096 Study Skills

credits variable

This course is designed to give students individualized academic support in meeting the demands of their courses. Individualized according to a student's learning style, the course helps students understand how they learn. Note taking, test taking and writing are among the skills which may be covered. Students are recommended for this course by guidance counselors in consultation with teachers and deans.

Study Skills Seminars for Ninth-Graders

Effective study skills are the key to a successful academic life. Learn techniques that will help you study "smarter not harder" all through high school, college and beyond. The topics are: Note Taking, Managing Textbooks, Answering Questions/Test Taking, and Getting Ready for Finals. Students may attend any or all of the seminars, depending on what is relevant. Dates and times are announced in English, social studies and science classes. Students take seminars during studies.

781 Introduction to Special Education

2 credits first semester
2 credits second semester

This course will introduce students to the field of Special Education. Students will attend class two periods per week to learn about Special Education theory, methods and application. Students will also complete a two-hour-a-week practicum in one of the LABBB classrooms. Times of the practicum will be arranged.

Classroom sessions will include a broad overview of the field of Special Education, historical perspectives, discussion of various disabilities, e.g., Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, federal and state laws pertaining to students with disabilities, and the IEP process.

Participants will complete their practicums and work concurrently with many disciplines which may include: adaptive physical education, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, vocational and individual counseling.

This interactive and fun course will include guest speakers, films, field visits and presentations. This experiential course represents an exciting opportunity to learn about special education while making a difference in another young person's life.

701 School-to-Work Experience

1 credit – quarter

The Work Study program gives students the opportunity to earn nondistributional credit for out of school paid employment. Participants must work at least ten hours per week, maintain and submit weekly employment logs and allow communication between their employer and guidance counselor. Students can earn up to one credit per quarter, are graded pass/fail, and should see their guidance counselor to enroll in this program.

893 The Experiental Classroom
       Junior Year

7 credits

For the 2008-2009 school year, Lexington High School and Minuteman Regional High School will be piloting a program for Juniors. During second semester, students may elect this program as part of their junior year experience. This program will offer students a parttime career-exploration experience which may continue into their senior year.

Lexington High School juniors who elect this program will attend Minuteman Regional High School for the fi rst two hours (7:50 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. of each school day. At Minuteman, each student will be assigned to an experiential shop area based on their interests and abilities. Students may earn seven (7) credits for successful completion of this second semester program. Participants must provide their own transportation. Students have the option of continuing this program during their senior year.

Areas at Minuteman that may provide openings are the following: Auto Body, Auto Mechanics, Carpentry, Computer-Aided Drafting, Computer Programming, Electrical, Heating and Ventilation, Landscaping, Plumbing, Retail and Welding.

894 The Experiental Classroom
       Senior Year

14 credits

Lexington High School has made special arrangements with Minuteman Regional High School to provide a part-time alternative for grade 12 students with technical interests and/or a desire for more laboratory experience in planning a college or career path.

Both colleges and employers view such experiental learning as very valuable. This program is not intended to substitute for Minuteman's regular enrollment program. It does, however, allow Lexington High School seniors to add an important element to their education.

Lexington High School seniors who elect this program will attend Minuteman Regional High School for the first two hours (7:50 am - 10:05 am) of each school day. At Minuteman, each student will be matched (based on his/her abilities and interests) with an experiental laboratory or shop area. Students will earn fourteen (14) credits for successful completion of this year-long specialized and selective program. Particpants must provide their own transportation.

Areas at Minuteman that may provide openings are the following: Auto Body, Auto Mechanics, Carpentry, Computer-Aided Drafting, Computer Programming, Electrical, Heating and Ventilation, Landscaping, Plumbing, Retail and Welding.

821 Personnel Services
Quarter(s)
Lexington High School students frequently learn much about themselves and their community through their service activities. In order to both recognize and encourage such participation, non-distributional credits or community service hours will be awarded for these activities. Through the personnel service program, students engage in activities that benefit their fellow LHS community members. Participants also have the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with other students, staff and faculty. Projects include volunteering with the LABB program or assisting main, house, department and/or guidance offices with non-confidential tasks. Personnel service is scheduled on a quarterly basis. A grade of P and appropriate credits are awarded once the program is completed. Community service hours may be awarded on an ongoing basis. No more than four credits per year may be earned when taken for credit. Students should see their guidance counselor if they wish to take advantage of this opportunity.

925-934 Counseling
        (Course number assigned by counselor)

Freshman Guidance Seminar	9	1st term	no credit
Sophomore Guidance Seminar	10	4th term	no credit
Junior Guidance Seminar	11	3rd term	no credit
Senior Guidance Seminar	12	1st term	no credit

Each year students meet in small groups with their counselors in developmental guidance seminars. The seminar topics include such issues as adjustment to Lexington High School, the academic and personal issues that students face, as well as planning for life after high school. Students will develop effective relationships with their counselor. Freshman and senior seminars meet in the fall. Sophomore and junior seminars meet in the spring.

467 - Lv 1 - English as a Second Language I

4 credits

Prerequisite: Placement test
Open to all students grades 9-12. This course is open to all students with beginning and early intermediate levels of English proficiency. It provides comprehensive instruction to English learners in reading, writing, speaking and listening. The goal of the course is to provide beginning and early intermediate English speakers with the vocabulary, language functions, patterns and structures, plus the reading and writing necessary to participate in social and academic settings.

468 - Lv 1 - English as a Second Language II

4 credits

Prerequisite: Placement test
Open to all students grades 9-12. This course is open to all students with intermediate levels of English proficiency. It provides comprehensive instruction to English learners in reading, writing, speaking and listening. The goal of the course is to provide intermediate English speakers with the informal and academic vocabulary, language functions, patterns and structures, plus the reading and writing necessary to participate in social and academic settings. The emphasis of this course is on increasing the English learners' interactions with grade level textbooks and on developing students' academic writing skills.

487 - Lv 1 - English as a Second Language III

4 credits

Prerequisite: Placement test
Open to all students grades 9-12. This course is open to all students with transitioning levels of English proficiency. It provides comprehensive instruction to English learners in reading, writing, speaking and listening. The goal of the course is to provide transitioning English speakers with the vocabulary, language functions, patterns and structures, plus the reading and writing necessary to participate in social and academic settings. The emphasis of this course is on increasing the students' interactions with grade-level academic content, including effective use of technical and abstract ideas and vocabulary. Students' fluency and comprehension of academic language are expressed orally and in standard conventional writing.

798 Reading Skills

4 credits

This is a special education English class in which reading skills are strengthened through decoding, vocabulary and comprehension work. Phonetic analysis, spelling, oral reading, root work and word patterns are studied. Reading selections include short stories, articles and poems, as well as selections from novels and plays. Emphasis is on making connections with earlier learning and structuring reading to increase understanding. Both oral and written responses are required. Although remedial work, that is, learning to read, is necessary, reading is also presented as an important vehicle for learning, and expanding the student's knowledge base is an important component of the course.

702 Introduction to Careers

1 credit semester

Grade 11 – group format. Students will learn about possible careers, majors, and areas of study for the future. Activities will include taking an interest inventory, learning about strengths and skills, and using active strategies and multimedia materials to explore careers and post-high school options. Students will gather information for a Career Summary sheet and be encouraged to share it with parents and school professionals.

Note: Interest assessment may help if student wishes to enroll in Experiential Classroom (780) at Minuteman.

703 Introduction to Careers

1 to 2 credits year

Open to Grades 10 and 11 individual format

Grade 11 - similar to 702, but more attention to individual career exploration and planning needs.

Note: sophomores by individual arrangement

Future Visions (708), a course focusing on independence-related skills, is offered jointly with the Intensive Learning Program for their sophomores and freshmen.

713 Career Options Prep

1 to 2 credits year

Grade 12 – individual format. Continuation of career exploration and planning aimed at implementation of post-high school plan. Assistance with school/college application process and self-advocacy skills, as needed, for those who require or could benefi t from appropriate support services at the post-secondary level.

704 Transition Work Experience

1 to 2 credits/quarter

Prerequisite: 702, 703,713 or currently enrolled

Open to Grades 11 and 12; some grade 10 by special permission.

Students participate in work experiences 6-20 hours per week for work exposure, career exploration or as a career major. Emphasis on job holding, and workplace competencies for the current decade, with continuation of career exploration and post-high school planning. Students must carry comprehensive (24 hr.) insurance coverage, or an acceptable alternative.