Watertown High School

Watertown High School

Grade 9 Honors Cohort

The Honors Cohort Application for the 2013-14 school year is now available.  SEE UPDATE BELOW. 

2013-14 Honors Cohort Application With Teacher Recommendation.  

Please note the Honors Cohort Application file has been edited to now include the teacher recommendation form.  If you have previously downloaded this file, please check this out again.  effective 12/17/2012, 9:00 PM.

Honors Cohort Frequently Asked Questions.

Grade 9 Honors Cohort Additional Information.

Application Due Date:  January 11, 2013

Cohort Entrance Exam: 

January 24, 2013 at Swift or January 26, 2013 at Watertown High School

Notification Letters will be mailed the 3^rd week in February.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Mrs. Kuegler at kueglerma@watertownps.org.

About the Program

Students accepted into the Watertown High School Honors Cohort travel as a team for five core academic subjects. All students will take Honors Integrated Biology, Honors English 1, and Honors World History. In addition, students who enroll in the Math/Science Program will take both Honors Geometry and Honors Algebra II in order to be eligible to take A.P. Chemistry during their sophomore year. Those students who enroll in the Humanities Program will take Honors Geometry and Humanities.  Students may elect to enroll in both the Math/Science and Humanities Programs.  All students must enroll in an Honors World Language class. A major objective of this program is to prepare able students for Honors and Advanced Placement courses during their sophomore, junior, and senior years. The Honors Cohort will provide students with a rigorous academic experience in all subject areas. Students will complete at least one interdisciplinary project per semester. There are summer assignments required for most courses.

Mission Statement

The mission of this program is to provide a rigorous academic experience for students who have demonstrated academic talent in each subject area.  The program maximizes the students’ learning experiences and their opportunities for admission to competitive colleges and universities.

Application Process

Students can apply for admission to the Honors Cohort by completing the attached application and submitting one piece of their best work. To apply for the Honors Cohort, students must be enrolled in Algebra I. 

Selection

Students are selected for this program based on a review of the following by the WHS Honors Program teachers:

• ·         Student application
• ·         Middle school academic performance
• ·         Teacher recommendations
• ·         Grade 7 CMT results

The grade 9 program is available to approximately 20 - 23 ninth grade students who have achieved at an advanced level and who meet the criteria of the program.

Schedule – Grade 9

All students will take Honors Integrated Biology, Honors English 1, and Honors World History. In addition, students who enroll in the Math/Science Program will take both Honors Geometry and Honors Algebra II in order to be eligible to take A.P. Chemistry during their sophomore year. Those students who enroll in the Humanities Program will take Honors Geometry and Humanities.  Students may elect to enroll in both the Math/Science and Humanities Programs.  All students must enroll in an Honors World Language class.  Students admitted to the cohort would also have first choice of elective classes.

Possible Courses – Grades 9

* Prepares Students for A.P. Exam

Possible Courses – Grades 10 – 12

The Honors Cohort is currently designed as a one-year program. After freshman year, students would likely take some or all of the courses listed in the table below. Students would also have the option to take some courses at the College Preparatory level.

* Prepares Students for A.P. Exam

Why do we offer an Honors Cohort?

-          Teachers are able to share ideas and strategies for working with students.

-          Students who excel in all four academic areas have the opportunity to work together in classes in interdisciplinary projects.
           This helps students make connections across disciplines.

-          Students working together in a cohort get to know each other well and gain valuable experience working as part of a team.

-          Students are well prepared for Honors and Advanced Placement courses that they will take during their sophomore, junior,
           and senior years.

CAPT Implications

Currently, students enroll in Integrated Science during ninth grade. Because the content embedded in the Integrated Science curriculum is included on the Connecticut Academic Performance Test, the information that students will need for the CAPT will be included in the Honors Integrated Biology class that students will take as part of the cohort. The curricula for the other honors level courses that students will take as part of the cohort are already aligned with current CAPT standards.