Sunset High School

The Semester Calendar

Sunset’s school calendar is 36 weeks long and is made up of two semesters.  Each semester is 18 weeks long.  Grade reports are issued at 9 week intervals.   A progress report is populated and viewable through ParentVue midway through both first and second semester (at week 9 and week 27). These reports serve as updates on a student’s progress and are not reflected on a student’s transcript.  Grades are posted on transcripts and in StudentVue and ParentVue at the end of the first semester and the end of the second semester (at week 18 and week 36).  Report cards are no longer mailed.

Credits 

Credits are the units by which academic progress is measured. Students earn .5 credit by passing one semester class.  Each semester students can earn a potential 3.5 credits for a total of 7.0 credits per year.  Students need 24 credits for graduation.

Academic Standing

Grade point average (GPA) is computed on a four-point scale with the following point values awarded per grade: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, I (incomplete)=No value, W (withdraw) = No value and N = No value.

Weighted Grades

Within this guide all courses designated with an Asterisk (*) are weighted courses. International Baccalaureate (IB) and some dual credit courses, which may be transferable to 4-year colleges or universities and are taught at the high school or are part of a sequence which is not available/attainable at Sunset, will be weighted.  Weighted grades are calculated only on the transcript and the following point values are awarded per grade in these classes: A=5, B=4, C=3, D=1, and N=No value.  (Please note: grades of “D” or “N” are not weighted).  Both unweighted and weighted GPAs are computed and recorded on a student’s academic transcript. A complete copy of the weighted grades policy may be obtained in the Main Office. A published list of all weighted courses in the Beaverton School District can be found via this link:  Weighted Courses.

Graduation:

A student who is in good standing and who successfully completes all requirements of the State of Oregon, The Beaverton School District’s Board of Education, and Sunset High School may participate in graduation.  In order to meet the state and district requirements, students must earn their required 24 credits and meet any required essential skills.

Valedictorians: The Valedictorian is determined by the student(s) with the highest weighted GPA at the end of the 8th se­mester.  The student(s) must have attended Sunset for a minimum of three years. In the event that more than one student finishes with the highest weighted GPA, both students will be recognized.

Salutatorians: Any student achieving at least a (weighted or unweighted) 4.0 GPA by the end of first semester of senior year will be recognized as a Salutatorian.

Commencement Speeches:Speeches at the Commencement Ceremony will be given by student representatives from Leadership, IB and AVID and coordinated with administration.

Athletics/Activity Eligibility

Students must meet the Beaverton School District and OSAA eligibility standards if they wish to participate in athletics or extra-curricular activities. There are specific standards regarding participation during the first six weeks of school. All ninth graders are eligible to participate during the first six weeks of school if they are taking five or more classes. After that, there will be additional standards for 9-12 grade students. See Sunset's Athletic Director for eligibility standards.

Course Repetition

Most high school courses for which a student has received a passing grade cannot be repeated for credit. Exceptions to this policy are Music (Choir and Band), Theater, ELD, PE, Yearbook, Leadership, TA, and Peer Tutor.  Second language courses and math courses may be repeated for elective credit with prior approval and by special arrangement.

Class Attendance

Regular attendance and punctuality are critical life-long skills which are emphasized at Sunset. Because performance in class through collaborative activities is an essential element of student learning and as­sessment, and because students must be present to achieve these outcomes, student absences must be minimized.

Students may request a schedule change during the first five days of each semester.  Schedule change requests will be considered for the following reasons: incomplete schedule, adjustments due to subject failure, a level change due to teacher recommendation, or to add a Teacher Assistant (TA), early release or late arrival to a student’s schedule.  Please note: schedules are created from the classes students chose. Schedules will not be changed for preferred teachers or new course requests.   

To request a schedule change, students must complete a hard copy of the “Schedule Change Petition” form with all required signatures and submit it to the counseling office by 3:00 PM on the 5th school day of the semester. Students may request to withdraw from a class.  If a student withdraws from a class s/he will receive a “W” (withdraw) on their transcript.  There are deadlines for withdrawing from a class and students are advised to consult with their counselor about Withdrawal dates.

Additional Course Work/Credit Recovery

Students who failed to earn credit in a course have multiple ways to earn additional credits to continue progress towards graduation. These options may include:  FLEX credit recovery courses at Sunset High School, Work Experience or Community Service Learning credit, or BSD summer school.  Any and all coursework completed outside of Sunset must be pre-approved by a counselor prior to enrolling and students may apply no more than 6 credits of off-campus learning towards graduation requirements.  Students and families should work with their counselor to determine which of these options is best for their situation.

The District encourages students to perform at the highest academic levels, and for some students this includes taking high school courses as part of the middle school experience. These courses are not automatically included in the high school transcript.  According to District Regulation (IKF/IKFA/IKH-AR Graduation Requirements), only students planning to graduate from high school in less than four years may request to have high school courses taken during middle school entered on the high school transcript. We encourage students planning to graduate early to contact their counselor to determine which middle school courses could apply toward high school graduation  

Several Sunset courses require fees to help with purchase of supplies and materials. These fees can be waived if they are a barrier for students. Teachers will discuss fees in the beginning of the course and students in need of reduced or waived fees can tell our bookkeeper in our business office. 

Sunset’s Clubs and Activities information can be accessed via this link:  Click here for SHS Clubs and Activities