Make Your Way 5, Schulbuch mit Audio-CD und CD-ROM

Home News & Info Faculty Students Parent Corner Contact Greenhill High, Grade 7 says: Welcome! You want to spend a high school year in the US? You need information about the American education system? Then here’s the web space to be in! Check it out! The American school system Some general information Compulsory education in the US starts and ends at different ages varying from state to state. However, most children enter elementary education at the age of 5 (or 6) with a year in kindergarten and (usually) end secondary education at 18 with twelfth grade. From age six to age eleven (grades 1 to 5) children usually go to elementary school. Most parents send their children to a public school that is funded by the state. (NB: the word “grade” can have two meanings in the US: a) the score you achieve in a course/an exam, and b) a year in school.) Secondary education High school Following elementary school children go to junior high school (sometimes also known as middle school), usually running from grades 6 to 8 (ages 11 to 14). After “junior high” they attend senior high school until they are 18 (grades 9 to 12). In the first year at senior high school students are commonly called freshmen , in the second year sophomores , in the third year juniors , and in the fourth year seniors . In addition to the compulsory “core” subjects that the students must choose, e.g. English, maths, science, physical education, social studies, etc., there are optional subjects, also called electives , which often include music, art, drama, foreign languages, graphic design, word processing, etc. Apart from the compulsory subjects and the electives, US high schools also offer a number of extra-curricular activities like photography or debating clubs, the school newspaper, band, computer club, yearbook, and all types of sports, mainly American football (but soccer is also quite popular now), cheerleading, athletics, swimming, basketball, and baseball. In order to graduate from high school and be awarded with a High School Diploma the students have to earn a particular number of credits. They get these credits for a successfully completed course. This means that in most states of the US no final exam like the “Matura” has to be taken to graduate from high school. US high school students usually take four or five subjects for their diploma and specialise in two (a major and a minor). However, if you want to go to college, you have to take the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude/ Assessment Test) or ACT (American College Test). Any more questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us! http://www.greenhillhigh.org 35 2 Extensive unit 2: Schools Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verl gs öbv