VHHS
Class of 2028
Phase 3 of Admission Process:
2024-2025 Preparing For Course Selection
Important Dates And Look Ahead To What's Next!
Thank you for completing your pre-registration and setting up your parent PowerSchool account which allows us to prepare for course selection! If you did not create your parent PowerSchool account, please follow our instructions from the previous newsletter using this link. Please read below for important information regarding our 8th grade orientation and how to prepare for the course selection process in January.
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Step 1: Review Digital PSAT 8/9 Results
Results from the 2023 Preliminary SAT 8/9 (PSAT 8/9) are now available when your student creates a College Board account. Your student's scores were also noted in the email sent by Dr. Young.
Consider the following as your student creates a College Board Account:
- This account will be your student's College Board account for all of their College Board tests, including PSAT, SAT and AP, so it is important to keep this account login information saved.
- We recommend students use their current legal name & gender. Additionally, students should use their personal emails (do not use personal parent emails or Hawthorn 73 emails) to set up an account. If a student's College Board account is listed under a VHHS email address the student will permanently lose access to their account when they graduate. VHHS staff cannot reset or look up a student's College Board email, password, or username.
- Use this VHHS Understanding your PSAT scores as a resource for understanding scores and also support with your College Board account.
- If you have any questions regarding the PSAT 8/9 score report, please feel free to contact Dr. Young at (847) 932-2214 or at andrew.young@d128.org.
Step 2: Accelerated Placement Act & VHHS Course Placement
This coming school year, the Accelerated Placement Act will go into effect. This act requires Illinois public school districts to automatically enroll students who meet or exceed state standards in English Language Arts (ELA), Math, Social Studies, or Science in the next most rigorous level of coursework in that content area the following school year. Most area districts, including District 128, have selected the PSAT/SAT as the nationally normed assessment to use in order to meet expectations of this law.
How will this law impact my 8th grade student?
The chart below notes how the College Board PSAT benchmarks in EBRW (Evidence Based Reading and Writing) & Math impact course placement for the 2024-2025 school year in each department. Your student's course placements were shared in an email from Andrew Young.
Students who scored at or above 390 in EBRW and 430 in Math (meets/exceeds benchmark) will be eligible for accelerated placement and automatically placed in the next most rigorous course in the corresponding content area. Parents and students will have the option to opt out of the next most rigorous course level as students prioritize balancing their overall schedule, post-secondary goals, and mental health. Students/families who decide to opt out of an honors or AP class will do so during the course selection process and do NOT need to inform their counselor or department chair. To read more about Illinois State Board of Education's Accelerated Placement Act, click on this link.
Placements for students who are recommended for support/intervention courses, have an IEP or 504 plan, and information regarding elective courses can be found in the course selection section below. Placement for World Languages will be determined by early January and shared with families on their course selection form.
VHHS Department Chairs and 8th grade teachers will collaborate to create a set of course recommendations for each student and use all available data for students who attend a private school or are homeschooled and do not have a PSAT 8/9 score.
What if my student didn't meet the benchmark?
Students have the next four years to continue developing their academic skills. It is common for incoming VHHS students to not meet benchmarks in the fall of their 8th grade year, but to meet benchmarks by the April SAT in their 11th grade year. We anticipate significant growth from all students in the coming four years.
While students who meet benchmarks will have automatic access to the next most rigorous course, this does not mean that students who do not meet benchmarks cannot also select a rigorous course. VHHS will also provide parents with the option to discuss coursework that they believe better aligns with their student's postsecondary education or career goals by contacting the appropriate VHHS academic department chair beginning January 8th to discuss placement. More information about the college and career readiness benchmarks for the SAT Suite may be found at this link.
Step 3: Understanding Incoming 9th Grade Course Request Process
What to do Next: Preparing for Academic Plan & Course Selection
December -- Prepare for course selection next month:
Step 1 & 2: Review PSAT 8.9 score & understand core academic placements. Review course placements for your student shared in an email from Andrew Young.
Step 3: Explore the District 128/VHHS Curriculum Guide for elective options and areas of interests along with these other resources which can be found on our academic planning website:
- District 128 Graduation Requirements
- Incoming 9th Grade Non-Placement Electives
- School Counselor Advice
January -- Attend 8th grade orientation, use course selection resources, & develop academic plan:
Step 4: Receive pink course request form (mailed to student's address by January 10th) & attend 8th Grade Orientation.
Step 5: Start academic plan by completing and submitting the pink course request form by February 9th. Additional academic planning resources and instructions will be shared in early January.
The course selection process will be explained in detail at 8th Grade Orientation. Orientation will be recorded and shared with families who cannot attend. Request forms will be mailed by January 10th to your student's home address. This mailing could take up to 5-7 business days to arrive. Course request forms are due back to VHHS by February 9th. After February 9th, requests to change courses will be very difficult if not unavailable.
VHHS Academic Department Chairs are responsible for handling questions regarding course placement for all incoming freshmen. While the PSAT 8.9 was the initial benchmark used for placement, department chairs also use MAP tests (taken in September), local placement tests (language), and family input to find the best course for each student. Should you have questions regarding the course placements please contact the respective VHHS department chair at VHHS before February 9th.
Students with IEP or 504 plan & other support programming:
- In the coming months, students and parent/guardians with 504s and IEPS will have individual meetings with their current Hawthorn case manager and VHHS representative along with a VHHS counselor to support course selection, post-secondary planning, and elective choices.
- VHHS offers multiple levels of interventions to support your students’ needs and those options will be discussed with your family during these meetings.
- Our special service and counselor teams look forward to supporting your individual student.
Counselor Course Selection Support & Additional Information:
As all prior years, school counselors will be available to help answer questions pertaining to your individual student regarding course registration, elective options, and impact of accelerated placement during course selection (January & February). Counselors will continue to help your student make course decisions and balance their schedule with your student's academic strengths, personal interests/passions, post-secondary goals, and wellbeing in mind.
Optional Counselor Appointments
Optional course selection appointments for students wishing to meet with their counselors will take place on the following dates:
- Wednesday, January 31st -- 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm / In-person at VHHS.
- Wednesday, February 7th -- 1:30 - 4:00 pm / Virtually on Google Meets.
- Appointments can be made beginning January 22nd -- Details to come in the January Newsletter.
- Additional course selection support for families in Spanish and Russian will be on Monday, February 5th at 6:30 pm at VHHS.
Dr. Guillaume's Welcome Message
Vernon Hills High School Eighth Grade Orientation for the Class of 2028 is on Thursday, January 18, 2024. We ask everyone to follow the time schedule below so that we may accommodate everyone comfortably this evening. (If you have a conflict with your assigned time, please call 847-932-2301.)
Families with Last Names A-K and Spanish Speaking Families
- 6:00 – 7:00 pm: Presentation in the Auditorium (*Doors open at 5:45 pm, Presentation begins promptly at 6:00 pm)
- 7:10 – 8:00 pm: Activity Fair in the Foyer & Gym
Families with Last Names L-Z and Russian Speaking Families
- 6:20 – 7:15 pm: Activity Fair in the Foyer & Gym
- 7:15 – 8:15 pm: Presentation in the Auditorium
The overall purpose of the evening is to introduce incoming students to the educational programming at VHHS and to assist families with the freshman enrollment process. Counselors, department chairs, teachers and administration will be available to answer questions as you prepare for your student’s high school experience. Eighth grade students are encouraged to attend the evening’s activities to meet some of our students, teachers and coaches. The orientation offers us a chance to share the many opportunities that will be available to you at VHHS. Cougar spirit items will be available to purchase at our online school store.
Parking will be available in the school’s west and east parking lots. Additional parking will be available in the BD corporate lot west of VHHS on Lakeview Parkway. Entrances on both sides of the school will be open.
Choice Zone Families
Just a reminder, you have until January 22nd to declare your school of choice. Until your choice zone declaration is received, you will continue to receive communication and you will begin the course selection process with Vernon Hills High School. Communication from LHS regarding their 8th Grade Orientation will come shortly.
Important Dates
12/14/2023 - 1/17/2024
Prepare for course selection
1/10/2024
Mailing Freshman course selections. Mailing could take up to 5-7 business days to arrive.
1/18/2024
8th Grade Orientation -- Begin course selection process
1/31/2024 from 1:30-5 & 2/7/2024 virtually from 1:00-4:00
Optional course selection appointments for students wishing to meet with their counselors.
Information will be released in January regarding scheduling.
2/5/2024
Additional course selection meeting for Spanish and Russian speaking families at VHHS from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm
2/9/2024
Final course selections (pink forms) and level change requests due
5/10/2024
Course requests and changes will reopen
6/3/2024-6/27/2024
Online annual summer registration window
7/31/2024 (Tentative Date)
Chromebook distribution
8/6/2024 (Tentative Date)
9th Grade Orientation (students only)
8/12/2024
Fall sports begin-Athletic start dates
8/12/2024
First day of classes
The VHHS Spirit Store Is Open
Welcome to the all new VHHS Spirit Store - your one stop shop for Cougar apparel and spirit items. Check out the newly added Class of 2028 items. All proceeds go directly to our amazing parent groups.
CONTACT US
If you have any questions while registering your student, please contact Debbie Lehman deborah.lehman@d128.org or Jennifer Sheppard jennifer.sheppard@d128.org M-F 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.
Email: v.registration@d128.org
Phone: 847-932-2200
Website: https://www.d128.org/vhhs/