International Baccalaureate Courses
The International Baccalaureate is a two year program that takes place during the Junior and Senior years. The following courses are available:
Physics SL
Language HL Chemistry SL
History of the Americas HL Biology SL
Visual Arts HL Mathematics SL
Psychology HL Math Studies SL
French SL
Spanish SL
Classical Latin SL
The other components of the IB Program include Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay, and Creativity, Action, and Service. (CAS)
Students are required to take the entire IB program and the tests required on the completion of the program. An additional $500 fee is added to the tuition of each student per year during their study in this program to cover the costs of examinations.
HONORS SECTIONS
Admission to an Advanced Placement or Honors course is based on superior academic achievement and requires the recommendation and approval of the academic department.
GRADING/WEIGHTING
All courses will receive a 4.0 as the highest possible grade. The grade will then be converted to quality points. The final semester grade in each subject will be multiplied by 1.2 for an advanced placement course, 1.1 for an honor course, and 1.0 for a regular course.
Grade Quality Points
Advanced Placement Course & IB HL 4.0 (x 1.2) 4.8
Honors Course & IB SL 4.0 (x 1.1) 4.4
Regular course 4.0 (x 1.0) 4.0
SCHEDULING CHANGES
The school reserves the right to drop any course in which a sufficient number of students is not enrolled. The Guidance Counselor has the authority to make an adjustment of subject choice. Some course selections require signatures of approval from Department Chairperson and Guidance Counselors. Course changes requested by the student after scheduling has begun depend on available space and require parental approval. Payment of $20
Summer School
SAT Prep
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Faculty
For a list of faculty members for the 2008-2009 academic year, please visit: faculty
Academics
Graduation Requirements
Certain minimum requirements have been established by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and Saint Dominic Academy for graduation. These are expressed in terms of successful completion of specific courses and credits.
Students are required to successfully complete courses in the following areas (numbers refer to years of study): Religious Studies – 4 (Includes 40 hours of Christian Service); English – 4; American History – 2; Physical Education – 4; Health and Driver Education – 4; Mathematics – 4; Foreign Language – 2; Science – 2 (2 lab sciences); World History – 1; Electives – 4; Art – ¼; Music – ¼; Computer – ½. Full year major courses earn 5 credits; one-semester courses earn 2.5 credits. Two one-semester courses may substitute for a full year.
The credit for Career Development is satisfied by the use of an infusion method in all subject areas, an annual career day and attendance at a variety of career fairs.
A full year failure must be made up in a sixty hour summer session before the student may return to Saint Dominic Academy in the fall. The administration reserves the right to discontinue the enrollment of any student who fails two or more courses in a year. The decision whether any student will be dismissed by reason of academic failure shall be at the discretion of the administration.
Course of Study
Advanced Placement
Currently, nine college-level courses are offered within the regular curriculum. They include: AP English, AP Spanish, AP French, AP Calculus, AP United States History, AP Art History, AP Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Latin IV Honors. Admission to these courses, which are described in the annual Course Offerings booklet, requires departmental approval. These are college-level courses, demanding intense preparation on the part of the faculty who are selected to teach them. In order to do justice to their advance content, faculty are obliged to challenge their students to in-depth reading, research, problem-solving and creative achievement. The grade awarded should be based on college-level criteria.
ACADEMIC POLICIES
ADVANCED PLACEMENT/HONORS COURSES
1. A course that emphasizes high levels of thinking and involves a more in-depth study of the subject matter.
2. An advanced level course that may (or may not) use a college-level text and pre-supposes foundation in a given subject.
Currently, there are eleven such courses:
Advanced Placement English
Advanced Placement Spanish
Advanced Placement French
Advanced Placement Calculus AB
Latin IV (Honors)
Chemistry II (Honors)
Anatomy & Physiology (Honors)
Advanced Placement U.S. History
Advanced Placement Art History
Advanced Placement Psychology
Advanced Placement Physics B
ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES
1. Any student taking an A.P. course is required to take the A.P. exam.
2. An additional $90 per course is added to the tuition of students taking AP courses in order to cover the cost of the required national examination.