tongue would count for their language.

• How many social studies courses can students take in Grade 10?

  • It will depend a bit on their schedule and what other classes they need to take. They will certainly take one, and many students could fit (if they want) a second SS course into their schedule.

• Students will take 8 credits in G10? 

  • Yes. Students will take eight classes (equaling eight credits), plus their SLA and honor pass.

• What is AP comp science Principles like? Is it too hard for G10 if G9 have only taken physical science?

  • No, it should be fine for most students with some interest in coding. G9 Physical Science has enough computer science in it for preparation. 

• Can a student decide to skip honours pass and replace it with a class ?

  • No we do not offer this as it is contrary to our values of balance. 

• Do AP classes belong to the 8 credits in G10?

  • Yes, the AP courses offered in G10 can count for either a Social Studies or Science credit, and count towards the 8 credits for the year.

JIS CAS

• Can you please explain JISCAS?

  • Please see our Handbook page here