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Young Writers Society


American schools?



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Gender: Female
Points: 890
Reviews: 3
Sun Jun 07, 2009 8:34 pm
Blue Giraffe says...



1. Grade systems? What grade are you and how old are you when you're in the "Seniors"

You must be at least five by a certain date to start kindergarten, and the date is usually some time in the fall (for me it was September 1st, but sometimes is in October or November). Some states require you to pass certain tests to advance a grade, others you just have to make passing grades. Seniors are 12th graders, and are usually seventeen going into their Senior year and turn eighteen some time in the year, although it's not uncommon for people with summer birthdays to graduate at seventeen.

2. Schedule system? Do you have the choice to pick your schedules or do the school pick the schedules for you?

There are some classes you must take, usually called the core classes, and they're your maths (pre-algebra, algebra, calculus, trigonometry, though not necessarily in that order), sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, etc.), English, social studies/history. You have to have at least two years of a foreign language to graduate (at least, in my school) and the other slots you get to pick and are called electives. Some electives that are just about everywhere are Band (marching, orchestra, etc,), Yearbook, Art, etc.

3. Class transfers? After a class, do you stay in your class and wait for the teacher to come in or do you transfer to a different classroom and come to a teacher?

You just about always move from class to class and the teachers stay stationary, although I have heard of some high schools with not enough room that put teachers on carts.

4. Do you have breaks between your schedules?

There's usually a five minute passing period between classes, although at my school they have a twenty minute break in the morning between the first two periods where you don't have any class.

5. Do you have two eating breaks? Recess and Lunch Break?

Elementary schoolers (about grades K-5) have lunch and recess marked separately, although they are usually back-to-back. In middle school and high school you just have lunch, but some schools allow you to go outside (while still staying on campus) or eat off campus if you're in a certain grade.

6. What time is usually your dismissal time?

This differs from school to school, but mine lets out at around 2:30. I've heard of some schools getting out at 3:00, but that's about the latest.

7. Do you have the choice to join clubs or do they choose you?

Usually you get your free choice of clubs, but some you have to apply to (National Honor Society is the only one I can think of at the time).

8. "Popular kids"? Who are they?

Popular kids are the ones that get caught chewing gum all the time, talking, breaking dress code, etc. They usually hang out in clumps, and the girls wear make-up before everyone else and all of the boys pants are saggy. Some people are automatically popular, especially if they're cute or hot, and some have to work hard to get and stay popular. Usually it's the athletes, but sometimes it's also the actors.

9. What are the different trends in the American teen community? (Trends like emos, etc...)

Well, there's the emos, the drama hawks (That's what I call them. Lots of drama happens around them), the athletes, the cheerleaders, the skaters, the goths, among others.
  








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