Directions for Students & Guardian

2017-2018 Course Registration

During the week of February 20th, the Counselors will be visiting World Language and Social Studies classes to distribute course selection materials and review the course selection process with you. In addition to this sheet of directions, students will receive four other documents: a copy of the AcademicCurriculum Guide for 2017-2018, a white practice and planning course selection sheet, directions for online pre-registration, and a colored final course selection sheet.

The AcademicCurriculum Guide for 2017-2018is a good resource for you and your parents. It includes a listing of required courses, course descriptions, and prerequisites for each course.

The whitepractice and planning sheet is identical to the final course selection sheet. You can use this sheet to plan your curriculum for next year. Since you will be turning in the final course selection sheet, it also serves as your record of the courses you selected.

This year we will be doing pre-registration for courses online. Specific directions are on another sheet. One major advantage of pre-registration is the program will indicate which courses the student does not meet prerequisites in and will require teacher approval or if appropriate a teacher prerequisite override.

The final course selection sheet(gold for sophomores, blue for juniors, and yellow for seniors) is the actual sheet that requests courses for 2017-2018. When you have all the required teacher signatures and your guardian’s signature you should bring your sheet to your counselor. You must return this sheet to your counselorby no later than 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 3, 2017.

Notes regarding course selection:

  • All students are required to schedule seven class periodsfor each semester. Beginning in 2017-2018 De Smet’s master schedule will include an 8th period, but all students will all have a Study Hall during that period. That Study Hall has course code 2007. The goal of adding this additional period is to schedule 100% of student course requests. More information about the design of our schedule for 2017-2018 will be available at a later date. All students also have the option to take 2 total additional semesters of Study Hall(course code 2002, 2003, or 2004)during their 8 semesters at De Smet Jesuit High School, please plan the use of those periods carefully.
  • Sophomorestypically will have a study period for one period of one semester and Physical Education during the opposite semester, unless they choose a yearlong elective course for their seventh period. Those elective courses are Introductory Newswriting, Yearbook, Digital Media/Digital Storytelling, Studio Art 2, Beginning Instrumental Music, Instrumental Jazz Combo, Concert Band, Jazz Lab Band, De Smet Chorus, and Advanced Chorus. If a sophomore chooses one of these electives, Physical Education and the study period drop out of his schedule.
  • Juniorsand seniors may have a study period for one period of one semester as long as they do not exceed their total of two semester-long study halls.
  • Many courses have prerequisites. You will find these listed in the AcademicCurriculum Guide as part of the course description for each course. If you do not meet these prerequisites, you will not be able to pre-register online for the course. In the unusual case where an exception to the prerequisites is made, it requires the approval of your current teacher in that subject area. The teacher will notify the Assistant Principal for Academics of the exception, and he will override the prerequisite and register you in the course.
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  • In addition to prerequisites, some courses require teacher approval. The teacher approving each course is shown on the course selection sheet. You must have that teacher’s signature before you turn in your course selection sheet March 3rd. Teachers will be available to sign course selection sheets beginning on Tuesday, February 28th. Before approving some courses, the teacher may want to see your first semester report card. Please be prepared to display your report card in NetClassroom on your computer, or go to NetClassroom and print a copy of your first semester report card. Your first semester report card will show on your NetClassroom.
  • In some courses, typically English, science, math, and foreign language, your current teacher will advise you in class regarding which course to select for next year. In most cases, you will only meet the prerequisites for the recommended course.
  • Juniors and seniors will note that there is a list of “required courses” and a list of “elective courses” on your course selection sheets. You must take “required courses” to meet De Smet Jesuit’sgraduation requirements.
  • Juniors and seniors: Freshmen at De Smet Jesuit typically take one-half credit of fine arts and one of Physical Education as part of the required freshman curriculum. De Smet Jesuit requires 1 full credit in each department to graduate. This additional one-half credit can be taken in sophomore, junior or senior year. Please check to make sure you are on track to fulfill this requirement.
  • Athletes: If you hope to play college athletics, it is important that you are aware of the NCAA academic requirements. Copies of these requirements are available in the CounselingCenter and the Main Office. They are also listed on the NCAA website. If you have questions regarding NCAA requirements, please see your coach or counselor.
  • Our goal is to schedule 100% of the courses that you choose. However, it may not be possible to schedule every student into every course. Students should choose alternate courses for each of their electives. This is the course that you prefer if we are not able to schedule your first-choice elective. Spaces are provided on the course selection sheet for you to fill-in alternate courses. Please choose the correct number of alternate courses listed.

Please remember:

  • Teachers will be available to sign course selection sheets beginning Tuesday, February 28th.
  • Course selection sheets are due to Counselors by 2:00 p.m. on Friday, March 3. Students are encouraged to turn their sheets in as soon as they are completed rather than waiting until the deadline.
  • Before turning in your course selection sheet, please make sure that you have your guardian’s signature and any required teacher approvals.
  • Fill-in the name of your currentmath teacher and the period of your current math class.

During the first week of classes after spring break, students will confirm the course selectionsin the online system during math classes. Your online registration must match your course selection sheet. A copy of your course selection sheet will be returned to you in math class to facilitate confirming the online registration.

Finally, if you or your parents have any questions regarding the course selection process, see your counselor orthe Assistant Principal for Academics.