High School (Grades 9 - 12) Academic Overview

ACADEMICS
At our high school level, emphasis is placed on college preparation with required course offerings in English, math, social studies, history, science, foreign languages, the arts,computer education and physical education.-At the high school level, there is an added emphasis on higher level thinking skills, and students are challenged by required research, speech and writing assignments in all subject areas. Technology is included in all subject areas.

American Heritage boasts an extensive selection of almost 200 course offerings. Courses vary from college prep, honors and 15 advance placement courses. American Heritage's pre professional programs (pre med, pre law and engineering) offer unique courses that are only taught by Doctors, Attorneys or Engineers. The rich fabric of our curriculum provides the very best in critical thinking and college preparation by incorporating technology integration of relevant software and programs in dedicated computer labs.

Communication with parents and students is essential. The school's web portal provides daily access to individual student grades, and written progress eports are sent home every three weeks. Teachers maintain web pages that display class information ranging from daily homework assignments to explanation of long term projects.

FACULTY
Instructors are experienced, fully certified and teach in their field of expertise, over 50% of the faculty hold advanced degrees. Many instructors are also advisors to clubs and activities or coach a sport. This provides the high school student the opportunity to work with teachers in a less structured environment. Our teachers are committed to the positive academic, emotional, physical and social development of each student. Instructors offer weekly help sessions to students who need extra reinforcement of skills and concepts to succeed.

TECHNOLOGY
Heritage has an ongoing commitment to offer the latest technology to our students. There are four state-of-the-art computer labs and a computer graphics lab which serve the Upper School. Besides computer classes, there are additional times during and after school when students are free to use the lab for reports or research. Our Library/Media Center houses over 150 computers; 4 technology integration labs, serving to incorporate technology into every upper school classroom; 12-foot tables, equipped with electric and data ports, for collaborative research and study, as well as similarly equipped, lighted carrels for individual study. ÊAdded features include wireless Internet access, a professionally staffed reference desk for optimum assistance, a separate station to monitor database progress and provide research guidance and a fully-automated circulation desk.

COLLEGE GUIDANCE
Welcome to the Guidance and College Planning Department. Located in the Upper School Office, our counselors provide a full range of services for all aspects of academic life and college planning. A Director of Guidance/Scholarship Specialist, Director of College Planning, Director of Academy Guidance, three high school Guidance Counselors/ College Advisors, a Junior High Counselor, and a Guidance Assistant/Registrar help students stay organized and make well-informed choices. The guidance process begins in junior high school. Our staff monitors timely completion of requirements for graduation, college applications, and college scholarships, in addition to scheduling, academic advising, and academic monitoring.

The counselors keep abreast of current college admissions trends. They attend national and local conferences, tour college campuses, and make frequent contact with college admissions. Based on the latest information from college admissions, our counselors emphasize academic diligence and extracurricular involvement. Students are encouraged to take the initiative in their high school and college planning, to act on their emerging or established interests, to search for colleges and majors, and to prepare for tests (PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP).

American Heritage boasts over 170 individual university vistations each year to better inform our senior high students to further enhance the college preparation experience. Five to six regional college tours are offered to our student body.

The College Corner in the library contains catalogs and DVDs on many colleges and universities. The reference section contains college guidebooks, career information, and SAT practice books. The Guidance Office also has a resource desk in the waiting area with information on current college events, SAT/ACT testing, college tours, and volunteering. We encourage students to make use of all the print and online resources available.

The Guidance Office is a busy place. The following calendar outlines what we do each year to prepare students for graduation and college life. The specific services we provide are listed on the back.

American Heritage students have matriculated at a wide variety of nationally renowned colleges and universities ranging from the Harvard,Yale,MIT,Princeton,Cornell, Boston University, Columbia University, and University of Pennsylvania, to colleges in the southeast like Wake Forest, Georgia Institute of Technology, Duke, Vanderbilt and the University of Florida.

ORGANIZATIONS & ACTIVITIES
The extensive athletics and activities offered at Heritage serve several purposes. Primarily, they assist in the growth and development of our students, but they also provide opportunities for leadership and excellence which are increasingly required for college admission. Among the activities and clubs offered to students: