Welcome to
high school!
S
tarting high school is a time
of great excitement for students
and their families. For many
teens, entering high school is a defining
moment. They may feel grown up and
ready for independence. At the same
time, they may be concerned about how
they will fit in with a new group of people
and how they will cope with increased
academic expectations. They may
worry about that first day of school.
The building is new to them, teachers
are unfamiliar, and those juniors and seniors are
an unknown quantity. Will they be friendly, or will
they make life difficult for the new students?
We work hard to make sure that your child feels at
home when he or she joins our school next fall. Every
high school in the Anoka-Hennepin School District
welcomes students with a program designed to
make freshmen feel comfortable in high school and
start them on the road to success.
New students will be welcomed to school orientation
by student leaders who are trained juniors and seniors. The leaders meet periodically with freshmen for
academic support and social activities throughout
their first year of school. The leaders help students
learn school expectations, traditions, appropriate behavior, good study habits, and how to get involved in
co-curricular activities. Leaders create a welcoming
atmosphere at school that helps new students begin
to relax and begin the work of high school.
Parents and guardians play an important role in
supporting young people as they make the transition
to high school. This brochure includes tips on how
you can help your child be successful in high school.
The following pages contain information about high
school including schedule, curriculum, activities,
communication, homework and more.
The high school
schedule
The school day in all Anoka-Hennepin
high schools is divided into five class
periods of 67 minutes each with
seven minute passing times between
each class and a 30-minute lunch
break. The school year is divided into
trimesters of approximately 12 weeks
each. You may hear this referred to
as the “5 by 3” schedule.
Students earn a full credit for each
two-trimester course and a half credit
for each one-trimester course.
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