Berkeley High School

9th Grade Information Night November 15, 2017

U9 House Structure:

Freshman “Hives”

●  120 Students per Hive

●  4 Core Academic Classes (English, History, Math, Science)

●  4 Teachers wrapped around the 120 students

●  2 Electives taken out of the Hive

Sample Hive (there will be 6 or 7 of them) 120 students, 4 teachers

Physics 1 Teacher

Math 1 Teacher

Freshman Seminar Teacher

English 1 Teacher

Content - All 9th grade students Four courses In the Hive: ●  English 1 ●  Math 1* ●  Physics 1

●  Freshman Seminar: Ethnic Studies/Social Living *Advanced Math 1 will be offered out of the HIVE Two electives out of the Hive selected Spring of 8th grade: World Language, Physical Education, Art, LEAP Class

Content - English 1

Course Description

●  Examining essential questions ●  Exploring important issues in cultures ●  Learning about narrative devices ●  Building Academic Language ●  Writing across genres: narrative, descriptive, expository,

analytical, and argumentative

Content - English 1

Sample Texts

●  Flight by Sherman Alexie ●  Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel ●  Our America by LeAlan Jones ●  The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky ●  Shakespeare’s Othello & Taming of the Shrew ●  Various essays, short excerpts, memoirs ●  Various poems (including: “Do You Speak American?”, Jamila Lysicott poem)

Content - English 1

Sample Assessments

●  Pre/Post Argumentative Essay based on Informational Texts ●  Student Generated Podcasts ●  Text Based Literary Analysis ●  Personal Narrative Writing

Content - Physics 1

Course Description

●  College prep, algebra-based lab course ●  Extensive hands on laboratory experiences ●  Inquiry driven program ●  Aligned with the 9th grade Math 1 course,

Content - Physics 1

Skills and Content Description

Learn key physics content: Motion and forces

Energy

Electricity and electromagnetism

Vibration, waves, and sound

Light and optics

Content - Physics 1

Content cont. + Text Perform over sixty labs, using probes for measuring and computers for modeling. cross cutting science concepts (such as cause and effect, structure and function), core ideas in each science discipline, such as:

the physics idea that “forces at a distance are explained by fields,”

the chemistry idea of “conservation of matter,” and the biological idea that “ecosystems have carrying capacities”);

Physics: A First Course, 2nd Edition by Tom Hsu

Content - Math 1 / Advanced Math 1

Course Description ●  Interconnected algebra, geometry, and statistics ●  Gaining deeper understanding of algebraic manipulation,

functions (linear, quadratic, and exponential), ●  Using transformational geometry to establish criteria for

congruence, coordinate geometry, ●  An introduction to matrices and vectors.

Content - Math 1 / Advanced Math 1

Advanced Math 1 *Advanced Math 1 is an accelerated version of Math 1 going into Math 2 in the Spring (those students who are prepared to take this course will “passport out” of the hive to take this course)

Content - Freshman Seminar

Course Description Semester 1: Ethnic Studies ●  An examination of identity Who am I? Where do I come

from? How do I fit into the world around me? ●  Looking at the experiences and perspectives of people

within and beyond the United States ●  The study of race, migration, and immigration ●  Making personal connections while investigating the

history of current political and global dynamics.

Content - Freshman Seminar

Course Description Semester 2: Social Living ●  healthy decision making ●  media literacy ●  substance awareness ●  nutrition ●  sexuality & gender

identity ●  academic case studies

Content - Freshman Seminar

Skills and Sample Assessments Both semesters teach the fundamental skills of: ●  critical thinking ●  listening, speaking, reading, and writing ●  historical research and investigation ●  source evaluation ●  evidence based analysis Sample Assessment: The 2nd semester culminates with an evidence based research project on a current social issue.

Goals for Students in U9 Rigorous and consistent academic

content

Smooth 8th->9th Transition

Personalized experiences

Early support and resources for students who need them

Common classroom practices

Built by 9th grade faculty in

collaboration

Improved Outcomes for all Students

Performance Based

Assessments

Common Practices Student

Support

Community Building

Professional Development

Students are Known

LEAP Class-Academic Development

Learn

Engage

Accelerate

Persist

LEAP Class: Who, What, When?

Who: Each class will have 8-10 focal students selected and recruited through 8th grade counselor recommendations; district reading and math scores. Enrollment in the class is voluntary.

What: A Sample Week in a LEAP Class

When: 5 days week; counts as a “G” elective credit class, which means it is approved as a college pre-requisite.

Monday Get Focused, Stay Focused*

Tuesday Deepen Math Skills

Wednesday Get Focused, Stay Focused*

Thursday Pre-Teach Ethnic Studies Reading

Friday Team Building Illuminate Checks

*Get Focused, Stay Focused is a college and career readiness curriculum

Remember Our Sample Hive? (there will be six or seven of them) 120 students, 4 teachers

Physics Teacher

Math 1 Teacher

Ethnic Studies & Social Living Teacher

Freshman English Teacher

Each Hive will run 3 LEAP classes with 8-10 students each, and the same teachers from the Hive.

LEAP Class 1 LEAP Class 2

LEAP Class 3

What about our fourth Hive teacher?

She is the House Lead Teacher who coordinates the professional development, the community building, and the communications between the HIVE, the administration, and the families.

She is the House Lead Teacher who coordinates the professional development, the community building, and the communications between the HIVE, the administration, and the families.

Community building for ALL The U9 provides a time and space to cultivate a whole-school culture more clearly defined by inclusion, collaboration, and support that manifests as sense of belonging and confidence for every student into grades 10-12 on the BHS campus.

Examples Include:

●  In-Class Activities/Team Builders

●  Ropes Courses

●  Field Trips to local museums

●  All Day retreats

●  Tier 1 Restorative Justice Circles

What Electives Do Freshmen Take?

Visual and Performing Arts: Afro-Haitian Dance,

Ceramics, Dance, Drama, Drawing,

Photography, Creative Arts, Computer Arts,

Concert Chorale, Video

Production, Guitar, Jazz,

Concert Band, Orchestra, Chamber Winds

What Electives Do Freshmen Take? World Language:

●  Latin ●  Mandarin ●  French ●  Kiswahili ●  Spanish ●  Spanish for Native Speakers

What Electives Do Freshmen Take? Other Electives:

●  Intro to Computer Programming ●  Pop Culture/Hip Hop Studies ●  9th grade AVID

Physical Education

PE requirement: 2 years for graduation

9th Grade PE Classes: Afro-Haitian Dance, Badminton, Basketball, Dance, Heart Fitness, Soccer, Team Sports

PE Waivers: Athletic participation outside of school

What Supports Exist for ALL Students? ●  All students benefit from tight teacher collaboration and professional

development

●  After school tutoring and office hours in every subject area

●  Library open daily from 3:30-4:30pm as a space for independent studying and computer access

●  Ongoing supports like BRIDGE, RISE, and AVID will continue to exist

●  On-Campus Intervention services including academic and social/emotional counseling services and a full service Health Center

●  College and Career Center open daily from 3:30-6:00pm for tutoring by local college students

How will students be assigned to Hives?

●  Students will be randomly assigned a Hive ●  Hives will represent the 9th grade cohort as a

whole ●  Administrators retain the discretion to further

balance students

What Happens in Grades 10-12? -Few changes to the 10th-12th grade opportunities

-ALL students will be educated on their choices for the remaining years in high school--including the 5 SLCs AC, AHA, AMPS, BIHS, CAS

-All students will fill out an interest form indicating their preferences, in order, for the learning communities. Students will be placed into a learning community by lottery, according to the order that they ranked those programs and the availability of space in them.

-All students will continue to have access to higher level classes such as Advanced Placement and the IB Diploma Track Courses

Next Steps: Enrollment ALL Continuing AND New to BUSD Students

must register OR re-matriculate

before January 12th at the District offices at: 2020 BONAR STREET Register at Admissions December 5th - December 15th

and January 2nd – January 12th

Information Night

Winter Information Night for ALL

incoming 9th graders: February 7 th, 2018

Course Selection

Continuing BUSD students: In Class in February/March

New to BUSD students: Monday, February 26th, 2018--- Last Name A-L

Monday, March 5th, 2018--- Last Name M-Z

Monday, March 19th, 2018--- Makeup Session for all

Questions?

If you questions that are still not answered, please reach out to Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Sibony at

lisasibony@berkeley.net.

Thank you!

Have additional questions?

Erin Schweng Principal

Hasmig Minassian U9 Coordinator

Carrie Berg Vice Principal