What are the electives for freshman at Jackson Reed?

[Transplant_1]

I understand the freshman course line-up for freshman at Jackson Reed is:
9th grade English Honors
World History Honors
Biology Honors
-whichever appropriate Math class they need
-whichever foreign language they choose
Health/PE
Art or music fundamentals
Elective(s)

What are the electives? I assume freshman take only one elective.

There's no info on website I'm aware of. I've been to two parent sessions this school year, and basic information like this isn't presented. So, I'm at DCUMs asking.

[Anonymous]

Here is a list from last year: https://www.wilsonhs.org/ourpages/auto/2022/3/23/41516471/2022-2023%20Jackson-Reed%20HS%20Course%20List%20%281%29.pdf?rnd=1654698620341

[Anonymous]

My 9th grader was assigned the following electives this year: creative writing, film studies, and women's history. Each one is 0.5 credits.

[Anonymous]

She was assigned those 3? Are they half year? Full year? Are they good and meaningful? Just fillet?

[Anonymous]

…. Just filler?

[Anonymous]

She couldn’t choose?

[Anonymous]

How many electives they get to choose depends in part on whether they are assigned to gym and health (semester each) in 9th or just gym, as well as what art and music options they choose (e.g., general music, which is a semester, or choir/band, which is full year).

So if your kid chooses semester-long art and music options and is assigned to only a semester of gym (no health, meaning they take it in 10th), then they will have 1.5 elective credits to fill. That could be three .5 credit electives or one 1 credit elective and one .5 credit elective.

If they choose full-year music, half-year art, and get gym and health, then they will select only one .5 credit elective.

If they choose half-year music, half-year art, and get gym and health, then they will select two .5 credit electives or one 1 credit elective.

(And to be clear “select” is relative—kids are not guaranteed to get their preferred electives. My kids got some that they listed and some that they didn’t. Very common for 9th graders to get put in public speaking even if they didn’t select it.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She was assigned those 3? Are they half year? Full year? Are they good and meaningful? Just fillet?

They're all half-year. His core full-year schedule is:

English
World History
Biology
Geometry
French III

Plus in fall:
PE
Music
Film Studies

In spring:
Health
Creative Writing
Women's History

As far as i know, he didn't choose any of the electives, but he also didn't try to change them during the drop-add period at the beginning of the school year. He's not crazy about creative writing, but I think that's more to do with them having to read their own work out loud in front of other students. Otherwise they've been good.

[Anonymous]

Are sophomores allowed to double up on science classes, say Chem and Physics? DS will be taking AP calc coming in this year, so will have the math requirements out of the way and could take AP Physics C (Mechanics) by 11th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are sophomores allowed to double up on science classes, say Chem and Physics? DS will be taking AP calc coming in this year, so will have the math requirements out of the way and could take AP Physics C (Mechanics) by 11th.

Are you saying that you have an incoming 9th grader who's going to take AP calc next year? I was just in the 10th grade parent meeting on Wednesday night, in which they told us that APs start in 10th grade, and there are only four APs that they're allowed to take: Human Geography, Psychology, African-American History, and Microeconomics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are sophomores allowed to double up on science classes, say Chem and Physics? DS will be taking AP calc coming in this year, so will have the math requirements out of the way and could take AP Physics C (Mechanics) by 11th.

Not necessary. They can take AP Physics C without taking another physics class before it. I know multiple 11th graders in calc and both physics c classes this year. Physics C Mechanics is basically just accelerated AP Physics 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are sophomores allowed to double up on science classes, say Chem and Physics? DS will be taking AP calc coming in this year, so will have the math requirements out of the way and could take AP Physics C (Mechanics) by 11th.

Are you saying that you have an incoming 9th grader who's going to take AP calc next year? I was just in the 10th grade parent meeting on Wednesday night, in which they told us that APs start in 10th grade, and there are only four APs that they're allowed to take: Human Geography, Psychology, African-American History, and Microeconomics.

They make exceptions for students whose progression would place them in AP classes in 9th/10th grades. So, a kid who doubled up in math in 7th and is on course for AP calc in 10th grade will be able to take it. A kid who has advanced language skills and is ready for AP language in 9th or 10th will also be able to take it. That’s a very small number of kids, so they handle those case by case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are sophomores allowed to double up on science classes, say Chem and Physics? DS will be taking AP calc coming in this year, so will have the math requirements out of the way and could take AP Physics C (Mechanics) by 11th.

Are you saying that you have an incoming 9th grader who's going to take AP calc next year? I was just in the 10th grade parent meeting on Wednesday night, in which they told us that APs start in 10th grade, and there are only four APs that they're allowed to take: Human Geography, Psychology, African-American History, and Microeconomics.

They make exceptions for students whose progression would place them in AP classes in 9th/10th grades. So, a kid who doubled up in math in 7th and is on course for AP calc in 10th grade will be able to take it. A kid who has advanced language skills and is ready for AP language in 9th or 10th will also be able to take it. That’s a very small number of kids, so they handle those case by case.

That's the impression we got from attending an open house in the fall. However, they insisted that DS will have to take AP Calc AB in 9th and BC in 10th, which seems like a waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are sophomores allowed to double up on science classes, say Chem and Physics? DS will be taking AP calc coming in this year, so will have the math requirements out of the way and could take AP Physics C (Mechanics) by 11th.

Not necessary. They can take AP Physics C without taking another physics class before it. I know multiple 11th graders in calc and both physics c classes this year. Physics C Mechanics is basically just accelerated AP Physics 1.

With calculus I presume. But is it good to take a college level Physics class as your first Physics class? I don't know what they use for textbooks here but if it is anything like Resnick and Halliday, the problems can be brutal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are sophomores allowed to double up on science classes, say Chem and Physics? DS will be taking AP calc coming in this year, so will have the math requirements out of the way and could take AP Physics C (Mechanics) by 11th.

Not necessary. They can take AP Physics C without taking another physics class before it. I know multiple 11th graders in calc and both physics c classes this year. Physics C Mechanics is basically just accelerated AP Physics 1.

With calculus I presume. But is it good to take a college level Physics class as your first Physics class? I don't know what they use for textbooks here but if it is anything like Resnick and Halliday, the problems can be brutal.

Yes, as I said, “calc and both physics c classes.” My sense is that kids do fine in Mechanics and often struggle with E&M. The teacher is very good.