Students should be actively involved in planning their Upper School academic
programs. You have many resources: your advisor, departmental faculty, the Academic
Dean, and the Upper School Head, but the ultimate responsibility is yours. Spend
time with your parents thinking about your strengths, your workload, and the
focus of your academic career when choosing advanced and AP courses. While you
must meet all graduation requirements, the focus and tenor of your program may
be different from that of your friends. Think carefully about your own goals
in choosing courses and in balancing school, extracurricular activities, and
sports.
Please Note:
• Students normally take five academic courses each semester and must
take at least four. Electives are offered each year based on sufficient enrollment.
Seniors are required to take five credits each semester.
• Ninth graders are required to take two electives freshman year.
• All courses are 1 credit per full year taken with the exception of introductory
Fine Arts (1/2 credit) and any other courses otherwise noted in this catalog.
•Courses are year-long and may not be dropped mid-year.
• AP Courses
The School recommends that students limit their enrollment in AP courses to
no more than three in a single academic year, as these courses assign a higher
volume of reading and homework. Specifically, we recommend no more than one
AP class in 10th grade, two in 11th grade, and three in 12th grade. Students
who wish to take more should request approval from the Academic Dean or Upper
School Head. Teachers in AP courses may assign homework over vacation, and they
may ask students to attend additional study sessions in preparation for AP exams.
Teachers in other courses may also assign reading over winter and spring vacations,
with the exception of the Thanksgiving holiday,when no homework (in any course)
is assigned. AP students are expected to complete the course and take the exam
in May. Any missed AP exams will be reported to colleges.
• Service Learning/Community Service
9th Grade: All freshmen are required to take a yearlong Service
Learning Seminar. These seminars focus on a variety of social issues including
civil rights, public education and globalism. The first semester is spent examining
the issue in-depth to prepare students for the second semester, when they will
volunteer with organizations related to their particular issue. In the fall
of the sophomore year, students will develop Action Plans that map out their
service plans for 10th through 12th grade.
10th and 11th Grades: Students will spend these next two years
following through on their Action Plans for a minimum of 20 hours each year
(recommended five hours per quarter). Students’ hours record will be sent
home with report cards to families twice a year. If hours are not completed
in the appropriate time, a note will be placed on the student's transcript.
Homeroom Advisors will oversee the implementation of their Action Plans for
grades 10 and 11.
12th Grade: All seniors are required to complete a Senior Project.
This Project is designed to empower students to make a positive impact in the
world and encourage them to pursue their passions in college and beyond. During
the last month of school seniors no longer attend their normal classes. Instead
students intern (for a total of 80 hours) at places that they would like to
learn more about. Projects are shaped to align with the School’s mission,
to demonstrate the individual student’s ownership for his/her learning,
and to culminate in a deliverable for public presentation. All students are
asked to reflect on how their work impacts those other than themselves. Although
not a formal requirement, projects often include a dimension of service to the
community.
• Calculation of GPA:
Grade point averages are cumulative by semester, with credit for plusses and
minuses. All academic and arts grades are averaged into the GPA, with the exception
of grades in physical education.
• University of California Requirements
Head-Royce coordinates our graduation requirements with the University of California
System. In most instances, our requirements exceed the UC requirements.
English: 4 credits
History: 4 credits
Mathematics: 3 credits
(Mathematics through the 11th grade and completion of Algebra II is required)
Science: 3 credits
(Physics, Chemistry, and Biology)
World Languages: 3 credits
(A total of three years of language study and a minimum of level III in grades
9-12 is required.)
Fine Arts: 1 credit
(By graduation students must complete an advanced, U.C. approved fine arts course.)
Electives: 1 credit
An “elective” is any class beyond the minimum required for graduation.
(e.g. Advanced Photography, French IV, Debate, etc...)
Physical Education: 4 years
(includes Health and Safety taken in 9th grade)
Back to main Course Catalog page
Updated February 9, 2010