-
MATHEMATICS
Advanced Math (ORVED) for Middle School; High School Math (ORVED) Algebra, Advanced Algebra, PreCalculus, Calculus, Statistics, Geometry
- Current Middle School students who wish to take high school math may have the option to take online math courses through ORVED/Virtual Scholars. Courses available include Geometry 1 & 2, Advanced Algebra 3 & 4, Precalculus 1 & 2, AP Calculus 1 & 2, AP Statistics 1 & 2.
Contact your school administrator for more information.**
Parents and students are required to attend a one-hour virtual onboarding meeting with the VS administrator prior to enrollment.
ORVED Student login and support: ORVED LOGIN
- Current High School students who wish to take online mathematics for initial credit or credit recovery should contact their high school counselor for more information about NON-PPS online options for math.
- Fees for ORVED online classes are posted on the ORVED website.
** Middle School administrators & counselors: Contact Diane Berthoin-Hernández at ext 71730 for more information about how to set up VS Math at your school.
- Current Middle School students who wish to take high school math may have the option to take online math courses through ORVED/Virtual Scholars. Courses available include Geometry 1 & 2, Advanced Algebra 3 & 4, Precalculus 1 & 2, AP Calculus 1 & 2, AP Statistics 1 & 2.
-
HEALTH
Course Description:
Health education prepares students to shape their behavior in health-enhancing ways. The goal of this course is for students to become health literate (able to obtain, interpret, and evaluate basic health information and services) and develop the skills necessary to deal with life stresses and enhance the quality of their personal, family, and community life.
Course Description:
Health education prepares students to shape their behavior in health-enhancing ways. The goal of this course is for students to become health literate (able to obtain, interpret, and evaluate basic health information and services) and develop the skills necessary to deal with life stresses and enhance the quality of their personal, family, and community life.
-
LANGUAGE ARTS
Course Description:
In English 1, students take a journey through important concepts–the Unknown, Equality, Identity, Opportunity, and Understanding–to learn the foundations of communication and analysis. In each unit of the course, students explore a variety of STEM-related literature, including genre fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and speeches. Through the study of this writing, students hone their own skills in communication and analysis. To facilitate engagement and academic responsibility, students are encouraged to make choices at different points in the course. Most notable is the novel unit, in which students must select their book from a list of titles available. This practice gives ownership to the student and places each learner in a position to develop a deeper appreciation of reading.
Course Description:
In English 2, students take a journey through important concepts–the Unknown, Equality, Identity, Opportunity, and Understanding–to learn the foundations of communication and analysis. In each unit of the course, students explore a variety of STEM-related literature, including genre fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and speeches. Through the study of this writing, students hone their own skills in communication and analysis. To facilitate engagement and academic responsibility, students are encouraged to make choices at different points in the course. Most notable is the novel unit, in which students must select their book from a list of titles available. This practice gives ownership to the student and places each learner in a position to develop a deeper appreciation of reading.
Course Description:
This course will explore the human condition, and more specifically social issues and human rights, that are present in literature as well as our real world. Using a student-selected short story to be the focal point of our work, students explore how a social or human rights issue presents itself toward characters in conflict, in our local world here in the United States, and also in another country of their choice. This course is designed to not only expose students to a variety of lived experiences, but also to encourage critical thinking about others in the world.
Course Description:
In English 4, students learn how the human experience—real life—is the foundation of the best stories, plays, poems, films, and articles. In each unit of the course, students explore a specific aspect of the human experience such as laughter, obstacles, betrayal, fear, and transformation. Through the study of literature, nonfiction, and life, students explore what it means to be human, what it means to be fulfilled, triumphant, empowered, and transformed.
As in life, students have many choices in the English 4 course. Whether reading a poem or a novel, writing a story or an analysis, or studying a Shakespearean tragedy or a modern suspense film, students explore what it means to be human, a subject on which they are already experts!
Course Description:
In English 5, the writing and insights of authors throughout our history are collected in the fast-paced pages of our course. Students gain an appreciation of American literature and the ways it reflects the times in which it was written. They discover how people thought and lived and wrote about their experiences. Students are also asked to observe, investigate, and report on stories of today. The goal is for students to be thorough, accurate, and compelling in their writing.
Course Description:
In English 6, students examine the art of language at work in poetry, speech, and argumentative writing. Students study the way 20th century American poets manipulate hyphenation and syntax to craft particular messages and tones. Students discover and evaluate the way orators use employ reasoning and rhetoric to deliver calls to action, wielding appeals to pathos, ethos, and logos. These techniques in mind, students seek out credible sources to conduct research on an argumentative topic of their choice, ultimately completing and presenting an essay draft. The goal is for students to be thorough, accurate, and compelling in their writing.
Course Description:
Come explore the world of big ideas in English 7-8, where you are able to choose which path you will travel first as you explore highly-engaging, thematic units. Each path will guide you through a series of literary pieces that allow you to analyze the political, social, economic, and cultural messages of its time as well as its relevance to the world you live in today. Each path revolves around a central theme. The works in the course span a period of over 1000 years and have been written by authors who share common ideas, but employ a variety of literary genres to express their views. Whether it is the dramatic ending of a play, or the colorful images in a verse of poetry, the words of these authors will leave you with a new understanding of the world around you. As you travel down each path, you will create authentic work pieces that will engage you in higher-level learning and provide you with a greater understanding of literature and its connection to the world.
Course Description:
Why do people do what they do? English 8 you will give you a front row seat to study of the motives that have driven people’s actions for centuries. Along the way you will encounter epic heroes defying danger, tormented minds succumbing to the power of greed and ambition, enlightened thinkers striving for individual rights and freedoms, sensitive souls attempting to capture human emotion, and determined debaters taking a stand on critical issues. You will read to analyze the way language is used to express human motivation and research to examine the results of actions in the real world. -
SCIENCES
Course Description:
Biology is the study of life! The emphases of this course will be on the nature of science and inquiry, currently accepted theories, global ecology, bioethical decision making and current biological issues. Whenever possible these threads will be woven through the basic biological topics which will comprise the curriculum. These topics will include the nature of science, inquiry, cell biology, ecology and environmental issues, evolution, taxonomy and diversity, biochemistry, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, cell division, DNA, reproduction and genetics.
Course Description:
Biology is the study of life! The emphases of this course will be on the nature of science and inquiry, currently accepted theories, global ecology, bioethical decision making and current biological issues. Whenever possible these threads will be woven through the basic biological topics which will comprise the curriculum. These topics will include the nature of science, inquiry, cell biology, ecology and environmental issues, evolution, taxonomy and diversity, biochemistry, cellular respiration and photosynthesis, cell division, DNA, reproduction and genetics.
Course Description:
Chemistry is a laboratory science which emphasizes the study of the composition and changes in matter. There is a strong emphasis placed on measurement and problem solving, and the processes involved in physical and chemical changes. Models are used to explain laboratory observations, scientific laws and theories. The topics covered in the course will include, the kinetic theory of matter, atomic structure, bonding, the nature of chemical reactions, solutions/equilibria, thermodynamics, acids/bases, and electrochemistry.
Course Description:
Chemistry is a laboratory science which emphasizes the study of the composition and changes in matter. There is a strong emphasis placed on measurement and problem solving, and the processes involved in physical and chemical changes. Models are used to explain laboratory observations, scientific laws and theories. The topics covered in the course will include, the kinetic theory of matter, atomic structure, bonding, the nature of chemical reactions, solutions/equilibria, thermodynamics, acids/bases, and electrochemistry.
Course Description:
Physics 1 is an introductory course in high school science that will focus on physics and creating arguments from evidence. Attention will be placed on properly collecting, displaying and analyzing patterns found from data. Students will focus on major ideas based around the concepts of motion and forces. Students will use the process of scientific inquiry and critical thinking to examine major topics in physics.
Course Description:
Physics 2 is an introductory course in high school science that will focus on Physics and creating arguments from evidence. The course will expand on topics related to real-world issues including but not limited to energy, energy sources, and the world around us. Students will use the process of scientific inquiry and critical thinking to examine key issues in physics.
Foundations of Physics & Chemistry 1
Course Description:
Foundations of Physics and Chemistry 1 is a lab-oriented, rigorous science class designed to develop students understanding of fundamental scientific knowledge and the ability to think like scientists. Topics studied will include science skills, properties of matter, states of matter, atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonds, chemical reactions, solutions, acids and bases, motion, forces and motion, work, power and machines, energy, thermal energy and heat, mechanical waves and sound, and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Foundations of Physics & Chemistry 2
Course Description:
Foundations of Physics and Chemistry 2 is a rigorous science class designed to develop students understanding of fundamental scientific knowledge and the ability to think like scientists. Topics studied will include science skills, properties of matter, states of matter, atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonds, chemical reactions, solutions, acids and bases, motion, forces and motion, work, power and machines, energy, thermal energy and heat, mechanical waves and sound, and the electromagnetic spectrum.
-
SOCIAL STUDIES
2019-20 Economics (.5 credit)
Course Description:
Economic decisions affect us every day of our lives. Understanding economics means thinking about how scarcity, or limited resources, requires us to make choices and evaluate one option against others. In this course, you will recognize examples of economics in your daily life. You will see how the economic choices of larger groups, like businesses and governments, affect you and others. As you progress through the course, you will recognize that the costs and benefits of choices connect individuals and groups around the world. The purpose of this course is to help you become a smart consumer who understands the flow of an economy between individuals, businesses, governments, and the rest of the world. (1-semester course only)
Government (.5 credit)
Course Description:
Responsible citizenship, including civil and political participation, is essential to maintain a representative government that truly represents the people of the United States. In this course, students learn about the structure of government and how it shares power at the local, state and federal levels. This course also explores founding principles that inspired the Constitution and Bill of Rights, preserving the freedoms that students experience daily. Students will examine the processes of each branch of government, the election process, and how citizens can impact public policy. The media, interest groups and influential citizens provide examples of how the government can be affected by informed and active participants. Students will examine the U.S. Court system, and become a part of the process by participating in the judicial decision-making process. They will also discover ways the United States interacts with countries around the world, through domestic policy, foreign policy and human rights policy. Completion of this course will allow you to act as an informed citizen who is ready to participate in the American democracy!
Modern World History 1 (Semester 1)
Course Description:
This is a course that makes you think. With more than seven billion people in the world today, there are a lot of stories to tell and issues to uncover. Understanding human rights, the environment, global security, international economic systems is essential, as is understanding peoples' customs, cultures, and how they interact. Your job will be to research the facts and present them with clarity and context. Your job will also involve identifying real global problems and then, suggesting well-developed solutions.
Modern World History 2 (Semester 2)
Course Description:
This is a course that makes you think. With more than seven billion people in the world today, there are a lot of stories to write about. Human rights, the environment, global security, and international economic systems are all important to understand, as is understanding peoples' customs, cultures, and how they interact. Your job will be to research the facts and present them with clarity and context. You will also be identifying real global problems and then, suggesting well-developed solutions.
US History 1 (Semester 1)
Course Description:
This United States History course consists of the following content area strands: United States History, Geography, and Humanities. The primary content emphasis for this course pertains to the study of United States history from Reconstruction to the Great Depression. Students will be exposed to the historical, geographic, political, economic, and sociological events which influenced the development of the United States and the resulting impact on world history. So that students can clearly see the relationship between cause and effect in historical events, students should have the opportunity to review those fundamental ideas and events which occurred before the end of Reconstruction.
US History 2 (Semester 2)
Course Description:
This United States History course consists of the following content area strands: United States History, Geography, and Humanities. The primary content emphasis for this course pertains to the study of United States history from World War II to the 2000s.. Students will be exposed to the historical, geographic, political, economic, and sociological events which influenced the development of the United States and the resulting impact on world history. So that students can clearly see the relationship between cause and effect in historical events, students should have the opportunity to review those fundamental ideas and events which occurred before the end of Reconstruction.
