Immanuel Lutheran School
		Parent Student Handbook

Contents | Immanuel | Registration | General Information | Student Conduct | High School | Extra-curricular

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Part 5: High school courses/high school information

Graduation requirements at Immanuel

Students must include the following courses and credits in their four-year program at ILHS:

This program satisfies the State of Minnesota’s graduation requirements.

Four-year plan

All students, upon enrolling in our high school, fill out a plan that shows the specific courses they intend to take each year of high school. These plans are reevaluated twice a year, once on the first day of school by the student and the student’s advisor, and again in the fourth quarter when students sign up for fall classes. Eighth graders fill out their four-year plan early in the fourth quarter.

Driver education

Driver education, successfully completed in public school, summer school, or through private lessons, is given a quarter credit. Credit is given after proof of completion of the course is received.

Music credit

The school requires a quarter credit of music per year, but will accept up to one music credit per year. This credit may come from successfully completing choir, band, music appreciation, private instrumental instruction, or voice instruction. The school will accept credit for private instrument lessons or voice instruction based on prior approval and successful completion of the lessons. Students taking music or voice lessons outside of school should get verification forms from the school office prior to the end of the quarter. The forms should be completed by the music teacher and returned to the school office as soon as possible after the quarter ends. This should be done every quarter.

Mini-courses

Mini-courses, on various topics, may be offered to high school students. These courses are in special interest areas and last only one quarter. Students receive a quarter credit upon successful completion of the course goals. These classes are offered only when extra staff is available.

Dropping or adding a class

Students considering dropping or adding a class should first speak with their advisor and parents. Parents must sign a permission slip before a student is allowed to drop or add a class. Students may drop courses during the first six weeks of the course without the course becoming part of their permanent records and GPA’s. Any course dropped after six weeks will be recorded as “withdrawn/failed” and will adversely impact a student’s GPA. Students may add a class only during the first two weeks of the course.

Study hall for grades 9-12

Students are encouraged to give their best effort. Making good use of time and talent is important for success in high school classes, as well as after high school in the workplace or in college courses. As an added incentive to utilize effective study skills, students in grades 9-12 may advance in our released study hall system.

Study hall consists of four levels:

1. supervised study hall
2. free study hall
3. released study hall (“little r”)
4. Released study hall (“big R”)

A student’s progress is reviewed weekly in the first quarter, every other week in the second and third quarters, and once every three weeks during the last quarter. (Unscheduled changes are sometimes necessary.) A student may be held at any level, moved down a level, or advanced a level.

All teachers of high school classes are asked for input on each of their students. Teachers use the following criteria as the basis for raising or lowering a student in study hall:

• completion of assignments, including make-up work
• student works at or near ability level
• struggling students have asked the teacher for help or attended special study sessions when possible
• deportment during study hall and classes, including P.E. and choir. Students should be punctual, prepared, and should participate in a meaningful way. Students who misuse privileges are moved down in the study hall system.

In general, a student’s effort and attitude determine his or her placement within the study hall system. High grades are not necessarily a requirement for moving up to the next level.

Location and privileges of the study hall levels

Supervised study hall meets in a designated area which is listed on the daily schedule. A supervisor will be present. Permission to speak or leave the room for any reason is required. Students in supervised study hall may work in the computer lab on an assignment with permission. (The supervisor may move the entire study hall to the computer lab or simply check on students in the computer lab during that period.)

Free study hall meets in a designated area, but has no supervisor. Students on “free” do not need permission to ask each other for help with an assignment and are also allowed to go to their lockers or the bathroom; they are not allowed to visit in the hallway. These students may use the computer lab without a supervisor. The sun lounge, student lounge, gym, and outdoor areas are not available to students on free study hall.

Students on “little r” may study in any part of the building that isn’t normally off-limits to students. These students may go outside as long as they sign out and remain on school property.

Students on “Big R” have all of the privileges as those on “little r” and, if they have a Released Study Hall form on file and have properly signed out, they may leave campus during a study hall.

Other notes concerning study hall

At the start of the school year, students are placed at the study hall level they were at when the previous school year ended. Freshmen and transfer students will start the year at the supervised level. Freshmen remain on supervised study hall the entire first quarter, while transfer students in grades 10-12 may move up at the time of the next study hall change.

Study hall rules are given to all students on the first day of school, and are available upon request throughout the year.

Parents may move their child to a level of study hall that is lower than the level decided upon by the teachers. Parents contemplating this action should talk to the principal. At the request of the parents, the principal will make the official change to the study hall list, which is in the glass case by the office door.

Released study hall forms

This form must be signed by a parent and returned to the school office before high school students on “Big R” are allowed to leave school property during study halls, and prior to 2:45 P.M. on special test days.

Parents who do not want their child leaving school property during study halls or on special test days do not have to complete this form.

Special test days occur three times a year: test day in October, semester tests in January, and final tests in June. On these days, all students who are not taking a test are considered to be on “Big R” and may leave campus if they have a signed form on file. Students who do not have a form on file cannot leave campus until 2:45, unless transported by a parent.

Released study hall forms are included in the packets at the August orientation.

Student employment (part-time jobs)

Students who hold part-time jobs are reminded that being a student should be their primary responsibility. If time on the job begins to interfere with schoolwork, students should ask their employer to reduce their number of work hours.

In addition to informal guidelines, there are state and federal laws that limit the number of hours a student is allowed to work. Current laws state that 14- and 15- year-olds may not work before 7:00 A.M. or after 9:00 P.M., during school hours, more than three hours a day, or more than 18 hours per week. Students who are 16 or 17 may not work later than 11:00 P.M. when the next day is a school day, or before 5:00 A.M. on a school day. Please visit with the counselor if you have any questions on this topic.

Recruiters

Every year, usually in early fall, recruiters from various branches of the military request the names, phone numbers, and addresses of our high school juniors and seniors. The recruiters call these young men and women to see if any of them are interested in joining the military after completing high school.

Immanuel supplies the information as requested, unless parents ask us to remove their child’s name from the list.