WHS Academic Information & Policies

This Program of Studies contains a great deal of useful information; please read it carefully.

School counselors will help students plan their high school program. Because some courses are available only to students in grades 11 and 12, and because courses may have guidelines or prerequisites, students will need to plan ahead carefully. Counselors will help students:

• Assess their interests, strengths, and aptitudes.

• Plan for after graduation. Students may need to take specific courses to prepare for college entry requirements, for example, or to enter a chosen career immediately after high school.

• Develops their potential as much as possible and in as many areas as possible. High school years are a time to stretch and to expand horizons in order for students to find out about themselves and the world around them.

• Explores personal career interests. School Counselors administer a career interest inventory in the tenth grade seminar to help students identify their interests, abilities and strengths.

We cultivate positive learning experiences and foster responsibility and integrity so that upon leaving Wellesley High School our students will continue to contribute to their world. 

Wellesley High School is a dynamic learning community guided by these core values:

• Academic Excellence

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

• Commitment to Community 

• Value and Respect for Human Differences

• Caring and Cooperative Relationships

Our goal is that Wellesley High School students will: 

• write effectively for a variety of purposes; 

• read actively and critically across the curriculum for a variety of purposes; 

• speak effectively in different settings; 

• express ideas creatively across the curriculum; 

• apply reasoning and problem-solving in all disciplines; 

• use technology effectively and responsibly for a variety of purposes; 

• perform physical and artistic skills; and 

• identify, evaluate and utilize a variety of resources for obtaining information. 

Wellesley High School encourages our community to recognize the value of learning for learning’s sake. 

Our goal is that Wellesley High School community members will: 

• contribute to the well-being and welfare of others within the school community; 

• assume responsibility for their own decisions and behavior; 

• demonstrate a willingness to resolve conflicts responsibly; and 

• respect one another. 

Our goal is that Wellesley High School community members will: 

• foster respectful and productive relationships between the Wellesley High School community and the community at large, and 

• exercise their rights and responsibilities in a democratic society. 

Wellesley High School does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability or homelessness.

Wellesley High School is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC), a private, nationally-recognized organization whose affiliated institutions include elementary schools through graduate schools.

Accreditation of an institution by NEASC indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria determined by a peer group review process. An accredited school or college is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also indicated by accreditation.

This Program of Studies contains a wide variety of courses, some of which are limited in enrollment. Staffing decisions are made in light of course enrollments and available resources. Low enrollment or staffing constraints may result in the cancellation of courses and/or sections of courses. Other courses or sections of courses may be closed before enrollments become too high. When enrollment is limited, preference will be given to seniors and juniors. School Counselors will assist students in making alternative selections when courses are cancelled or closed. Although average class size guidelines provide the basis for staffing allocations, these are averages and not minimum or maximum class sizes. Actual class sizes typically reflect a range above and below the guidelines and may vary considerably among courses.

Conflicts in the schedule of individual students may occur. It is, therefore, advisable to indicate and prioritize options when planning a program. In all cases, students are assured of being able to enroll in required courses and earn sufficient credits for graduation over the course of the four-year high school experience.

WHS advises students and parents that the taking of college courses during the regular WHS day may prevent students from taking certain WHS classes if course meeting times conflict.

Each course listed and described in this booklet contains the following information: Course Name – which gives information about the course content. AP (before the course title) indicates Advanced Placement. After the course name there may be a class designation such as 9, 10, 11 or 12. This indicates the first year a student may enter this course. For courses in Classical and Modern Language, the number refers to the year of study. In Mathematics, the courses follow in sequence as described in the flow chart after the Mathematics section. In Science, the courses follow the flow chart at the end of the Science section. In Social Studies, the sequence is World History in 9th grade, Modern World History in 10th grade, and US History in 11th grade. Social Studies electives have a grade designation following the course titles. The letter following the academic course name indicates the following level designation - H for Honors, ACP for Advanced College Preparatory, and CP for College Preparatory. For courses that are offered at the combined ACP/Honors level, students will be placed in the Honors section for scheduling purposes only. Students will be able to designate which level they would like to be assessed at in the fall once they learn about course expectations. 

Certain courses are available to students in specific grades. Please refer to the section of this book that describes the courses in detail.

All students are required to be enrolled in any combination of semester and year courses totaling a minimum of 34 class hours per cycle each semester. Most students will have programs that consist of five majors and one or more electives. Juniors and seniors are not required to attend Directed Research periods.  

Students who intend to continue their education after graduation must pay close attention to college admissions requirements when planning their high school programs. Since requirements vary, students should review school and college catalogues to insure that the appropriate entrance requirements are met. Through seminars, counselors will help students explore the wide range of post-secondary opportunities available to them.  (Also see NCAA Course Eligibility information below.)

Parents and students can verify whether high school courses meet NCAA eligibility requirements by using the official NCAA Eligibility Center website.

1. Go to the NCAA Eligibility Center website
   https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/

2. Search for Wellesley High School (use code 222285)

3. Review the list of approved courses  (courses that the NCAA has approved as meeting core-course requirements).

4. For more information, please refer to the NCAA student-athlete page:
   https://www.ncaa.org/sports/2014/10/6/core-courses.aspx

5. Questions? contact the WHS School Counseling Office.