Dear 8th Grade Students and Families,
We are excited to welcome you as a high school scholar next year. Throughout the current school year, we have designed events at both the middle and high school to help you feel ready for your 9th grade year. This includes visits with high school counselors, a field trip to the high school, Curriculum Night at the high school, course documents for you to review, and more.
Below you will find answers to commonly asked questions and links to useful information/dates. Please save the important dates to your home calendar.
Commonly Asked Questions
How does course selection work?
High school offers a lot of choices for students. In Parkway, we believe that students and families should have all the information they need about the course options in order to make an informed decision.
The courses you select should make sense for your academic and personal goals. Think about what subjects you are interested in, what subjects you do well in, and where you might need extra support. Your current teachers can make recommendations about which 9th grade courses you can be both successful and challenged in. Reach out to your current counselor for additional questions about your readiness for specific courses, or your high school counselor or department chairs if you have questions about a specific course.
Learning should be exciting and challenging, but also manageable. It’s okay to give yourself time to figure out how to balance the demands of high school, but keep in mind that your 9th grade teachers will be there to help you transition as well.
In addition to speaking with teachers and counselors, informational videos created by the high school departments will be shown to students explaining the different levels of class offerings during the school day. Then, students will complete a core course preference survey during the school day allowing us to compare your choices with teacher recommendations and other information, like grades, attendance, etc. We might reach out to you about your preferences to talk more about the courses, but the ultimate decision is the family’s.
What is the timeline for registration and events?
Click on the high school your student will attend to learn more about upcoming Important Dates:
What is the difference between a College Prep course (non-honors) and an Advanced College Prep course (honors) in the core content areas?
The differences between these courses depends on the subject area. Some common differences are in the depth of learning, pace of the course, and the level of independence required. In Parkway, both “Honors” and “Advanced Placement” or “AP” courses for 9th graders require a similar level of commitment. The AP label simply means that the course’s curriculum was developed by an organization called the College Board, and that it includes an optional exam in May that has the potential for students to earn college credit.
Explore the 9th Grade Course Comparison Guide for your high school to learn more about the differences between our College Prep (non-honors) and Advanced College Prep (honors) courses in English, Math, Science, and Social Studies for 9th graders.
If I have questions about 9th grade courses or transitioning to high school, whom should I contact?
Click on the high school your student will attend to access contact information.
