OBJECTIVE:

High School Prep (HSP) is designed to provide a course of instruction for the successful transition of ninth grade students into high school and for their motivation to achieve successfully throughout their high school experience and beyond. The course strives to develop in each student a positive self-image, self-confidence, motivation and a positive attitude toward learning. Individual guidance and direction is provided from the instructors with an emphasis on developing attitudes and study skills that will enable each student to make the high school experience a success. High School Prep uses the concept that total human growth and development embodies the aspects of mind (knowledge), body (health), and spirit (joy), and that it is the student's responsibility to learn and develop these ideas. The teacher's responsibility is to guide the student's learning adventure. A basic concept of this course is that hope fuels self-image, self-image accentuates confidence, confidence aids motivation, and motivation leads to goal establishment and then finally to goal accomplishment.

CONCEPT:

The course develops individual leadership skills first and then transitions into skills necessary for group relationships. If combined in a school with JROTC, HSP may use the exciting aspects of the JROTC program to allow students greater opportunities for learning. For example, students in HSP may wish to join a drill team; attend field trips; participate in dances and dinners; be a member of the rocket club, various sports activities, or the newspaper staff; or participate in community service projects. Senior cadet leaders should provide leadership to assist learning in both the classroom and extracurricular activities. A similar concept may be developed in the college ROTC programs. Two themes should pervade the learning process: 1) individual responsibilities of mind, body, and spirit, and 2) public speaking. These themes are successful in raising self-esteem of students. Learning activities are focused on values education such as the idea that individual character includes both responsibility and respect. This class is an all-school initiative, not an isolated class. High School Prep instructors will assist in teaching other departmental goals as well as school goals. All teachers, as well as student leaders and the president of the Parent Teacher Student Association, will be sent updates, success stories, class accomplishments, and requests for their assistance throughout the academic year.

COURSE DEVELOPMENT:

The curriculum sequence for HSP is not random. It is developed with the idea that students entering the first year of high school have little knowledge of what a team is or how to be a beneficial team member. Many of the entering students think only of themselves and are, in fact, selfish. This is not intended as a put-down. The students have not been taught how to act in a team situation. The course was developed to satisfy immediate interests regarding "self" needs and slowly work toward "group and team" needs.