An Important Message to Parents and Students

One of the unique features of the American comprehensive high school is the wide range of choice it offers to students. With this freedom of choice, however, goes an important responsibility since the courses students select in high school can significantly affect their options for the future. It is the goal of the school staff to help you make informed and wise decisions regarding your high school program. This Course Selection Guide is designed to assist in that effort by providing you with a brief description of each course offered at Lakewood High School. However, before making your requests for next year’s courses we also encourage you to:

• Develop or review your four-year plan and your past academic performance with your counselor;

• Seek additional information about specific courses from your counselor, the department’s facilitator, or individual teachers;

• Ask the teacher to provide you with a copy of the course description and any other pertinent information that will help you to learn more about a class;

• Make arrangements to visit the class during your study hall;

• Discuss your tentative course selections with your counselor.

Your counselor can play an important part in your selection of courses. Not only can the counselor offer advice on Lakewood’s courses, he or she can also assist you in finding the most current information on careers and colleges across the United States. It is important to emphasize, however, that while your counselor is available to assist you in your course selection, the final responsibility for this selection rests with the student and parents. We urge you to play an active role in this important task, and we stand ready to assist you in whatever way we can.

Finally, all students and parents should understand that the Board of Education and staff of Lakewood High School are committed to making Lakewood an exemplary school. In keeping with that goal, we will expect all students to:

• Invest their best efforts in their academic and co-curricular activities;

• Accept responsibility for their learning, decisions and actions;

• Treat the staff and each other with consideration and respect;

• Conduct themselves in a way that contributes to a safe and orderly atmosphere and ensures the rights of others.

We believe Lakewood High School’s reputation and success rest, in large measure, on parent concern and involvement. We seek to afford each student an education commensurate with his or her abilities, relevant to the country’s needs and challenging to a degree that will prompt a love of learning. This is no easy task. We need your cooperation and understanding if this year is to provide a profitable and satisfying experience for your son/daughter. Our school, from its foundation, has stressed academic excellence—in this there is no compromise.