Dear Secondary Parents and Students,
Greetings. It is time to prepare for second semester classes. Below I have included information on elective offerings (Tuesday and Thursday classes), as well as some important information for the seniors.
Elective Registration:
Parents of all 7th – 12th grade students may sign up for electives by emailing the student’s name and a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice to logoshs@turbonet.com. (you may also call in your choices directly to Mrs. Polek at 882-1226).
As always, parental approval is required for all students taking electives. Preference, if necessary, will be given to older students. All elective registrations are due by school day=s end on Wednesday, December 10. If an elective choice has not been made by that time, an elective will be assigned.
Elective Options:
LOGOS SCHOOL
Second Semester 08-09 Electives
(*Indicates Fine Arts)
*Annual – Mrs. Spencer (15 students max)
The students will be using the Lifetouch Webease publishing program to produce the Logos Annual. They will be using photography, writing, page design, and editing to produce the book. It is preferred that they have taken first semester annual.
*Jazz/Blues Chorus – Miss Harris
This semester in Chorus we will focus on lighter music, concentrating specifically on the early American genre. We will sing some very early American sacred music, including some Spirituals and some shape-notes pieces. (Such as The Morning Trumpet, Wade in the Water, Elijah Rock, Northfield, etc.) We will also sing some Blues and Jazz tunes (such as Watermelon Man, etc.), as well as learn about what makes them distinctive. Depending on the interests of the class that signs up, we may even get to compose our own spirituals/blues tune.
Fitness – Mrs. Morse (9th-12th grade girls only)
This class will focus on improving the overall fitness of high school-aged girls along with helping to establish habits for lifetime fitness.
Practical Christianity – Mr. Meyer
This class addresses some very day-to-day spiritual issues Christian students face, focusing on an application of Biblical wisdom. It should be noted that this class does not come under our secondary doctrine policy.
*Sewing – Mrs. Jeschke
This is a limited enrollment class for girls only. Students will learn sewing techniques and will need to supply their own sewing machines. All machines need to have had a tune-up within the last year (Vac-U-Mart does these).
Typing – Mrs. Burnett (10 students max, recommended for JH especially)
This is a beginning typing course. Preference will be given to younger (JH) students and other students who have not taken typing before.
*Domestic Arts – Mrs. Wintz (9th-12th)
This is a limited enrollment class for girls only that will focus on the art and science of homemaking. Some topics that will be covered are cooking, family finances, home care and cleaning, hospitality, personal grooming, and more ($20 materials fee).
Internship – Jim Nance (seniors only)
Seniors should refer to the Independent Study information packet (student/parent handbook) for more information on this elective option. This elective does not meet during the normal elective times.
*Creative Writing & Reading – Mr. Sumpter
This class will expose students to several modern authors: O’Connor, Eliot, Borges, and Collins. The basics of story writing and poetry will be covered, including the “whats” and “hows” behind the process. Students will practice these basics by imitating some of the stories, prose, and poetry read in the class.
*Water Color – Mr. Garfield
This painting course will obviously focus on just watercolor (vs acrylic) techniques. Although it is not limited by age, it is limited to serious (vs apathetic) art students and a maximum of 16. The $20 fee will go toward the purchase of decent watercolor paper, which students will keep when their paintings are complete.
*Hollywood Worldviews – Mr. Courtney (9th-12th grade students only)
This class will watch pre-1962 classic movies and then will discuss and critique them from a Biblical perspective. This elective will count as a fine-arts credit, and therefore has more requirements than a typical elective. Students will be required to write a movie review about each movie we watch. At the end of the semester, there will be a written final exam that tests the students on who the main actors were, the director, and plotline. Contact Mr. Courtney for a list of the movies the students will be watching.
Microsoft Office – Mr. Euhus
The emphasis of this elective will be on competency in Word and Excel. Shorter training on PowerPoint will also be provided, along with an overview of other Office applications. Some school computers are available, but students with laptops and Microsoft Office will be given preference (please designate this when you register for the elective).
AP English Literature – Trude Marston
This course is designed for students who wish to prepare for the national exam, given in early May. Normally, the first two semesters of required university-level English classes are automatically credited to a student who attains a score of 5 (highest) on this exam. Partial credit may be given for a 4, and at some institutions, even for a 3. Students in this AP course will take the exam which costs $86, but it could save literally hundreds of dollars in college credit earned. The emphasis in this course is on good writing and reading comprehension, not just literature.
Second Semester Senior Course Options:
Logos seniors received a packet of information last fall on the following options for course work:
1. Independent Study program – must be of an academic nature. May receive up to a full credit (= five hours/week of work). Written proposals that adhere to the stated guidelines, must be submitted (for consideration by committee) no later than 4:00 pm, Wednesday, December 10.
2. Internships – intended to provide seniors with the opportunity to study a career of their choosing. Worth one-half credit (= two hours/week of work). A written proposal (adhering to the guidelines) must be submitted to Mr. Nance, by December 10.
3. University Courses– as offered by UI, NSA, WSU. The course must not conflict with the schedule of required course work at Logos School. Before registering for a class, prior approval from the secondary principal must be obtained. Worth one-half high school credit for each university credit hour (minimum of five hours/week of work). See other guidelines. Proposed classes must be submitted prior to December 10.
4. Correspondence Courses – as offered by other academic institutions for self-paced instruction. Prior approval from the secondary principal must be obtained. Credits will be earned similarly to university (min. five hours/week of work). See other guidelines. Proposed courses must be submitted by December 10.
Otherwise, all full-time classes for seniors that were offered on campus first semester will continue through the second semester. Please note: All seniors must be enrolled for six credits of classes each semester, four of which must be earned through classes on campus at Logos School. Rhetoric IV is a required year=s course for all seniors. Since this will be the last semester prior to graduation, seniors are to submit their entire list of proposed courses for spring semester to Mrs. Polek using the correct form. This will aide in determining if they have met all the graduation requirements (as listed in the Student-Parent Handbook).
As always, please don=t hesitate to contact me or Mrs. Polek if you have any questions on the above information.
Cheers,
Matt Whitling