Academic Counseling

Students choose courses with the advice of teachers and school counselors. The Counseling Department attempts to tailor students' programs to individual needs, desires, and aspirations. Registration for the following year takes place in February and March. Students usually receive a final course schedule in August.

Program of Studies

Course Planning & Registration

Graduation Requirements

General Requirements & Regulations

High School Graduation Policy

POLICY: IHF

Minimum Requirements

A minimum of 20 credits are required for graduation as follows:

Required Subjects	Credits
English	4
Mathematics*	4*
Social Studies required courses**	3
Physical Sciences	1
Biological Sciences	1
Physical Education	1
Health	1/2
Fine/Practical Arts (1/2 must be fine arts)	1
Information and Communications Technologies***	1/2
Open Electives	4

*Students must be enrolled in a math course or a math intensive elective each semester of attendance. Three credits must be math specific, including algebra credit that can be earned through a sequential, integrated, or applied program. The fourth credit may be either a math specific credit or a math intensive elective credit. Math intensive classes include: physics, honors physics, chemistry, honors chemistry, CAPPS, DIY, DARMA, and HACTC courses with embedded math credit.

** These courses incorporate the NH State Minimum Requirements of US and NH History (1 credit), US and NH Government/Civics (1/2 credit), Economics (1/2 credit), and World History, Global Studies, or Geography (1/2 credit). This also incorporates a district requirement of 1/2 credit in Modern America.

***Students must demonstrate proficiency in computers/technology at the high school through either a half-credit course or a portfolio. See Computer Education.

Open Electives

Students should review the minimum entry requirements of post-secondary schools in scheduling open electives, bearing in mind that most 4 year colleges require at least two years of a world language.

Awarding Of Credit

A unit of credit or fraction thereof shall be given upon satisfactory completion of a course or learning experience in compliance with the district-specified curriculum and assessment standards. In some cases, course credit may also be awarded based on demonstrated mastery of the required competencies for the course. The Principal, after conferring with appropriate staff, will be responsible for determining the attainment of mastery.

Elective Subjects (4 Credits)

The remaining credit requirements may be fulfilled from any of the school’s course offerings listed in the Program of Studies. Educationally handicapped students have equal opportunity to complete a course of studies leading to a high school diploma.

Minimum Credit Accumulation

To be on schedule to graduate in 4 years, a student should be completing a minimum of 5 credits per year. For example, when a student enters the 11th grade year, he or she should have acquired a minimum of 10 credits.

Normal Course Load

The recommended minimum course load for a student is five courses at any one time. The absolute minimum for a full-time student is five courses. A reduced course load (less than four courses) must be approved by the principal and only when special circumstances warrant a reduced program

Typical Schedule by Grade

9th Grade

Ninth Grade Program

As you use this information, keep in mind not just the first year of your involvement at Hanover High School but also future years. In order to help you do this, we are asking you to project ahead so that you may see, at least in part, how your four-year educational program will look. Do not attempt to do this task alone. Rather, discuss courses with your parents and with older brothers and sisters or friends who have attended Hanover High School; if you are entering ninth grade from the Richmond School, teachers there can help you. The more information you can obtain from knowledgeable people, the better program you will be able to develop.

Even though Hanover High School offers a wide variety of choices for students, we believe that it is important for a student to gain a wide range of knowledge about the teaching staff, the various departments and their offerings, the several resource centers in the school and how they are to be used. Therefore, most ninth graders are scheduled into a structured program. You will note below that in your ninth-grade year you have a rather limited number of choices. These choices are structured so that next year, when you move into the elective program, you will have a base of knowledge about the resources in the school. View your ninth grade year here at HHS as an exploratory year—a year to develop criteria for making wise choices.

Core Ninth Grade Program

The following ninth grade courses are required.

English: All ninth graders are required to take English 9.
Math: Ninth graders choose among Math Essentials, Introduction of Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Geometry Honors , and Algebra 2 Honors after seeking advice of their 8^th grade math teachers. More advanced math courses are possible if present math teachers so advise. A math placement test or placement by RMS teacher is required of all students.
Science: Ninth graders choose among General Methods, Methods, and Honors Methods after seeking a recommendation from their 8^th grade science teacher. Ninth graders who plan to take Algebra I are permitted to take Methods in Science, but may find the course mathematically challenging. The recommended course for ninth graders who enroll in Geometry is Methods in Science. Ninth graders who will be taking Math Essentials or Introduction to Algebra math course are advised to enroll in General Methods in Science. Honors Methods is a course for accelerated ninth graders in science and a concurrent enrollment in Honors Geometry or higher is required. A science placement test is required of all students.
Social Studies: All ninth graders are required to take Citizenship and World History.
Physical Education: All ninth graders are required to take Physical Education.

Ninth Grade Electives

Students must understand that there are only 7 blocks in the day in which to take courses and, therefore, should select no more than 7 courses including Physical Education. Many students choose to take 6. In the 22-23 school year, all ninth grade students will have two required Study Flex times.

Art: Design and Studio Art History are both open to ninth grade students 1^st semester. Design, is a prerequisite for studio art classes. Ninth graders who have take Design their first semester, may take other studio art classes in the second semester of their ninth grade year.
World Language: Many ninth graders will elect to continue or begin a language in the first year of high school and complete 2-4 years of that language.
Music: Several music courses are open to ninth graders without an audition or teacher approval including, Chorus, Symphonic Band, Orchestra- Non-Strings, Electronic Music, Guitar, and Pop and Rock Ensemble. Additional courses such as, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra-Strings and Jazz Ensemble, require teacher approval and/or audition to enroll.
Personalized Learning Programs: Students looking for a structured work environment during their school day, can enroll in Study Skills.

Keep in mind that you will need a total of 1 (one) credit in the Fine and Practical Arts (l/2 credit must be in Fine Arts) during four years of high school. Please see the Fine and Practical Arts Requirements Section for a full course listing.

10th Grade

Many of the major courses tenth graders take are either required or strongly recommended. A typical tenth grade program is outlined below with possible alternatives noted.

English:Tenth graders take two semesters of an English elective.
Math: Tenth graders take a full year of math coursework. See math department flowchart for further information.
Science: Most tenth graders take General Biology, Biology or Honors Biology.
Social Studies: All tenth graders are required to take United States History or American Experience.
Health: A semester of Health is required for all tenth graders.
World Language: Most tenth graders take a world language course.
Keep in mind that you will need a total of 1 (one) credit in the Fine and Practical Arts (l/2 credit must be in Fine Arts) during four years of high school.
Students must understand that there are only 7 blocks in the day in which to take courses and, therefore, should select no more than 7 courses including one semester of health. Many students choose to take 6 courses.

11th Grade

Many of the major courses eleventh graders take are either required or strongly recommended. A typical eleventh grade program is outlined below with possible alternatives noted.

English: Eleventh graders take two semesters of an English elective.
Math: Eleventh grade student must take a full year of math in the sequence offered.
Science: Most eleventh graders take Chem in the Community, Chemistry or Honors Chemistry.
Social Studies: Semester 1 or 2: American Government and and Politics Honors, American Government and and Politics, or Civics and Government Semester 1 or 2: Geopolitics Honors or Global Studies or Economics".
World Language: Most eleventh graders take a world language course.
Elective(s): Most eleventh graders take an elective course from one of the departments listed above or from the Art or Music departments.
Keep in mind that you will need a total of 1 (one) credit in the Fine and Practical Arts (l/2 credit must be in Fine Arts) during four years of high school.
Students must understand that there are only 7 blocks in the day in which to take courses and, therefore, should select no more than 7 courses.

12th Grade

Many of the major courses twelfth graders take are either required or strongly recommended. A typical twelfth grade program is outlined below with possible alternatives noted.

English: Twelfth graders take two semesters of an English elective.
Math: Student are required to complete a yearlong math or math engagement experience.
Science: Most twelfth graders take Real World Physics, Physics, Honors Physics or a science elective.
Social Studies: Most students take at least one semester, if not two semesters, of a Social Studies elective course.
World Language: Most twelfth graders take a World language course.
Elective(s): Most eleventh graders take an elective course from one of the departments listed above or from the Art, Performing Arts, or PLP departments.
Keep in mind that you will need a total of 1 (one) credit in the Fine and Practical Arts (l/2 credit must be in Fine Arts) during four years of high school.
Students must understand that there are only 7 blocks in the day in which to take courses and, therefore, should select no more than 7 courses.
Personal Finance: As it is a graduation requirement, twelfth graders will complete a 1 semester course in financial literacy.

Add/Drop

Drop/Add
During the registration process, Hanover High School students should carefully consider their course registration selections. Course drop-adds are possible. Students are not encouraged to change courses, however, except when a course is judged inappropriate in terms of achievement level or skills needed. To help control both the quantity and legitimacy of drop-adds the following policy is strictly followed:

All drop requests are handled through a counselor.
Student-initiated adds must be undertaken within the first five days of a semester. A course added after this period needs the approval of the counselor and the department coordinator.

All changes of course level must be approved by the department coordinator.
In the first semester, student-initiated drops may occur during the first four weeks of a course without consequences to a student’s record.
NOTE #1: In the second semester, student-initiated drops may occur during the first four weeks of a course without consequences to a student’s record for semester-long courses only.
NOTE #2: Students may not drop the second semester of full-year courses (see list) without penalty, as described under “Withdrawing” in item 5.

Any course dropped after the fourth week of the first semester will result in a WF (Withdrew Failing) in the student’s record and will be factored in the student’s GPA at a ½ credit, unless the drop is initiated by a teacher or counselor; in this case the record will indicate W (Withdrawn without penalty) and is not factored into the G.P.A. This rule also applies to semester long courses that begin the second semester.

Regarding any full-year course (see Program of Studies) that is dropped for the second semester. The student wilL receive the assigned grade and ½ credit for the first semester of the full-year course. The student will receive a “WF” for the second semester, which will be factored in the student’s GPA as a “0,” at a 1/2 credit.

A teacher or counselor may initiate a course drop only if they convinced that the student has been mistakenly enrolled in the wrong course and should be allowed to withdraw without penalty. Both the teacher and the counselor must agree about the appropriateness of dropping a course without penalty. Teacher or counselor initiated drops will not be allowed after the 10th week of a course. In cases of extended illness or special circumstances, the above limits may not apply. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis by the school administration.

Any course dropped by default (meaning that no drop-add procedure was used and the student simply stopped attending) will result in the student’s record showing a WF for the duration of the course that was neglected.

Records & Transcripts

Report Cards & Course Grades

Students may access grade information, including report cards, through their PowerSchool portal. PowerSchool grades are the official grade of record. Students should have received information for accessing the portal in their back to school packet. If for some reason a student does not have that information, the student should stop by the upstairs computer lab and ask a staff member to assist them.

Parents wanting to access their student's portal should also have received information in the back to school packet. If that information has not been received please contact the Technology dept. at helpdesk@hanovernorwichschools.org or extension 2400 and we will mail the information to you.

Grading & Honor Roll

Grading
Course Primary Objectives are the basis for grades in the school.

Each course is listed in the Program of Studies, which is given to all students in Common Ground during spring course registration and is available in the Counseling Office and on the website. A more detailed list can be obtained by conferring with the teacher or department coordinator.
Objectives may vary in order to challenge each and every student to work to their fullest capacity.
Hanover High School’s grading categories are as follows:

A High Honor
B Honor
C Satisfactory
D Passing
INC Incomplete
NC No Credit

Incomplete (INC)

The Incomplete is given at the discretion of the teacher with input from counseling when appropriate.

An Incomplete is used when a student has had a long excused absence from school, needs remedial work in the course, or missed a key assessment necessary to show competency.
Except for rare circumstances, Incompletes are used only after consultation between the teacher and the student.
Students have three weeks from the last day of the quarter to complete the required work. Teachers will have an additional week to grade the work and complete the open grade book request.
Unless there are extenuating circumstances, students who do not complete the required work will receive the grade indicated on the incomplete form after four weeks.

No Credit (NC)
A grade of No Credit results if the student has not completed the course objectives satisfactorily.

This grade cannot be made up or changed without approval from the specific department.
Notification of parents is required prior to awarding NC; personal contact, interim report, and telephone call are all approved methods of parent notification.
If a student is failing one or more classes at the end of a semester, they will be placed on a four-week schedule up at the start of the subsequent semester.

Course Grade

Course grades are usually given at the end of the first and second semester for both semester-long and full-year courses.
These grades are an independent grade reflecting the student’s overall achievement in meeting course objectives and are not necessarily an average of the preceding quarter grades.
Only the teacher responsible for the course may alter a grade.
Grades, once issued, may be appealed only within the succeeding academic quarter.
A student who feels they have been graded unfairly should confer first with the teacher. If still dissatisfied, the student should take the complaint to the teacher’s immediate supervisor.

Grade Citations

Approved by The Council and Curriculum Committee, 1995

Grade Citations are short messages of commendation attached directly onto a student's transcript. A teacher awards citations only "when a student's work is sufficiently distinguished to merit special recognition." (Citation Report form, Dartmouth College) Citations are never negative. They indicate specifically what the student did to deserve the citation. They can be given to students with grades other than "A.” A citation is only for truly outstanding work, and it is given out only in exceptional circumstances to ensure its value, weight, and importance. Citations will be initiated by the teacher and approved by the department.

Report Card Distribution
Passed by Council, December 6, 2013
Parents along with students, at the end of each quarter, will be notified that grades have been finalized on the portal via the Principal’s Weekly newsletter and if the student or parent wishes a printed report card they will take it upon themselves to print it.

Pass/Fail Option Grading Option
Students may take a maximum of two courses P/F between the beginning of their junior year and their graduation. They may take only one course per subject area in this manner.

Class lists received by teachers will not distinguish between students taking courses for grades and those using P/F. A list of students taking courses P/F will be available in the Counseling Office, and, if teachers wish, they may refer to this list.
Students must register for P/F through the Counseling Office at which time the student must:
Meet with their counselor to discuss the benefits and risks of the P/F option.
Submit a Request Form that is signed by a parent.
Students must register for the P/F option within the first five days of the beginning of the course (Sept. or January) that they intend to take pass/fail and have until the end of the fourth week to drop the P/F option.
The P/F grade will be factored into a student’s GPA only if the student receives a failing grade.
Pass/Fail will be available for all courses offered in the school.

Credit Recovery

Students who have a 50-59% in a course required for graduation are eligible for Credit Recovery. Please see the HHS handbook for more detail.

Honor Roll
An academic honor roll is computed each quarter. All courses are included in honor computations. Students who received a grade point average of 3.8 or above are designated as High Honors. Students with a 3.5 to 3.79 average are designated as Honors students.

Interim Reports
Teachers frequently send home notifications when a student is performing exceptionally well or is not meeting course objectives. Hopefully parents will encourage a student who is not meeting expectations and alert the teacher if a student has a problem that needs special attention. The teacher is expected to notify the student before any note is sent home.

Semester Programs

Below is a list of some of the programs that Hanover High School students have participated in over the years. This list is in no way exhaustive, there are many other programs.

United States Programs

Mountain School, VT: This program offers students a semester of environmental learning and self-discovery in rural Vermont.

Woolman Semester, CA: Based in California, this school focuses on social justice, environmental sustainability, and community living.

HMI, CO: Located in Colorado, the High Mountain Institute combines academic rigor with wilderness experiences to foster personal growth.

The Island School , Bahamas This program provides students with hands-on, innovative educational experiences on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.

Maine Coast Semester: Students engage deeply with the natural world and environmental studies on the scenic coast of Maine.

Outdoor Academy in North Carolina offers a transformative semester school experience for high school sophomores and juniors, emphasizing environmental education, outdoor skills, and character development in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Oxbow School, a semester program in Napa, California focusing on studio art-making and interdisciplinary humanities.

National Outdoor Leadership School- All NOLS courses, from immersive wilderness expeditions to classroom-based wilderness medicine courses, are designed around learning by experience, mentorship from expert educators, and wilderness.

Programs or Organizations Abroad
Swiss Semester: A fall-only program for sophomores, offering a unique educational experience in Switzerland.

St. S tephen's Italy: Offers year-long or semester-based academic programs in Italy for immersive cultural and historical studies.

AFS CIEE YFU: A collaborative international exchange initiative providing students with diverse cultural and educational opportunities.

School Year Abroad: Facilitates students spending an academic year at schools around the world, enhancing language skills and global understanding.

The Traveling School : Based in Montana, this program conducts fall semesters in South Africa and spring semesters in South America, combining travel with education.

CIEE: A global platform providing study abroad programs that help students develop skills and gain understanding of international issues through educational and cultural exchange.

Academic Support

At Hanover High School, students encountering challenges in their courses have access to a wide range of academic support services to aid in their success. This comprehensive support system is dedicated to helping students overcome their academic challenges and excel in their studies. Please see the infographic below to read more about these offerings. If you have any questions, please reach out to your school counselor.

What If I Need Academic Help?

Tier1AcademicSupport_1.pdf

First page of the PDF file: Tier1AcademicSupport_1