CURRENT eighth graders

Activities that will help you plan your schedule - before Skyward

1. Watch this video about registration. (This is the same video you saw in STRETCH.)

2. Watch graduation requirements video, or view the requirements here. 

3. Review the slides for the lesson you got from HS counselors in your Social Studies class. 

4. Review the Schedule Planning Tool to help you figure out if you have enough time for everything. Show your parents the estimated homework minutes per week and if any class has any summer work responsibilities connected to it. (PDF version)

5. Talk to your parents/guardians about your future plans and what classes you want to take next year. HS teachers and counselors can answer any questions you have during future freshman night and our classroom visit. 

6. Review Course Catalog, talk to parents, teachers, and friends about courses you might want to take next year. Look at all courses to find ones that match your interests and your post HS plan. 

7. Review Course Availability List to see what classes are available to ninth graders. Some classes may not be available to incoming freshmen if they fill up with students in higher grades. Some classes may not be available to incoming 9th graders if they fill up with students in higher grades. Classes that are closed to incoming 9th graders were removed from the availability list.  

8. Use the Registration Worksheet to help you plan your schedule before you enter your requests in Skyward. 

   1. 1. • Make a copy of the registration worksheet here. If you need a PDF to print use this link. Use this to help plan your schedule. Be sure to include course codes; you will need these when you put your requests in Skyward. 

         • You will turn in this form to your middle school teacher after you enter requests into Skyward (see below for directions or linked here). Be sure your form matches what you put into Skyward. 

9. Enter your requests in Skyward starting after your registration lesson in class. Use the Instructions below - or linked here. Here they are in video format. 

Request Classes - In Skyward (Opens March 24th) 

1. Sign into Skyward Student access. Use Student Skyward login and password. If you do not know your Skyward login/password, call the counseling office 425-413-6204 or email mdidonat@tahomasd.us between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm (2:30 on Friday).

2. On the student access tile screen select the tile that says Course Requests.

3. You will see the course request screen open up. It will display available courses on the left side and a My Requests tab on the right side. 

4. Select each request by highlighting the course and click the green circle to add courses. Students will add 16 courses.

5. To remove a course, highlight the course and click the red circle to subtract courses..

6. When finished entering 16 course requests, click on the Alternates tab at the top of the page. Alternates will be used if you do not get placed into your primary requests.

7. Please select at least five alternates. If not enough alternates are submitted, class vacancies will be filled by school counselors using your remaining graduation requirements as a guide.

8. When finished, click the Save Course Requests option on the right hand side. You also have the option to print your selections from this screen if you wish. 

9. After you enter courses in Skyward, turn in your matching registration form to the teacher of the class you had your registration presentation from the counselors in. If you need a new copy to complete this step, you can make a copy using the link above.  

Registration is done through Student Skyward Access, not Family Access.  

If you do not know your Skyward login/password, see below.

High School Crediting for Middle School Classes

Tahoma students earn high school credit for the following courses offered in middle school: Algebra I, Geometry, and Spanish I-II.

Washington law (RCW 28A.230.090) states that unless requested otherwise by the student and the student's family, a student who has completed a high school course(s) before attending high school shall be given high school credit, fulfilling high school graduation requirements when the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit.   If a family decides not to credit a high school class prior to entering high school he/she will still proceed to the next course in progression and begin earning high school credit in the 9th grade year.  

High school credit earned before high school may be transcribed with either the letter grade earned or a nonnumerical grade, such as “pass” or “credit.” A non-numerical grade will not be included in the student’s high school grade point average calculations, which can affect college admissions, scholarship opportunities, and NCAA eligibility.  The tradeoff in a credit/non-credit designation is the interpretation by admissions staff at post-secondary colleges.  In some cases, a grade of “credit” or “pass” is interpreted as the lowest possible passing grade of “D”.       

Before the end of eleventh grade, a student and the student’s parent or guardian must inform the school 

• if they do not want credit for the course or courses taken before attending high school or 

• if they want the credit to be transcribed with a non-numerical grade. 

If you do not want credit for the course taken before attending high school, or want the credit transcribed with a non-numerical grade, please complete this form and give it to your counselor.

View Letter Emailed to Families

Grade 8

Future Freshman Night - March 26th at THS