Freshmen
- Transition Tips for 9th Grade
- 9th Grade Goals for College and Career Planning
- Transition to High School: FAQs
Transition Tips for 9th Grade
The first day of school is your orientation day. North Link Crew provides freshman and new students with a half-day experience geared specifically toward being a student at Appleton North. On the first day of school, the first half is for freshmen only - all other students will start in the afternoon.
Trust the middle school scheduling process. Middle school counselors and high school counselors work together to share and collaborate on scheduling information. Middle school staff have also collaborated and worked to ensure your students are in the correct placements for high school.
Attend the open house. The open house is an opportunity for families to meet their teachers, get contact information (if any issues arise in the class), and review the expectations of the class.
Review your draft schedule. Schedules published in Mid-August in Infinite Campus are considered preliminary and are subject to change. North does not print out paper copies of schedules until the "final schedule" is posted on the first day of school. When you review your schedule check the following:
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Math, English, Science and Civics, Band, Orchestra, and World Language are all full-year classes. Make sure you are registered for both semesters of the class.
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7 credits means no study hall. 6 credits means a study hall.
Do a “schedule” walk-through. We understand students are anxious about their schedule and the first day of school. A great way to ease these anxieties is to get familiar with the Appleton North Building. Do a walk-through of your school day. Appleton North High School is open in August from 8:00 - 2:00 pm weekdays.
Develop a list of coping strategies. High school is more... more people, more work, and more opportunities. Stress is natural when experiencing "more". Know your coping strategies and be prepared to employ them on the first day of school. Here is a checklist to get you started 💜Mental Health Matters!
9th Grade Goals for College and Career Planning
Goal: Get to know my school counselor and take advantage of opportunities!
- Meet your school counselor and work with them to create a yearly class schedule that will meet the graduation requirements.
- Get involved early on with extracurricular activities (clubs and athletics).
- Attend Explore Night to assist you with course registration.
- Plan to take electives that connect to your skills, interests and goals for after high school.
- Next year is your first opportunity to attempt an Advanced Placement (AP) class. Sophomores can sign up to take AP World History, talk with your Social Studies teacher to see if that is right for you. Not sure what AP classes are? Talk with your school counselor about the advantages of taking AP classes.
- Take advantage of Xello to explore and identify interesting career options and the education needed to pursue them.
- Begin a resume to track current and future accomplishments. This will be a very useful tool for you as an upperclassman, be sure to keep it updated every semester.
Transition to High School: FAQs
When will I see my class schedule?
"Draft" schedules are available in Infinite Campus in August. Final schedules are available on the first day of class. All schedules are subject to change up to the first day of school.
How do I schedule a study hall?
Students can request a study hall as part of their requests that are submitted in January. Students should search “STUDY HALL semester 1 and/or STUDY HALL semester 2” when prompted in Infinite Campus. Students who request 6.5 credits may request semester 1 or semester 2. Students who request 6.0 credits will enter BOTH Study Hall semesters.
I need a room number for my study hall. What do I do?
Study hall room numbers are the very last detail assigned in a student's schedule. Students receive a finalized schedule on the first day of school and study hall rooms will be indicated by this time.
How many credits of World Language do I need to take to meet graduation requirements?
World Language credits are not required to earn your AASD diploma. However, World Language credits may be required for admission to a specific college. Taking World Language during high school is helpful preparation for college coursework and in taking high-level World Language courses, students could earn college credits while in high school. Click here for more information on the UW System college requirements for admission.
I completed an eSchool class class over the summer. How do I remove the equivalent class from my North schedule?
Students should contact the North counseling office and follow the schedule change procedures. Not all change requests can be honored due to class availability and size limits. Students who request classes that are not available will be placed in a study hall.
What is the drop policy after the class begins?
Students may drop a class (if eligible) until the 25th day of school. The drop policy only allows students to drop a class. (See the next question on making schedule changes) Students are to pick up a Drop/Add form in the Counseling office and drop the completed form off at the counseling office. Students must attend all classes until they receive an email response to the course change request. Not all requests can be honored.
When can I change my schedule for the fall term?
Students who wish to make class changes can do so on days 2-6 of the fall/spring term. Students are to pick up a Drop/Add form in the Counseling office and drop the completed form off at the counseling office. Students must attend all classes until they receive an email response to the course change request. Not all requests can be honored.
- No schedule change requests will be accepted in the summer months
- The Add/Drop Form must be completed - No emails or phone class will be accepted
- No schedule change requests will be made on the 1st day of school due to the orientation day
Can I change my semester 2 schedule after the fall term begins?
Students can change their semester 2 up to the 1st day of semester 2. Students can set up an appointment with their school counselor to request changes. All schedule change requests are dependent on class availability.
I had a PATH counselor in Middle school. Will I still be in PATH at high school?
Each year any student receiving services through the PATH program will have an intake meeting to reestablish care. The PATH Counselor or Catalpa will reach out to PATH families to set up the intake meeting at the beginning of the school year.
What is the difference between Homeroom and Flex?
Homeroom and Flex time both take place from 9:32 - 10:24. Homeroom takes place in the same designated classroom with the same assigned homeroom teachers every Monday. During homeroom, students listen to announcements and presentations relevant to their grade level or general school information. Flex takes place Tuesday - Friday. Students can use this flex time to schedule time with a teacher, attend a club meeting, or use it as a study period. Students are required to attend both the Homeroom and Flex times. Appleton North uses a scheduling system called Edficiency to help students manage this time. All freshmen will receive instruction on how to use Edficiency in the first weeks of school.
How do I schedule an appointment with my school counselor?
Students can schedule appointments with counseling staff through Edficiency. Counselors post office hours weekly. Another option is to email your counselor and they will request you at the next available time during the school day.
Can I take an eSchool class as a freshman?
Students can self-register for an eSchool course through the eSchool website. The registration period for semester classes is between September - February. Some general facts about eSchool:
- eSchool doesn't operate on a set semester schedule.
- eSchool reports their own grades
- eSchool is a separate school from North but uses the same AASD transcript
- The start of the class is when the student requests the eschool class.
- eSchool is self-directed and not synchronous.
- Courses are available to work on independently of the traditional school day
Class of 2027 School Counselor