Q: How will I request my courses for next school year?
A: 9th grade students will be working with their middle school counselors to enter course information into their Home Access Center (HAC) account. Students should (1) use the registration worksheets as a guide, (2) take time to learn about courses via the Course Catalog, & (3) by attending 8th Grade Family Night at JHS. Paper copies of registration worksheets will not be accepted. Course requests must be completed in HAC.
Q: We are NEW to the area, when can we enroll our student?
A: If you will be living in the JHS area (and have a JHS area address), we can pre-register your student for the upcoming school year. Contact our JHS Counseling Secretary to talk through this process!
Q: When will students get their schedule?
A: Student schedules are posted in HAC before school begins (typically at the end of August), and 9th graders are able to see where their classes are held during Freshmen Orientation.
Q: Will my student have summer homework?
A: Most of our classes do not have summer homework. In fact, typically, the only class that freshmen can take that does have optional summer homework is AP Environmental Science. In late May/early-June, the summer homework will be posted on the Jackson website for students to access.
Q: Do we offer "zero hour" periods at Jackson?
A: We do offer very limited courses in zero hour. Students can audition to be in Jazz Choir, Beginning Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble. Students can also run for an ASB office, in which case they will be enrolled in ASB Leadership. And, for 11th and/or 12th grade students, there is the option to add a Worksite Learning class, where credit can be earned via hours completed within an outside job. There are no other zero-hour course offerings.
Q: How do I access NJROTC (EHS), Auto Maintenance or Auto Tech (CHS), or other unique programs that are offered at one of the other high schools?
A: These are handled on a case-by-case basis and the conversation should start with your middle school counselor who will then connect you to your high school counselor.
Q: What are electives?
A: Electives are any course you take after you have met the minimum credit requirement in a subject. For example, if you have earned 3.0 credits of math and take a 4th credit, that 4th math class then becomes an "elective." Students are required to take 4.0 credits in electives before they graduate. Most students will get these credits completed during their junior and senior years.
Q: What is PPR?
A: PPR is a personal pathway requirement. Essentially, it is a course that connects to your high school and beyond plan. When students complete their yearly Naviance High School & Beyond Plan Survey, they are asked to indicate if a course is being used as a "personalized pathway" within their High School and Beyond Plan. An example would be a student that takes an extra science course because the student wants to major in science in college, or a student who attends Sno-Isle to receive training in a specific career area.
Q: Do I have to take PE1 and Family Health as a freshman, or can I wait to take the course later?
A: PE1 and Family Health are typically freshman year courses. PE1 is required to be completed before taking any other PE course. Family Health is also a graduation requirement. Some students have elected to take these courses over the summer or online to open up space to take something else.
Q: I'm taking a high school (HS) course through an external program (BYU, Red Comet, etc.). How should I plan my JHS courses?
A: If you are a middle school student enrolled in a high school-level course through an external program, it’s important to work closely with your middle school counselor and registrar to ensure you're enrolled in an accredited course that aligns with your academic plan. Upon completion of a high school-level course in middle school, you must collaborate with your middle school registrar to have the course credit added to your transcript.
If you complete a high school course during the summer (between 8th and 9th grade), be sure to send an official transcript directly to the JHS Registrar before the first day of school. This will allow us to accurately place you in the appropriate next-level course. Please note, if you only complete the first semester of a year-long course, you may not be eligible to advance to the next level if it has prerequisite requirements. For example, students must complete the full year of Geometry in Application before progressing to Advanced Algebraic Concepts.
BYU Independent Study: If you are taking a course through BYU Independent Study, they will automatically send our registrar an updated grade report if you list Henry M. Jackson High School (school code: 480-711) as your academic institution.
Red Comet: If you're enrolled in a Red Comet course, you must request that they send an official transcript to our Registrar upon completion of the course(s) in order to ensure the credit is properly recorded.
