(GRADES 7-12)
Pinewood - The American International School’s secondary division offers a complete American college-preparatory program in Grades 7-12, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (see below).  The school is dedicated to striving for educational excellence and preparing students for challenging university study in the United States, the United Kingdom or other universities abroad.  As students progress through the secondary school programs, they become increasingly more knowledgeable, self-directed, responsible, and self-disciplined.  Students are encouraged to excel in academic, athletic, leadership, and student governance activities while also becoming involved in all aspects of school life.

Grades 7 and  8

The 7^th and 8^th grade programs at Pinewood are designed to provide a smooth transfer from the elementary school years to increased academic intensity and expectations of the secondary school experience.

In recognizing the many physical, social, and emotional challenges associated with early adolescence, processes are utilized which allow for student responsiveness to meet these myriad needs in a timely and efficient manner.  In so doing, the development of an environment conducive to learning within the academic rigors of the secondary school is advanced.

Grades  9-12 – High School

Course  Selection
Students in grades 9 through 12 will select courses during  the Spring prior to the upcoming academic year.  Parents, teachers and the Curriculum and Studies Coordinator will all have input into yearly course selections and the development of student four-year plans.  It is critical that each student schedule has been developed with careful thought and consideration since there is no student initiated “drop and add” in the secondary school.

English  as  a Second  Language  (ESL): Grades  7-12
Secondary ESL courses provide instruction in the four main skill areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking, and follow internationally recognized curriculum standards for ESL instruction in English-medium schools.  At all levels of ESL instruction, there is a strong emphasis on reading and writing for academic development as well as for personal need. Students who speak English as a second or additional language are evaluated upon entry to Pinewood and placed in one of five levels ranging from Basic Beginner to Advanced; these levels are defined according to scores from the administration of The Maculaitis Test of English Language Proficiency, a widely used standardized test of English language proficiency for ESL students.

International  Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program is a comprehensive and rigorous two-year curriculum, aimed at students in Grades 11 and 12, and leading to a qualification that is widely recognized by leading universities around the world. Since September 1999, Pinewood is officially approved by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) in Geneva, Switzerland, to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. The IB Diploma Program consists of a core of six academic subjects, including at least two languages, and the required Theory of Knowledge component, a special course designed to establish connections between and among themes and ideas from the various subject areas. Students are also required to engage in two or three hours per week of CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) and to submit an Extended Essay of 4,000 words on a topic of their choice.

IB Diploma candidates are required to study one subject from each of the six subject groups. At least three and not more than four of these subjects are studied at Higher Level (HL), the others at Standard Level (SL). The six subject groups are:

Group 1 – Language A1: English literature

Group 2 – Second language: English B, French B or ab initio, Modern Greek A2, Spanish B or ab initio

Group 3 – Individuals and societies: Economics, History, Psychology, Business and Management

Group 4 – Experimental sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics

Group 5 – Mathematics: Mathematics or Mathematical Studies

Group 6 – The Arts - Elective: Visual Arts or a second subject from groups 3 or 4.

Other A1 languages instead of English may be available dependent upon student demand, or as a school supported self taught course.

Students take final IB examinations at the end of the program in May of their senior year, which are externally assessed by IBO examiners. During their two years of IB studies, students complete assessment tasks in all courses, which are either internally assessed by teachers and then externally moderated by IBO moderators or assessed externally by IBO examiners. The final IB mark for each subject is calculated from the final examination results and the internal assessment marks.

The IB courses themselves are challenging, but manageable, provided students are willing to put in long hours of extra study. IB students are extending their goals and find a personal pleasure in pursuing knowledge and undertaking research in the classroom and library. Equally, parents must be aware of the support, guidance, monitoring and encouragement that their son or daughter will require.

Students interested in committing themselves to the Diploma Program need to begin preparing well before Grade 11, if possible. Students who wish to enroll in the IB Diploma Program need to submit an application including letters of recommendations from their English, mathematics and social sciences teachers during the second semester of their grade 10 year. Application forms and further information are provided in the office of the IB Coordinator.

As an alternative to the full Diploma Program, Pinewood also offers the option to highly motivated students to take certificate exams in selected IB courses of their choice. Special handouts for the IB Program are available upon request and additional information and guidance may be obtained from the IB Coordinator.

Grading  Systems
The secondary school uses the following grading system:

ESL - English  as  a  Second  Language  Grading  Scale

Students enrolled in ESL classes shall receive modified grades as per guidelines approved by the school board.

ESL 1 and ESL 2 have specially modified work and tests given to them.

ESL 3 students may be awarded a discretionary 10% plus, depending on the style of the task. ESL 5 students cannot be given an ESL grade.

Alternative  Grades

In exceptional circumstances, the following grading alternatives may be utilized with the prior approval of the Pinewood Director:

I = Incomplete

An incomplete grade indicates that the student has not completed all the required work for the course, and must complete it to earn a quarter grade.  The work must be completed in a predetermined time frame.  If it is not completed within that time frame, the student receives an “F” for the quarter.  Incomplete grades are communicated to the Main Office and a new report card will be issue by the Main Office once the incomplete grade has been changed to a letter grade by the teacher involved.

P = Pass

F = Fail

The “pass” grade may be given to a student with special circumstances dependent on a student’s effort and not on percentage grading.  It indicates that the student is “working” or “making adequate progress.” However, the grade will not be a factor in the student’s grade point average. The grading process is consistent for the entire semester in this course.  A student will receive a P or F  for each quarter.

NG = No Grade

This grade is given to a student for whom a teacher is unable to grade, due to insufficient information.  An NG grade must be changed to a letter grade by the next grading period.

The following system is used in averaging grades for the semesters and for final grades:

First Semester Grades

1^st Quarter             40%

2^nd Quarter            40%

January Exam         20%

Second Semester Grades

3^rd Quarter             40%

4^th Quarter             40%

June Exam            20%

Final Grades

First Semester        50%

Second Semester    50%

Academic  Probation

A student will be assigned to academic probation if:

1. The overall grade point average falls below 60%;
2. The student receives three or more failing grades in a report period;
3. The administration believes that the student’s performance will be improved through the placement on academic probation.

Students on Academic Probation will be ineligible for participation in any extra-curricular activities during the period of the academic probation, including overnight field trips and athletics.  A student on academic probation may become eligible at the end of the quarter by meeting normal eligibility requirements (see above under eligibility).

The  length of academic probation will be for one semester and students on Academic Probation will automatically be referred to the school’s Leadership Council for screening, evaluation and possible remedial services.

If the terms of the academic probation are not realized, the student may be asked to withdraw from Pinewood - The  American International School.

Academic  Calendar/Daily  Schedule

The school year is divided into two semesters. The first semester runs from September 2 through January 22, and the second from January 25 through June 18. Exams are taken in all courses at the end of each semester. The secondary schedule is structured around a modified block. Each core subject will meet for two double and two single periods on a weekly basis (SEE SCHEDULE AND CALENDAR BELOW).

Seminar Time
There is an unstructured time block every Wednesday called Seminar Time when opportunities are provided to students for additional IB instructional time (especially at HL), advisory meetings, group college counseling, life and study skills workshops, library research, career planning, school assemblies, performance   venues, and intramural competitions. Each secondary student is assigned to a particular activity during Seminar Time and is required to attend.

Advisory  Groups
Secondary  school students (grades 7-12)  are  assigned grade level faculty advisors who perform a variety of “student helper” functions throughout the school year.  Advisory meetings will normally be scheduled during the Wednesday Seminar block time.

Test  Schedule
Students are not required to take more than two major tests on any day and all secondary teachers are required to record upcoming tests on the school’s Test Calendar in order to regulate test frequency.  Quizzes are considered to be twenty minutes or less in duration and may be on any given day.

Homework
While the school recognizes that students undertake many learning experiences outside school hours, Pinewood requires that some of this time be set aside for school-initiated homework. This may be of two kinds - formal or informal. Formal homework is work directly assigned by a teacher, while informal refers to a variety of activities, including personal reading, writing, research and practice/review. The following times are recommended as a minimum total per night:

Grade 7: one and one-half hours per night

Grade 8: one and one-half hours per night

Grade 9: two hours per night

Grade 10: two hours per night

Grade 11: two and a half hours per night (IB students four hours + per night)

Grade 12: three hours per night (IB students four and a half hours + per night)

Grade  Advancement

As a general rule, the following policy will apply to all students in the Secondary school:

Students must obtain at least 4 credits by the end of grade 9 to advance into grade 10.

Students must obtain at least 9 credits by the end of grade 10 to advance into grade 11.

Students must obtain at least 15 credits by the end of grade 11 to advance into grade 12.