Practicum Experiences

3920 Senior Professional Internship (12)

2.5 Credits 1 Semester 5.0 Credits 2 Semesters The Senior Professional Internship offers a unique opportunity for motivated students with defined interest to experience a real-world work environment and learn about the key components of a career in a specific field. Students will finish an internship with stronger professional skills and a clearer idea of whether a certain career is a good fit for them. Internships that are available in Notre Dame offices must be scheduled during the school day. Internships that are scheduled off of the Notre Dame campus must take place outside of school hours. (Some exceptions are made for internships in an elementary school setting.) Senior Professional Internships are graded as pass/fail.

To pass the internship the following requirements must be met: minimum of 60 on-site hours completed, completed task log, clear communication with intern mentors, respectful and professional behavior onsite at all times, and receiving a passing grade from onsite evaluators on internship rubrics. To apply for an internship, schedule an appointment with the Experior Program Coordinator and complete the program application. Internships require participating in an interview process as there are often more candidates than internship opportunities. Placement in a desired setting cannot be guaranteed. Some onsite settings include: Communications Office, Service Learning Office, Enrollment Management and Marketing Office, Athletic Office. Some offsite settings include: law firms, physical therapist offices, elementary schools and architecture firms. This course will receive a Pass/Fail grade. Prerequisite: GPA average of 85, a School Counselor signature, no significant history of discipline or attendance issues, completed application, and interview. GPA requirement can be waived with a School Counselor recommendation. (Communications Concentration, Applied Science Concentration)

Practicum Experiences

3900 Experiencing Education (12)

5 Credits 80 Minutes, 1 Semester Experiencing Education is designed to introduce students to the field of education. As we prepare future educators in the 21st century and beyond for the rewards and challenges of educating society, it is important for us to remember that learners are not buckets to be filled. We are charged with providing the impetus for inspiration. The goal for the course is for students to truly “experience” education and that it either leads to the development of highly effective, accomplished teachers for our nation’s classrooms or lifelong advocates for the education of all children. Experiencing Education is designed in three units of study and includes a field experience. Prerequisite: Students must complete an application. Placement will be determined by Department Chairperson.

6450 Honors Service Practicum (12)

2.5 Credits Period 9, Spring Semester This practicum is for Senior students who have taken the Honors Service course in the Fall and have exhibited exceptional leadership abilities. Students will serve as mentors to Junior Honors service students in the Spring semester and assist with the planning and execution of ICAN days and other service projects. Additionally, students will be required to continue Fall projects to their completion or possibly pass the project to a Junior student for the following academic year. Students may also choose to plan and execute new, original projects of their own, which will involve the larger school 6

community. These activities will be done outside of the formal classroom setting. Students will be required to meet with the Service Learning teacher several times outside of the classroom to plan activities and report on their progress. Students will be graded based on the service participation rubric. Acceptance into this course will require an application process. Placement into this course will be by department.

6510/6515 Peer Leader Practicum (10 and 11)

2.5 credits Period 9, Fall and Spring Semesters This companion course to the Peer Leadership elective taken during the same academic year, requires completion of various service projects from July to June of the academic year. Students will meet several times with their teacher outside of the classroom to plan and complete projects whose primary goal is to foster a mentoring relationship between peer leaders and students of the freshman class while serving the wider Notre Dame community.

Service Learning Program

Community service is an essential part of each student’s religious education. Participation in the service program is required each year for all students at Notre Dame. Service hour requirements for each level are detailed in the Student Handbook. Students must fulfill these requirements before successfully completing each grade level. Students will earn a Pass/Fail grade on their transcript each year to indicate successful completion of their Service Learning hours. (See page 4.)

BUILDING YOUR SCHEDULE

Post High School Considerations

Preparation for college and career goals should be ongoing throughout one’s high school experience. College-bound students need a rigorous program of study in English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and World Languages. College admissions committees look favorably upon the student who has studied beyond the minimum requirements.

In addition to wise course selection, high academic achievement is an essential requirement for admission to the best post-secondary institutions. Most colleges require the SAT or the American College Testing Program (ACT). To better prepare for the SAT, all Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen will take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT), which will provide students with the opportunity to compete for the National Merit Scholarship. Freshmen and Sophomore students will also take the PreACT. We strongly recommend that students take either the SAT or ACT in the Spring of their Junior year and again in the Fall of Senior year. Please keep in mind that student

athletes must meet NCAA standards to compete for placement in Division I, II and III schools.

Information regarding these requirements can be found at the NCAA website (www.NCAA.org).

COURSE SELECTION PROCESS

1. Before making their course selections for the next year, students should consider what their capabilities and interests are and seek the guidance of teachers, counselors, and parents. Course selection orientations with counselors will assist students in making informedchoices.

2. Course selection choices made in the Spring determine the roster for both Fall and Spring

Semesters the following year. 3. The scheduling of elective courses is contingent on sufficient enrollment. 4. Before the close of the school year, students will have an opportunity to verify courseselections. 5. To request a schedule change, a parent or guardian must email the student’s Counselor or ndguidance@ndnj.org. 6. All requests are subject to the prerequisite review by the Academic Department. 7. Course selection for the following year is not final until the student returns all registration materials including: o tuition contracts and deposits o the request for state text book form (Incoming Students) o the transportation form

Policy Regarding Change in Courses

Changing courses after the academic year has started can be disruptive to a student’s schedule. Changes once school begins will be limited to placement changes. Students, parents, teachers, and Department Chairpersons must all agree before any and all changes are made. All students are required to carry all chosen courses, including electives, for the entire semester. Requests to have specific teachers will not be honored. The school policy for students who are experiencing difficulty in a course is to seek help from their teachers, the Counseling Department, the National Honor Society (NHS), or outside tutoring. Courses are not dropped from or added to a student’s roster once classes begin in September except for serious and compelling reasons that are determined by the Counseling Department, the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction, and an Academic Board.

Those students requesting a schedule change due to compelling and/or extraordinary

reasons may do so until the end of the third day of class of the semester. This may only be for academic reasons, with permission from parents, and with assistance from the Counselor. The following summarizes an example of an invalid roster change requests:

● dissatisfaction with a course ● displeasure with a schedule ● desire for a different lunch

No student or parent/guardian-initiated course changes will be made after the third day of class of the semester with the following exception: Department Chairpersons are able to request changes for students, who are placed in the incorrect academic level, up through the tenth day of class. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction.

Course Withdrawals

A student who withdraws from any course prior to the above deadlines will be removed from the class roster; the course will not be recorded on the student’s transcript. A withdrawal after the deadline of three (3) class periods or ten (10) class periods with Department Chairperson and Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction approval will receive a record of Withdrawal (W) on the student’s permanent transcript.

Please note: Students need to submit a Drop/Add form which provides written permission by the parent, teacher, department chairperson, College and School counselor, and Assistant Principal for Curriculum and 8

Instruction when requesting to add or drop classes. Seniors are responsible for notifying any college/university they have applied to regarding course changes/withdrawal.

Online Course Policy

Notre Dame High School acknowledges that advances in technology make the availability of online courses more accessible to high school students. These basic guidelines define the acceptable use of these courses within the parameters of Notre Dame’s mission statement and curriculum. A Notre Dame diploma represents the completion of a four-year curriculum. Those students wishing to use an online course to advance to a higher-level class for the next consecutive school year, must meet the following criteria: • Coursework must be completed during the summer • Pre-approval by the Department Chairperson of that discipline • Successful completion with a 75 or better

Please note the following:

• Online courses completed for advancing placement will not appear on a Notre Dame Transcript. • Payment for online course is the family’s responsibility. • Department Chairpersons reserve the right to require completion of a Notre Dame final exam prior to scheduling the next level course. • For students with extenuating circumstances, an evaluation must be made by the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction, the Counseling Director, and the Department Chair as to the role (credit/non-credit) the online course/courses will play in the student’s four-year program.

ACADEMIC STANDINGS Grading and Class Rank

Grades are reported numerically on a 100-point scale, with 65 as passing. Marking period and exam grades are rounded to the nearest whole number and are reflected on the report card. In calculating final grades, actual marking period and exam grades, to the nearest hundredth position as found in the online grade book, are used. The Grade Point Average (GPA) factor (+3 for Honors, +5 for AP) will be used to determine eligibility for Honor Roll of Distinction and Honor Roll; GPAs are calculated at the end of the semester in January and June. Cumulative GPAs appear on the student transcript.

Notre Dame joins other competitive high schools in not reporting class rank. Grade averages will be reported. The Class Valedictorian is the graduating Senior who has been enrolled for a minimum of two school years and who has the highest cumulative grade point average determined at the close of the third marking period in the year of graduation. A four-year GPA, including any previous transcript, will be used to determine the GPA for the valedictorian. When a student is homebound for longer than 30 days during his/her Senior year and qualifies for valedictory status, a Co-Valedictorian may be identified from the class. At Notre Dame, the class Salutatorian is a Senior nominated by the graduating class and selected by the Administration.

Honor Roll and Honor Roll of Distinction

Honor Roll is determined by grades at or above an 88 for each subject in a grading period. Honor Roll of Distinction is determined by grades at or above a 93 for each subject in a grading period. The Grade Point Average (GPA) factor (+3 for Honors, +5 for AP) will be used to determine eligibility for Honor Roll of Distinction and Honor Roll.

Academic Probation

● Any student with two or more failures at the end of a marking period is placed on Academic Probation for the remainder of the semester. ● A student who fails three, five-credit subjects in a year is subject to dismissal or may be permitted to remain on Academic Probation for the following year based on review by the Academic Review Board. ● A student on Academic Probation, who receives two or more failures in any subject at the close of the first semester, must appeal to an Administrative Team in order to return to Notre Dame for the second semester. ● A student who has two or more failures at the end of the first semester will be placed on Academic Probation for the second semester. ● A student on Academic Probation must meet with parents and the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction to review and sign a contract outlining the terms for progress. ● Students on Academic Probation are required to spend three Activity Periods a weekmaking constructive use of the Media Center, completing make-up work, or receiving extra help from teachers. ● Students on Academic Probation are required to go to the Academic Strength and Conditioning Center a minimum of two days a week. The Academic Strength and Conditioning Center provides students with homework assistance and a structured study environment. The Center runs after school Monday through Thursday and is staffed with teachers who coach students in organizing their work, completing assignments, preparing for assessments and planning for long-range projects. ● Periodically these students will meet with the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction to discuss their progress, review current course work and academics. ● Incoming Freshmen who are accepted on a condition of Academic Probation will also have their progress monitored by the Assistant Principal for Curriculum andInstruction.

Academic Failures

● Any final failures in Religion, English, World History, U.S. History, Required Lab Sciences, Language 1 or 2, Physical Education, Integrated Technologies/Foundations of Writing, and 9th, 10th, or 11th grade Math must be made up before a student is permitted to return to Notre Dame in September. Students may participate in approved summer schools, private tutoring or online courses with the approval of the Director of School and College Counseling and the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction. ● If a student fails one or two 5-credit subjects, the student must make up these courses before returning and before taking subjects for which, the failed subject is a prerequisite. It is the student’s responsibility to earn sufficient credits in summer school in order to be eligible for the next semester. ● If a student fails a 5-credit course which is not a prerequisite for a sequential course or required for graduation, the student may return in September without making up this failure in summer school. ● Failure to complete summer school requirements could affect one’s ability to participate in athletics or co-curricular activities.

Guidelines:

● It is the responsibility of the student, once a failure has been verified, to make plans to complete course remediation. Notre Dame offers a teacher-assisted credit recovery program in July. Students complete an academic course, receive teacher-supported study and have their exam scheduled. Students are not required to attend all scheduled hours ● For students attending an approved summer school, the final grade from the summer school (33%) will be averaged with the final Notre Dame course grade (67%); if this average is less than passing (65) and the student has earned a passing grade in summer school, the student will be given credit for the course and a grade of 65. Students who do not attend a Notre

Dame approved summer school must take the Notre Dame examination after completing an approved course of study and receive a grade of 65 or better on the examination. The grade will be determined by the final grade in the Notre Dame course (40%), the grade earned in an approved summer school (40%) and the Notre Dame examination (20%) and must average 65 or better. ● Students who fail Physical Education will receive a maximum grade of 65 upon completion of required hours.

Student Participation in Graduation Ceremonies

Participation in Commencement Exercises in a Diocesan high school is a privilege not a right. Only those students who have completed four years of high school and met all the requirements for a diploma may participate in the Commencement Exercises. Students may be excluded from participation in the Commencement Exercises for the following: three scholastic failures in the Senior year of studies; failure to fulfill financial requirements.

Students may be excused from participation in graduation ceremonies at the written request of the parent or guardian.