Andrea Malo

Austin High School principal

The start of the 2018-19 school year is still a little over nine months away, but at Austin High School the planning has already begun.

Registration for classes is an important part of ensuring that students are prepared for the next stages of their lives, whether it be college or career.

Starting in late October and November, teachers and departments started reviewing courses and programming. Each year, adjustments are made to the courses we offer to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students and staying current in our offerings.

This year there will be some changes to our language arts curriculum. Rather than having separate classes for speaking, literature, and writing, those skills will be taught in grade level courses, such as Language Arts 11 or Language Arts 12. We will also offer a new course called CEO or Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities. In this class, students will work with community mentors in the business field and during the second semester of the year start their own business. We are always looking for opportunities for our students to have authentic experiences that will help them be successful citizens.

In the month of December, students work with their core teachers in math, science, language arts, and social studies to determine the courses they should take in the next academic year. Teachers and students meet one on one in the core subject areas and review several questions that include:

•What are your future plans?

•What other classes do you plan to take next year?

•What are your interests?

These guiding questions help to ensure students are recommended for the correct courses. This is also a great opportunity for students to learn more about the classes in each subject area and to ensure their voices are being heard.

During the month of January, students complete first semester courses and will take final exams. This occurs the week of Jan. 22.

On Friday, Jan. 26, we will start the next phase in the registration process. The counseling department will share information with students regarding graduation requirements, information about PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options), and the academic planning process. During the first two weeks of February, students will work with their teachers to fill out their academic planner, which allows them to plan for both core courses and electives for the remainder of their high school years.

Our counselors take a very active role in the registration process. Once students and families have had an opportunity to review courses and update the Academic Planner, the counselors will meet one-on-one with students to review their plan.

This time is very valuable and allows students to ask questions and make sure that they have a strong plan in place for the rest of high school and beyond. If parents or students have any questions throughout the registration process, please be sure to check out the Austin High School website at www.austin.k12.mn.us/ahs/Pages/counseling/registration.aspx or call the counseling office at 507-460-1812.

We are always here to help answer any questions and want to ensure that all students are prepared for and have a voice in the classes that they will take the next school year.