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To Our Freshmen,
To Our Freshmen,
Your journey as a Prince Edward County High School student is about to begin. We are excited for you as you take your first step as High School Freshmen. We are excited about getting to know you and commit to doing all that we can to make this experience a successful one for you. Your High School administrators, teachers, counselors, and support staff are here for you and will help to guide you along the way. Below are answers to some questions that you might have as you prepare to begin your High School career.
Useful Links
Useful Links
30 Things Every Freshman Should Know
10 Free Resources For High School Students To Get Ahead While School Is Out
Career Exploration and Inventories:
O*Net- Career Exploration and Job Analysis Tool
Interactive Career Pathway Data- Learn more about different career pathways and the required education, mean salary, and more.
Virginia Wizard- Career assessment, resume builder, and more!
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the high school academic program set up?
The high school operates on a 4X4 block schedule. As a 9th grader, you will take 4 classes during the first semester of the year and 4 entirely new classes during the second semester. Each class is 1 ½ hours long.
What is a typical day like at the high school?
A typical day at the high school begins at 7:45 am when you are released from your bus. Breakfast is served until 7:55 am. Students are to report to their first block class no later than 8:02 am. You will watch the morning announcements in first block and remain in that class until 9:51 am. You have six minutes between classes, and your second block class will last from 9:57 am - 11:27 am. You will then then go to third block, which lasts from 11:33 am - 1:34 pm. You will have a 30-minute lunch period sometime during that block. (We have three different lunch waves.) After third block, we move into 4th block, which is from 1:40 pm - 3:10 pm. Much like the middle school, we release students at the end of the day on bus waves. Car riders and first bus wave students are released during first wave, and athletes and anyone staying after school for an activity or tutoring are released during 3rd wave.
What classes would a 9th grader typically take?
All 9th graders will take an English course (English 9), a math course (Algebra I, Geometry, or Algebra II), a science course (Environmental Science or Biology), a history course (World History I), Health and Physical Education, and 3 electives. Dependent upon their previous teachers’ recommendations, 9th graders might take honors-level English 9, Biology, and/or World History I.
What are standard credits and verified credits, and how do I earn them? (Program of Studies, pg. 4)
A standard credit is received at the end of a semester for each course that is passed. A student can earn 8 standard credits per year. A verified credit is earned by passing a course requiring an SOL test AND by passing the associated SOL test. Courses that have associated SOL tests are: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, World History I, World History II, VA/US History, Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, and English (Reading/Writing). Ninth graders are required to earn 5 verified credits during the course of their high school career. Many freshmen earn 2-3 of these verified credits during their 9th grade year.
What are the two types of diplomas that can be earned? (Program of Studies, pg. 4)
A student can earn a Standard Diploma or an Advanced Studies Diploma. A student must earn 22 standard credits to earn a Standard Diploma and 26 standard credits to earn an Advanced Studies Diploma. As mentioned above, a student must earn 5 verified credits to graduate with either type of diploma.
What do I have to do to be promoted to the 10th grade? (Program of Studies, pg. 17)
Freshman must pass a minimum of 5 standard credits (including one unit of English) and earn at least 1 verified credit.
What is a GPA and how is it determined? (Program of Studies, pg. 18)
GPA stands for “grade point average” and is an average of all of your coursework, tallied at the end of each semester. The high school utilizes the grading scale shown below:
A 4.0 91-100
B 3.0 81-90
C 2.0 71-80
D 1.0 66-70
F 0 0-65
What are weighted courses and how do they affect my GPA? (Program of Studies, pg. 18)
More challenging courses (honors and college-level) offer a final grade that is weighted more heavily on the 4.0 grading scale. Honors courses offer an additional .5 point, and college-level courses offer an additional 1 point. AP courses can provide .5 or 1 point in addition, depending on a student’s score on the AP test for the AP course taken.
How do I keep track of my grades?
Just like in the middle school, the high school utilizes PowerSchool as its student information system. Students are encouraged to check PowerSchool frequently to keep track of their grades.
What academic support is available at the high school if I need help?
Students are always encouraged to seek help directly from their teachers, but afternoon tutoring sessions are also available Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons after school. These tutoring session are also in place to help students prepare for SOL tests, especially for those students who didn’t pass one or more of them when they were first taken.
What emotional support is available at the high school?
All of the high school administrators, teachers, and staff members are available to help you with the challenges of daily life at the high school, but the two school counselors are especially trained to help you with emotional problems and situations that require more attention.
Who do I go to if I ever need to report any kind of harassment or bullying?
All school personnel are available to hear student reports of harassment and bullying, but each of these cases will ultimately be handled by the school administrators (principal and assistant principals). Students can also report harassment and bullying situations via the SafeShare Reporting link on the school system’s website. Reports can be submitted using your name or anonymously.
What clubs and sports are available to me?
Believing that club and athletic participation greatly enhance a student’s high school experience, 9th graders are encouraged to get involved in both clubs and team sports.
Club offerings are dependent upon available faculty for sponsorship, but the following are currently offered or have been offered in recent past: ACE Team, cheerleading, color guard, debate, drama, flag corps, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Future Farmers of America (FFA), Marching Band, and the National Honor Society.
Athletic offerings available to freshmen are as follows: basketball (boys and girls), cross country, football (boys), golf, soccer (boys and girls), softball (girls), swimming (boys and girls), tennis (boys and girls), indoor/outdoor track (boys and girls), and volleyball (girls).
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Useful Resources
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