Grade 11 Course Selection

1. Grade 11 Course Selection

2. Grade 11 Course Selection • It is time to select your Grade 11 academic programme • Your programme must be considered with your post-secondary plans in mind… This might be challenging because you’re in Grade 10 and you may not ever thought of this before! • You may be unsure about what you want to pursuein the future… But you probably know what you are good at, and what you enjoy/NOT enjoy doing. This helps! • Choose the courses that are right for you =interests and ability + pre-requisites (what’s needed in the future)

3. What’s the Process? Step #1 Make PRELIMINARY course choices now. Complete the Grade 11 Course Selections and “My Plans After Brentwood” sections of the programming sheet and submit them to your Advisors by Monday, March 4th. Step #2 At home over Spring Break, discuss your selections with your parents. We will be emailing your programming sheet home to your parents so that you have something to talk about.

4. What’s the Process? Step #3 Early next term, confirm your course selections with your Advisors. You will take time with your Advisor to discuss your selections and plans. Step #4 Follow-up over the course of the term with a MANDATORY meeting with Mr. Rodrigues, Mrs. Coull or Mr. Colistro to confirm that choices are appropriate to your plans.

5. General Notes on Courses • All of you are required to take English 11, a Math 11, Social Studies 11for graduation. • You are strongly encouraged to take a Language 11 (and must take one in some cases). • You will take elective courses,one of which must be a Science 11, for a total of SIX courses overall. • Choose the courses that are right for you = interests and ability + pre-requisites for Grade 12 and beyond!

6. The programming sheet you will be filling out…

7. Courses Offered for Grade 11s For more information on these courses, please see the “Notes on Grade 11 Courses” PowerPoint on our Post-Secondary Planning Moodle site. • English 11 orAP English Language & Composition • Social Studies 11 • Pre-Calculus 11 or Foundations of Mathematics 12 • AP Art History 11 • AP Art History 12 • Beginner’s Mandarin • Biology 11 or AP Biology 11 • Chemistry 11 or AP Chemistry 11 • Computer Science 11 • Entrepreneurship 12 • Financial Accounting 12–Returning course • French 11 • Geography 12 • Geology 12 • Law 12 – New Course • Mandarin Chinese – Intermediate or Advanced • AP Music Theory • Physics 11 orAP Physics B 11 • Spanish 11 • Any other Grade 12 elective may be selected if deemed appropriate for the student. This means you have to convince the University Counselors to let you take it!

8. Advanced Placement (AP) • AP courses are more advanced courses that are administered by the College Board. They offer AP exams in the subjects that allow students to challenge for potential university credit. • The AP options in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics are the first of TWO year courses. The AP exam is only written near the end of the second year… 12AP, not 11AP. • The AP course options open to Grade 11s in which you will write an AP exam in May 2014 are: the AP option of English 11, AP Art History 12, AP Music Theory 12. • Take the AP option of a particular subject because you really enjoy it!

9. English 11 • You have the option of the AP version of English 11 = AP English Language & Composition • This class is for “ ‘A’ students in English 10 and/or those extremely keen to read widely and write frequently.” - Mr. Collis • Students in the AP class… …will write the English Language & Composition exam in May 2014. …will get both the English 11 and AP credit on their transcript.

10. Math 11 • In Grade 11 students have a choice between two different mathematics courses: Pre-Calculus 11 or Foundations of Mathematics 12… not 11. “The goals of both courses are to provide prerequisite attitudes, knowledge, skills and understandings for specific post-secondary programs. Both courses provide students with mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills. It is the choice of topics through which those understandings and skills are developed that varies among the courses. When choosing a mathematics 11 course, students should consider their interests, both current and future.” -Mr. Wardrop

11. Pre-Calculus 11 • The pre-calculus pathway is designed to provide students with the mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills identified for entry into post-secondary programs that require the study of theoretical calculus, such as Science, Engineering and Commerce. • Topics include sequence and series, trigonometry, quadratics, functions and equations, systems of equations and systems of inequalities.

12. Foundations of Mathematics 12 • The foundations pathway is designed to provide students with the mathematical understandings and critical-thinking skills identified for post-secondary studies in programs that do not require the study of theoretical calculus, such as Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Education, and other similar programs. • Topics include: measurement, geometry, logical reasoning, statistics, relations and functions, and a mathematics research project.

13. 12 Why Foundations of Mathematics ? Although it is suggested that students take Foundations of Mathematics 11 before attempting Foundations 12, there is no prerequisite set by the B.C. Ministry of Education for Foundations 12. The topics covered in the Grade 12 course do not necessarily depend on prior knowledge of topics in Grade 11, nor are they more challenging. Therefore, the Math Department does not offer a Foundations 11 course but have, instead, designed a Foundations 12 course that includes all of the outcomes required by the Ministry for Foundations 12, as well as some of the interesting/relevant topics from Foundations 11. This course will have direct entry from Foundations of Mathematics & Pre-Calculus 10.

14. Science • Most university Science programs need any two of the core lab sciences: biology, chemistry and physics. • Strong science students should consider the AP option available in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. • To enter the Faculty of Science at UBC Vancouver, SFU or UVic, Chemistry 11 and Physics 11 are required, regardless of the science you intend to pursue. • Engineers need chemistry and physics. • UK medical, dental and veterinary medicine degrees need the AP option of Biology 11 & 12

15. Language 11 • A Language 11 may be a university requirement: • All Faculties at UBC Vancouver and Simon Fraser University • Humanities at University of Victoria • Most top-tier U.S. universities (some of which will want you to even carry on in a second language to Grade 12) • For this reason, and because there is inherent value in it, our expectation is that every Brentwood graduate will complete, at least, a Language 11: French 11, Mandarin 11 or Spanish 11.

16. Language 11 • Exceptions: • You are exempted from second language acquisition because of a diagnosed and documented learning style difference. • If you are an ESL student and there is a provincial course or SAT Subject Test in your language. You can take the corresponding exam for a Language 11 credit: Mandarin, German, French, Spanish, Korean and Japanese. • Any other exception would have to be approved by Mr. Rodrigues/Mrs. Coull/Mr. Colistro as a lack of a Language 11 can have significant post-secondary consequences.

17. Final Word • Choose courses that interest you. You will do best in these and so have more post-secondary options.