Shorecrest High School Academic

Shorecrest "Highlanders of the Month"

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Since its opening in 1961, Shorecrest has striven for excellence in academics. Students work hard to achieve the high academic and personal standards that have long been associated with Shorecrest.

ACADEMIC PLANS
At the beginning of each semester, teachers will distribute to their classes a copy of the Academic Plan for that course. Students and their parent or guardian are both required to read and sign a plan for each class. Knowing the contents of an Academic Plans can help students to succeed academically.

GRADING SCALE AND GPA
There are eleven standard letter grades that students can receive at Shorecrest. Each grade is assigned a grade point value which is used to determine the grade point average (GPA).
These grades and their values are shown below:

In addition P (pass) and S (satisfactory) grades may also be given, subject to specific guidelines. Note that there is no A+ or D- grade. NC means No Credit. NC may be used for the course because:

A grade of I (incomplete) may be given if a student is passing a class but has outstanding fees or work. A grade of I is converted to F five weeks after the beginning of the next semester if the incomplete situation has not been fulfilled.

To determine a GPA, add up the values of the semester grades and divide that total by the number of courses taken. An F grade results in 0 grade points but is still included in the GPA. Grades of NC, S, and P do not affect the GPA.

REPORT CARDS & PROGRESS REPORTS
Report cards are issued four times each year, at the end of each quarter, but the official cumulative GPA includes only semester grades and not quarter grades. Honors or Advanced classes are not weighted and count the same as a regular class toward the GPA.

CLASS WITHDRAWALS
Students can withdraw from a class within the first three weeks in the semester (through the third Friday of the semester) and the class will not show on the transcript. If the withdraw is anytime during the 4th, 5th, or 6th week of a class (by the sixth Friday of the semester) and the student is passing, the class will show on the transcript with a grade of “W” (no credit; does not affect GPA). If the withdraw is during the 4th, 5th, or 6th week of a class and the student is failing, an "F" will show on the transcript. If the withdraw is after the sixth Friday of the semester, an "F" will show on the transcript.

COMMUNITY SERVICE
All students are required to complete 60 hours of community service in order to graduate. This program officially begins during the sophomore year and is monitored through the10th grade English class. Students can volunteer their services at schools, community agencies, hospitals, and many other places. The Community Service Office can help students choose a volunteer site and set up a schedule. Although 9th graders will not receive credit for hours completed during their freshman year, they may still volunteer and acquire both experience and references which can be noted on their transcript.

SENIOR PROJECTS
All seniors are required to successfully plan, prepare, present, and assess a Senior Project as a graduation requirement. The project is coordinated through the Senior World History and Literature course and the Senior Project Office. Each senior will work with a mentor and present their project to a panel of reviewers.

RUNNING START
Juniors and seniors may earn high school and community college credit without charge for tuition through the Running Start program. Students must provide their own transportation and purchase their own books. With the exception of PE, Shoreline School District graduation requirements are not waived for Running Start students. Running Start courses may, however, satisfy particular graduation requirements (e.g., vocational credit, fine arts credit, etc.)

GUIDANCE COUNSELING
Guidance services are available for every student in the school. These services include assistance with educational planning, interpretation of test scores, occupational information, career information, study help, help with home, school and/or social concerns, or any questions students would like to discuss with a counselor. If you wish to visit a counselor, contact the counseling center to arrange for an appointment.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
The National Honor Society (NHS) exemplifies scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Eligible for membership are sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher. There is an application process that takes place in February of each year. To remain a member students must maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA and participate in official NHS sponsored activities every semester.

Academics