Q14 [5/27/2008] NPR podcast on "Some Top Students Look for Hidden-Gem Colleges
A. DHS Counselor Courtenay Tessler thought you would be interested in this story from NPR. Click here.

Q13 [5/27/2008]  Can students get PE credit for team sports?
A. [PE Dept. Coordinator Penny Smith via Counselor Tessler:] Because athletics is not physical education and it is an "extra curricular" activity. The two have a lot in common but athletic participation does not meet state physical education standards. Depending on the sport some sports come fairly close to meeting most of the standards but none meet all of them. One of the standards that none of the sports meet is "Students shall develop skills in a wide variety of lifetime sports." Each sport is only developing skill in one sport which may or may not be considered a lifetime sport. Wrestling and football, for example, are great at developing physical fitness and sportsmanship but I doubt that those athletes will be still be participating in those sports once they leave the educational setting.

If you compare this to other disciplines you might find students who love to read Stephen King novels but they are not getting American Lit credit for it. A student may enjoy studying and collecting butterflies but is not getting biology credit for it. A student may be a volunteer for a political group but is not getting US Government credit for it.

Q12 [3/7/2008]  Regarding taking online courses, Counselor Tessler's responses follow each question below.
A. [Counselor Tessler:] First, I need to state that we do not recommend on-line courses.  Davis Senior High School offers everything that a student needs in order to receive a high school diploma and complete the UC/CSU a-g requirements.

Having stated this, I will respond to the following questions regarding on-line courses.  We do understand that some students have difficulty fitting everything into their schedule usually because they are very active in extra-curricular or athletic activities, prefer to take 2 music or art classes, or have difficulty taking a 7 period day...as some examples.

Q12a.  How do you do that (take online PE)?  Does football and baseball  count as PE then?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Online PE courses are offered by private accredited schools.  You can go online to locate these schools.  The PE courses are for a specific activity, such as bowling, golf, cycling, etc.  The purpose is to learn the specific physical activity.  Credit is not given for football or baseball.

Q12b.  How do we go about signing up for an online PE class?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] You sign up for on-line classes by directly contacting the accredited on-line school, either by phone or on-line.

Q12c.  Where can I get more information about online health classes?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Each on-line school has a listing of courses they offer.  For community colleges, you need to go to the individual site, such as Sacramento City College.  You would then go to the health classes section.

Q12d.  Which online PE is accepted.  How many class units are required?  For example, Golf is .5 credit I think.  Does this count?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] We accept credits from any accredited high school.  Each course needs to be 5 credits (0.5 is equivalent to 5 credits)

Q12e.  My daughter (class of 2011) is hoping to take online Health this  summer.  The Sac City online class schedule is not available until  April, so we've turned in her school schedule with our fingers crossed
that it will be offered online.  She can of course take it next year  if necessary.  My question is, which counselors should approve it?  Her current junior high counselors or the DHS counselors?  If the
latter, how best to seek that approval - make an appointment or send  an e-mail?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Your current counselor needs to approve a community college class. Current 9th grade students need to take the completed form to their 9th grade counselor for approval.

Q12f.  If a student intends to fulfill the health requirement on-line  through Sac City College:
A.  What is the name of the course at Sac City that fulfills the requirement?
B.  How does one sign up to do it on-line?
C.  Does it require pre-approval from the counselor's office, and if
so, since there is as yet no assigned counselor, how does one get  approval to take it this summer?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Advanced Education forms are available at each counseling office or you may go on-line and download the Advanced Education form at www.scc.losrios.edu Parents and students first need to complete their sections and then make an appointment to meet with your counselor. Your counselor then signs the forms and makes a copy for the school's records. You go to health classes, scroll to the bottom to find the on-line
health class.

Q12g.  Could you ask the high school counselor if HLTH - 41 Health  Education (grades 9-12) and all 10 of the Physical Education classes  offered by BYU Independent  Study are acceptable by DHS?  Are there  any specific DHS forms we need filled out before taking these classes  on-line?  Do we need to have something  official "in writing" from DHS  permitting students  to take these approved on-line courses?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Health 41 and the PE classes offered by BYU are accepted by DSHS. There are no specific DSHS forms you need to complete.  When you sign up to take a course through BYU, you would indicate that you are (will be) a student a DSHS.  When you complete the course, BYU sends us an official transcript.  You do not need anything from DSHS in order to sign up for a BYU class.  CAUTION:  Some parents have reported they had concerns about the health curriculum through BYU.  There is an apparent negative slant towards gay relationships.

FINAL EXAM FOR ON-LINE COURSES:  Staff at DSHS do not proctor final exams for on-line course finals.  UCD extension proctors the finals for a fee of $10.00.  Local tutoring companies also are willing to proctor the final for a fee.

Courses offered through on-line high schools are not approved for UC/CSU a-g requirements.  It is best to take a-g classes at DSHS or a community college.

Q. 11 [3/6/2008] Can a student take a foreign language that is not regularly offered at DHS or community colleges like Farsi through an official private School? There are several private schools, including one in Sacramento that offer Farsi. Can student take Farsi in private school and still meet the UC/CSU requirement?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] The student needs fluency in another language.  This can be documented by:

1. Completing 2 years of the same language with C grades or better (3 years is recommended for more competitive colleges)
2. The following SAT subject scores satisfy the foreign language requirement: Chinese with listening (520),French/French with listening (540),German/German with listening (510), Modern Hebrew (500), Italian (570), Japanese with listening (570), Korean with listening (550), Latin (580), Spanish/Spanish with listening (570)
3. Score of 3, 4, or 5 on the AP Language or Literature exam in French, German, Spanish or Latin
4. Grade of C or better in any transferable course (excluding conversation) held by the college to be equivalent to two years of high school language.  Some of our students who have a difficult time learning another language take American Sign Language at community college.  Two semesters count as two years.
   
5. Students who are bilingual can find a professor/minister or other professional who speaks the language fluently.  The person interviews the student in the language.  If he/she acknowledges that the student is fluent, he/she writes a letter stating this on professional letterhead. The colleges will accept this documentation to prove a student is bilingual.
   

Regarding Farsi, there is no test the student can take to document language proficiency.  If the school is accredited and gives grades and credits, you can request that the transcript be sent to DSHS.  If not,
the student would need to be interviewed by someone who speaks Farsi fluently when they are at that level of proficiency.

Q.10 [3/5/2008] The student planner says:
"g" College Prep Electives (1 yr)
"Select from the above areas or additional courses found on the CSU & UC comparison chart in this catalog"
Now, I noticed that above this section are courses that fulfill the "a-f" categories. Does the "select from the above..." mean that essentially if  students take more than the required courses from the "a-f categories," the extra course will fulfill the "g" category?
Example: student takes 2 years from the "f" Visual/Performing Arts category...does that mean the student has also fulfilled the "g" category?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Correct.  I know it is hard to figure this out initially, but you clearly understood it.  All of our students are required to take US Government and economics as seniors.  These courses fulfill the one year "g" elective course requirement.  This is just another example of overlap.

Q.9 [3/5/2008] I noticed that the prerequisites for ROP Internetworking Levels I & II and  ROP Computer Programming classes have been changed(flip-flopped) from last  year, so it seems like one has to take ROP Internetworking before taking the  Programming class.  My ninth-grader has not taken any of these classes before nor does he have experience in them.  Does he have to take the ROP  Internetworking in order to take the programming class?   I also noticed that ROP Internetworking is not on the UC/CSU Approved Course List but on Most Rigorous College Preparatory Options.  Can you explain  this?  Is there any advantages(in terms of applying for UC system or other colleges) of taking ROP Internetworking in 10th grade?  Your response is  appreciated!
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Internetworking is not on the UC/CSU approved course list, but it is a rigorous course sponsored by the Cisco Corporation. Students who complete 2 years and take the industry examiniation become
a certified network technician.  The advantage is that once the students receive the certification, they are highly marketable for employment as a network technician at a high beginning salary. I personally know one student who was earning $70,000.00 a year after two years post high school employment as a network technician.  It is a career decision for students interested in this field.

Q.8 [3/4/2008] Survival Guide - DHS 101 for Parents available on DHS PTA website:
The 2008 version of "Survival Guide - DHS 101 for Parents" is available on the DHS PTA website.  This humorous and practical guide is for parents new to DHS.  For those who have not received a copy at the 9th Grade Parent
Information Nights held in February at DHS, they can get a copy using the following URLs:

http://www.dhspta.org/survive/
This version is best for those who want to read it online. It includes links to specific topics.

http://www.dhspta.org/survive/SurvivalGuidepdf/view
This version is best for those who want a printout from PDF.

Q.7 [3/4/2008] My daughter is active in several High School sports.  She would like to take  a second science class in 10th grade.  Is there a way for her to take PE on-line and open that class slot for her science class?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Yes, we do accept on-line PE classes.

Q.6 [3/4/2008] How many classes of sign language are required for high school graduation and for UC/CSU?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Foreign language is not required for the high school diploma.  Colleges require a minimum of 2 years of the same foreign language, but recommend 3 years.  Since we do not offer American sign language, a student would need to take this class at a community college.  The colleges count one semester at community college as one year, so a student would need to take 2 semesters of American sign language to meet the UC/CSU system requirement of a minimum of 2 year foreign language.  Private colleges and out of state colleges may have a different requirement.  You would need to contact these colleges directly to determine how many semesters of community college credit would be acceptable.

Q.5 [3/4/2008] Can a student take world civ in summer school at the END of 10th grade (instead of the summer before 10th grade)?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Yes.  The student may also take it between 11th and 12th grade.

Q4. [2/25/2008]   I am unable to find answers to my questions on the website.  For GPA calculation, what does "weighted" mean?  And for the AP, college, and honors classes, they say they  will add a "point" to the grade—does that mean an A equals a 5.0 or 4.1?  Thanks for your patience.  Maybe there could be a GPA "101" for people like me who have never had a child in HS before.
A. [Counselor Tessler:] Weighted means that we add an extra grade point for AP and honors classes (with the exception of English 10 honors).  If a student receives an A grade in an AP/honors course, an extra grade point is given.  The "A" will count as 5 points rather than 4 points.  A "B" grade will count as 4 points rather than 3 points.  A "C" grade will count as 3 points rather than 2 points.  D and F grades do not receive any extra grade points.

If grades are unweighted, the highest GPA a student could receive would be a 4.0.  With weighted grades, the student can receive above a 4.0, based on the number of AP/honors classes taken.

The following is the GPA Decile Rankings for the Class of 2008:
1st  4.276 to 4.8
2nd  4.083 to 4.269
3rd  3.880 to 4.077
4th  3.636 to 3.875
5th  3.105 to 3.384
6th  3.105 to 3.384
7th  2.714 to 3.100
8th  2.227 to 2.708
9th  1.677 to 2.217
10th 0.538 to 1.647

In order to apply to a UC, a student must have a 3.0 college GPA.  For a CSU, a student must have a 2.0 college GPA.  Please note that slightly more than 60% of this class can apply for a UC and more than 80% can apply to a CSU.

Q3. [2/25/2008]  My daughter was under the impression that they did not use weighted grades when you took AP classes in 10th grade.  I have heard differently.  I realize honors English is not weighted but the other
approved UC/CSU classes do count as weighted grades in 10th grade don't they?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] AP classes all receive weighted grades, even if they are taken in the 10th grade.  The only honors class that does not receive a weighted grade is English 10.  This is because it is a 10th grade curriculum. Only honors classes in 11th and 12th grade have a weighted grade.

Q2. [2/25/2008]  My daughter (incoming tenth-grader) would like to take world civilization on-line this summer (while she is in Japan) so she has room in her schedule for an art or journalism class.  I've done some research about on-line courses but don't have a sense of which classes are UC approved and/or would be approved by DHS.  We're also interested - a bit later - in an on-line course to meet the health class requirement.  Any ideas of how to proceed?  Thank you!"?
A. [Counselor Tessler:] World Civilization on-line is not an approved a-g requirement course. We would count it towards high school graduation, but it would not count towards the a-g requirement for the UC/CSU system.  Health is fine because we only need it for a high school graduation requirement. Sacramento City College does offer health on-line, which is free to our students.

It is important to understand that there is a process we must follow with the UC/CSU's for receiving approval for a-g requirements.  In our course catalogue we list all the approved a-g courses on page 16.  When your student takes one of these courses, you are assured that they meet the requirements for college admission.

Q1. [2/20/2008]  A  9th grade parent is concerned because he/she was unable to attend the 9th grade parent orientation night and also concerned that the 9th grade parent info packets will be unavailable at the Holmes counseling office by the time she gets back.  Will the 9th grade parent info packets be available next week, February 19-22 at DHS for parents?

If the parent still has questions after reading through the registration packet with their student, can the parent make an appt with the DHS counseling office?

A. [Counselor Tessler:] The parent packets are being sent to each junior high counseling office today.  They are also available at the DSHS counseling office.  After reading the packet and the information the student will be bringing home this week, if a parent still has questions they may:
1.  Ask the question on the parent listserv.
2.  Ask the junior high teachers.
3.  Ask the 9th grade counselor.
We do not schedule individual appointments for 9th grade parents at DSHS.  Counselors at DSHS are not assigned until students begin their sophomore year.  Your current 9th grade counselor will be able to assist you.

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To Incoming Sophomore Parents and Guardians:

DHS counselors have been pleased with the response received by utilizing the listserver. Many parents have the same questions; the listserver enables them to get the same answers out to hundreds of parents

Most questions about the 2008-09 student program planner will be answered by the counselors at the 9th Grade Parents Information Nights for incoming sophomore parents and guardians. The schedule, according to student last names, is as follows:

• A - L: Wednesday, Feb. 13

• M - Z: Thursday, Feb. 14

Both presentations will be held in the DHS theatre, 7:00-8:30 PM.

Please wait until after you have attended the meeting before sending questions to the DHS counselors via the listserver (dhs2011@mailman.dcn.org) or your class' listserver administrator, Melissa McDaniel (dhs2011@gmail.com). Melissa is an experienced high school parent with an incoming sophomore. She will help organize the questions, eliminate repetitions, then e-mail the counselors' responses to all subscribers via the listserver.

High school counselors will not have time to meet individually with 9th grade students or parents because they already have a heavy workload with currently enrolled students. During February, they will be presenting the 2008-09 programs to all the students in 9th, 10th and 11th grades, collecting the program planners from the different schools and then compiling all individual student requests. The listserver enables them to respond quickly to your questions and concerns prior to your student completing the program planner.

Many of your questions will also be answered by reading the course catalog, which will be distributed to your student. Your understanding of their time constraints will be appreciated. If you or your student need to consult individually with a counselor, please contact his/her 9th grade counselor.

A Note to Prospective Da Vinci High School Families:
Until Da Vinci High School has its own campus, parents/guardians of students interested in enrolling at Da Vinci High School are welcome to join this listserver. Subscription to the Da Vinci Listserver administered by the Da Vinci High School Booster Club will start after Da Vinci High School has compiled the enrollment list. From then on, Da Vinci parents/guardians with a student concurrently enrolled at DHS can continue to use this listserver for general high school questions. They will use the Da Vinci Listserver for questions specific to Da Vinci.