Middle & High School
Grades 7-8
The 7th and 8th grade programs at Pinewood are designed to provide a smooth transition from the Elementary school years to increased academic intensity and expectations of the High School (Grades 9-12) 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.
Courses Offered
Grades 9-12
High School Program of Study Options
The school offers high school programs of studies designed to prepare students for university matriculation. We offer four rigorous options for our students to pursue:
- American High School Diploma
- AP Capstone Diploma
- International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
- Greek Diploma Equivalency
American High School Diploma
The American High School Diploma is awarded to students who successfully complete their high school education at Pinewood. Students are required to complete a minimum of 22 credits in high school, Grades 9-12. The strong majority of Pinewood students graduate with more than the minimum credit requirement.
AP Capstone Diploma
The AP Capstone Diploma, offered by the College Board, is a program that aims to provide students with a unique and challenging educational experience, fostering skills that are highly valuable in college and future careers. It emphasizes inquiry, research, collaboration, and communication, preparing students for the rigors of higher education and beyond. It consists of two mandatory courses: AP Seminar and AP Research.
To earn the AP Capstone Diploma, students must successfully complete both AP Seminar and AP Research, as well as four additional AP courses of their choosing.
Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on the AP Seminar and AP Research exams, as well as on four additional AP exams, receive the AP Capstone Diploma.
Students who earn scores of 3 or higher on the AP Seminar and AP Research exams but do not complete the additional AP courses receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.
AP Seminar is an interdisciplinary class focusing on critical thinking and research skills. Students engage with various texts to explore complex topics from multiple perspectives. The course includes team projects and presentations, where students collaborate to analyze specific issues and communicate their findings. Additionally, students complete an individual written argument, showcasing their ability to construct well-reasoned arguments supported by evidence. The culmination involves an end-of-course exam assessing their understanding of the covered skills and content.
AP Research builds on the foundation established in AP Seminar. It centers around a year-long independent research project, allowing students to delve deeply into a topic of their choosing. The culmination is an academic thesis (4000-5000 words) that outlines the research question, methodology, findings, and conclusions. In addition to the written component, students are required to present and defend their research to peers and evaluators, honing their communication skills. Emphasizing critical inquiry, AP Research simulates a college-level research experience and prepares students for academic challenges in higher education. Scores, ranging from 1 to 5, are based on the quality of the thesis, the presentation and defense, and a written exam.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
The IB Diploma Programme educational model is represented with a circular design, emphasising its holistic and integrated nature. The model is built around the learner profile, a set of attributes that schools aim to develop in pupils using student-centered, independent approaches to teaching and learning. All Diploma candidates are expected to fulfill three core and interlinked requirements: to follow classes on Theory of Knowledge, to complete a research paper known as the Extended Essay and to demonstrate engagement with Creativity-Action-Service.
Click here to learn more about the required six areas of knowledge and IBDP Philosophy.
Greek Diploma Equivalency
The Greek Diploma Equivalency is intended for students who want to receive an equivalency to the Greek Apolytirion.
This requires Greek Native and Greek History courses each year of high school following the Greek Ministry of Education curriculum. Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a certificate of attendance and a grade transcript which they submit along with their American High School Diploma to the relevant office of the Greek Ministry of Education, which issues the equivalency to the Greek Apolytirion.
- Grade Level Promotion
- Criteria for Passing/Failing a Course
- Graduation Requirements
- Commencement
- Credit Recovery
Grade Level Promotion
Criteria for Passing/Failing a Course
Final grades are determined through a combination of the scores earned in both summative assessments and cumulative exams. Students will have passed a course and receive credit for the class if they earn any final grade above 60%.
For AP courses: a minimum grade of 2 is required for receiving credit towards receiving the American Diploma. However, note that most colleges will consider a minimum grade of 3 as necessary to give credit for admission purposes.
For IB courses: a minimum grade of 3 is required for receiving credit for HL courses and a minimum grade of 4 is required for receiving credit for SL courses. ToK requires a minimum grade of D for receiving credit.
Only final grades, not progress report marks or semester scores, are used to calculate a student’s GPA for the year on the transcript.
Graduation Requirements
Requirements for graduation are consistent with the goals of the school, the requirements for admission to higher education institutions, and based on the Carnegie Unit system. Pinewood grants its diploma only to students who have successfully completed all graduation requirements.
Department | Minimum Requirements | Recommended for University |
---|---|---|
English | 4 Credits | 4 Credits |
Social Studies | 4 Credits | 4 Credits |
Mathematics | 3 Credits | 4 Credits |
Science |
3 Credits | 4 Credits |
World Language | 2 Credits | 4 Credits |
Physical Education | 1 Credits | 1 Credits |
Electives | 5 Credits | 6 Credits |
Commencement
The Commencement Ceremony, which is an important feature in American international schools, is held for the graduating seniors (Grade 12) at the end of each academic year. On this occasion, two top-ranking seniors deliver salutatorian and valedictorian addresses on behalf of their classmates, and a guest speaker is invited to address the graduating class. The event is the highlight of a high school student’s career at Pinewood, and the entire Pinewood community is invited to attend.
If a student has not completed all graduation requirements at the time of the commencement ceremony, the student may participate in the ceremony if an acceptable, timely plan for obtaining the needed credits has been approved beforehand. Under no circumstances will a student be able to receive the American Diploma if graduation requirements have not been fully met.
Credit Recovery
Credit recovery is an option available to high school students who did not earn a final, passing grade in up to 3 courses but no more. The intent of the program is to provide these students with an opportunity for additional time to earn credits towards graduation. All costs associated with this option are the responsibility of the student. Students who need to enroll in an online course will be notified by the Principal and/or IBDP Coordinator as soon as possible; however, it is often the case that the need is not clear until after final exams have been completed. Students must successfully complete all course requirements in order to earn the needed credit.
The credit recovery course must be successfully completed at least 2 weeks before the first day of school in order to count towards advancement to the next grade level. Upon receipt of the official transcript indicating a passing mark, the student’s transcript will be adjusted accordingly to indicate that credit recovery was utilized for that class.
Habits and Attitudes for Learning (HAL)
In addition to numerical grades, Middle and High School students also receive feedback on their Habits and Attitudes for Learning. HAL marks are qualitative and based on 4 criteria: attendance/punctuality, preparation, independence, and collaboration. The rubric used to provide this feedback identifies many of the dispositions and approaches to learning that students should work to develop if they are to cultivate a growth mindset and become independent lifelong learners. Teachers assign attitudes to learning qualitative continuum marks throughout the year. Students can also use the rubric to self-assess or set personal growth goals.