The program of studies at Loretto High School is arranged to fulfill all the state and regional requirements for accreditation and the University of California requirements for college admission. It offers students challenge, flexibility, and choice. The curriculum has been designed so that students may take advantage of far more than minimum graduation requirements, and students are strongly urged to do so. In preparation for college, AP, Honors and elective courses are strongly recommended. All students are encouraged to pursue study in fields of special interest and, if time permits, to enrich their educational experience with courses in all the arts and sciences.
Students are urged to visit the College Center and to consult the catalogs and bulletins of colleges they may later attend for specific recommendations.
Seniors are required to take at least six courses per term. Juniors, sophomores, and frosh should take seven courses per term. No credit is earned for a study period.
Requirements For Graduation
| Computer Science & Applications |
1 trimester |
3 units |
| English |
12 trimesters |
40 units |
| Foreign Language |
6 trimesters |
20 units |
| Mathematics |
9 trimesters |
30 units |
| Physical Education/Health |
3 trimester |
10 units |
| Science |
9 trimesters |
30 units |
| Social Studies |
9 trimester |
30 units |
| Theology |
10 trimesters |
36 units |
| Visual & Performing Arts |
4 trimesters |
14 units |
| Electives |
15 trimesters |
47 units |
Total 260 units
Basic Information
THE TRIMESTER - The
school year is divided into three terms of twelve weeks
each. The fall term extends from September until Thanksgiving;
the winter term begins in December and ends near the beginning
of March; the spring term concludes the year. Courses are
studied for one, two, or three terms.
COURSE OFFERINGS - Courses listed in this
booklet are offered at student request and as scheduling
permits. In general, a minimum of twenty students must request
an elective course if it is to be offered in the regular
school day. Students who would like to suggest new courses
are asked to give their ideas to the appropriate department
chairpersons.
COLLEGE PREP COURSES (P) - These courses
meet the UC "a-g" subject requirements. They are designed
to be challenging and to prepare students for university
level work.
HONORS COURSES (H) - Honors courses are
the most rigorous high school courses offered and require
prerequisites and performance standards. They will take
more time, require more work and go into greater depth.
Students must apply for admission to Honors courses. Honors
courses carry a weighted GPA.
AP COURSES
Advanced Placement courses are College Level courses and
require prerequisites and performance standards. They are
very demanding in terms of time, volume and pace of work,
intellectual ability and independent learning. Students
must apply for admission to AP courses. These courses carry
a weighted GPA. Students who take an AP course are required
to take the College Board's AP exam. The cost of the exam,
which will be approximately $85, will be billed to the student.
Over ninety percent of the colleges that most AP candidates
have attended give credit and/or advanced placement to students
whose AP Examination grades are considered acceptable.
STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO APPLY FOR AP AND HONORS COURSES.
ELECTIVE - This is a course which is chosen by the student. In addition to the departmental or subject area requirements, each student is required to take a minimum of 15 terms of elective classes. Students are encouraged to take electives in areas that they plan to study in college as well as in areas where they find special interest.
Courses which fulfill subject area requirements may also be taken as electives (e.g., PHYSICS H, SPANISH 3). Some electives, however, do not meet subject area requirements (e.g., YEARBOOK, PROGRAMMING, AND TEACHING ASSISTANT, etc.).
CONTRACT STUDY - In each department, contract study courses for individualized learning may be arranged. Individualized contract study may be done on campus or through field study. Such individualized study provides increased flexibility and freedom of choice within the curriculum. A student may request any faculty member qualified in a given field to supervise a contract study in that field for any stated term. However, no contract study may duplicate a regular course offering, and any faculty member may decline to supervise such a study. Generally, 45 hours of instructional time earns 3 units of credit. Costs for contract courses vary depending on the number of units per contract. Each unit costs $75.
ACCELERATED COLLEGE ENTRANCE (A.C.E.) - A.C.E. was established by California State University, Sacramento (C.S.U.S.), to give high school students the opportunity to study subject matter at the college level while still in high school. Virtually all undergraduate (lower division) courses are available depending on the student's background and interest. Credits earned as an A.C.E. student may be transferred to other universities. (See a school administrator for more information.)
CREDIT - In general, ten units of credit are earned by a year of study in one course. Four units are earned during the first or most difficult term of a course, and three units are earned during each of the following two terms. All one-term electives earn three units of credit regardless of the term in which they are taken.
TEACHER ASSISTANTS - may earn one credit on a Pass or Fail basis.
Exceptions are as follows:
English: LITERATURE 1, WRITING ABOUT LITERATURE,
AMERICAN LITERATURE A, ENGLISH LITERATURE A, (4 credits
each).
Physical Education: HEALTH/CPR (4 credits).
Science: METEOROLOGY (4 credits).
Theology: 4 units of credit per term, except Junior and Senior courses.
Visual & Performing Arts: All one term courses, 3 units of credit each, except ART HISTORY AND APPRECIATION (4 credits), MUSIC HISTORY AND APPRECIATION (4 credits).
Credits can also be found at the end of the course number. For example, 6121-04 means METEOROLOGY carries 4 units.
Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) - Courses
receive 4 grade points for each unit of A, 3 for B, 2 for
C, 1 for D and 0 for F. Honors and AP courses are weighted
and receive 5 grade points for each unit of A, 4 for B,
3 for C, 2 for D and 0 for F.
GPA DEFINITIONS:
LORETTO GPA:
Reflects all grades, all years, including weighing of Honors
and AP courses. This GPA is used to determine rank.
LORETTO UNWEIGHTED
GPA: Relects all grades, all years, with no weighting
of Honors and AP courses.
LORETTO ACADEMIC
GPA: Reflects grades earned in the 10th-12th years
in courses approved by the University of California/California
State University. Courses with P, (H): or AP are UC/CSU
approved courses.
Summer School - Course work taken in the
summer at a public school will not be factored into the
Loretto High School G.P.A. The Loretto High School G.P.A.
determines class rank. These courses will fulfill subject
requirements for graduation and units will count toward
the 260 required to graduate.
Course Description Booklet
This Course Description Booklet is designed to be
a tool for you. Once you have studied it carefully,
you will know: the minimum graduation requirements which
you must fulfill, every class which is proposed for
the 2008-09 school year, classes proposed for the following
school year, possible sequences of courses, which classes
are open to you this coming year, which classes you
will be eligible to take in future years, and other
pertinent information.
When you know the possibilities open to you, you can make informed choices and plan to make the most out of the educational opportunity open to you at Loretto.
LHS Students Going Wireless
Forget tripping over cords or fumbling with wires when you use your laptop around campus: Loretto is wireless G with multiple access points now in place.
There is an annual fee for configuration and IT administration. See Wireless_Application_Form.pdf.
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