Design your life…
The forest school high school
Learner Testimonies & Guidance
What’s your goal?
Twice yearly Forest School staff meet with high schoolers and parents to discuss the following…
What are three things in your life you’re most proud of accomplishing?
What do you think your purpose in life is?
Can you rank these from 1 (most desirable) to 8 (least desirable)? 4 year college, 2 year college, military, start my own business, start nonprofit, GAP year, get an entry level job, get a beyond entry level job?
What apprenticeships do you know now you want to do this year? List at least 3. You will do 4 per year.
What courses might you design for yourself? If you could learn anything in the world, what would it be?
To expand your horizons, what might you want to study or explore that is disconnected from your current interests?
Of the majors / careers you mentioned, on a scale of 1 (unfamiliar) to 10 (very familiar), how familiar are you with what those jobs actually look and feel like?
If college is your goal, what kind of college? Can you name some colleges that interest you? What might you study and why? If a job, what job and why? If a business or nonprofit, what kind? If military, what branch and why? etc.
Do you want to study a world language this year? Which? How good do you want want to get at that language by the time you graduate?
Are there any college visits you know you want to do this year?
Are there any external tests (eg AP, PSAT, SAT) or certifications (CCSP, CISM) you want or need to be pursuing?
To date, do you have a portfolio to document and showcase your best work? How might you update it?
High School Curriculum
Key documents:
Interested in HOPE scholarship? Understand “academic rigor” requirements
For history, science, math, and AP courses, high schoolers use Khan Academy unless they pitch (and get approved) another platform.
“English language arts” is done through Storytelling challenges and Deep Books.
2022 Due Dates / Deadlines:
Deep books are due on TBD
Everything for Seniors is due on TBD
Everything for Underclassman is due on TBD
Heroes first Dream Team meetings will be held at TBD
Grading Scale & Course Weighting
Grading scale at The Forest School:
A+ = 4.3
A = 4.0
B = 3.0
Anything below B = Incomplete / No credit
How specific courses are weighted:
AP courses
A+ = 5.0 (complete the course requirements on time and score a 3 or higher on the AP test)
A = 4.3 (complete the course requirements on time and score a 2 or higher on the AP test)
B = 4.0 (complete the course requirements on time and score a 1 or higher on the AP test)
Apprenticeships
A+ = 5.0 (paid apprenticeship, complete all badge requirements on time, get a letter of recommendation from employer)
A = 4.3 (complete all badge requirements on time, get a letter of recommendation from employer)
B = 4.0 (complete all badge requirements on time)
Dual enrollment
Add 1.0 GPA points to whatever grade the college gives
College Bound?
Beyond paying attention to Forest School requirements, it is crucial to pay close attention to requirements of 1) colleges and universities, which are constantly changing and are different from Forest School graduation requirements, of 2) GA Futures, which also has different from Forest School graduation requirements, and of 3) ACT or The College Board if you planning on taking any of their associated tests (eg AP courses, PSAT, SAT, ACT, etc).
Heads up—The requirements and expectations of GA Futures, ACT, The College Board, and our nation’s colleges, and universities are constantly changing. Though mighty, our Forest School team is small and unable to keep up with the requirements of these countless institutions because they evolve literally every year. Thus, it’s the high schooler’s and parent’s/caregiver’s responsibility to keep up with requirements, deadlines, and expectations of these non-Forest School entities.
Proving rigor
For learners who are college bound, proving rigor is key. Here are the top six ways college bound learners at The Forest School can demonstrate rigor (i.e., show they’re going above and beyond):
Mastery credits—Earn the max amount of mastery credits (30), and strive to earn more than your peers.
Learner design courses (i.e., “Independent study”)—Design as many of your courses as you’re able.
Apprenticeships—Max out the number of apprenticeships you can take (28 badges in total, which is 7 apprenticeships per year).
Dual enrollment—Max out the number of dual enrollment courses you can take (3).
AP Courses—Max out the number of AP courses you can take (4).
Badges—Max out the number of badges you can earn each year.
GPA—Take courses that have “weighted GPAs” and thus increase your GPA. Options include learner design courses, AP courses, apprenticeships, and dual enrollment courses.