Incoming Freshmen Course Selection

Welcome to Incoming Freshmen Curriculum and Course Selection Night 2024! This event kicks off the transition from middle to high school, and we are excited to welcome the class of 2028 to Sycamore High School.

To make the most of this virtual event, please review all the information on this webpage. We suggest reviewing the information in this order:

View step-by-step instructions for selecting courses and adding them to the Infinite Campus Student Portal
View the SHS course catalog which provides information about prerequisites, course descriptions, credits, and more.

Picking your courses for the upcoming year requires planning and thought. We want you to make sure you've met all your graduation requirements by the end of your 4 years, and also that you pick courses that are a good match for you and will prepare you for your post graduation life!

If you have any questions or concerns during planning or course selection, talk to your SMS counselor. We are here to help you successfully navigate this process!

Process Overview

Step One: Watch the course selection video
Step Two: Make sure you can login to your Infinite Campus Student Portal
Step Three: Understand your graduation requirements
Step Four: Map your courses (optional)
Step Five: Fill out the paper course selection sheet
Step Six: Sign up for your courses online

The Most Common Mistakes to Avoid

Putting in back-up classes in computer course selection. Please only include these on your planning sheet for our reference if needed.
Not putting enough classes or too many classes.
Not paying attention to the course code and signing up for the wrong course. Be careful! Many course numbers are very similar - for example, the difference between a Zero hour class and regular hour class is one digit (-0) at the end.

Step One | Watch the course selection video

We have created an overview video of the planning and registration process for you. Watching this video is the first thing that you should do before considering which classes to select. It will show you how to log into Infinite Campus where you will see the classes teachers have recommended for you (both locked courses as well as other suggested courses). You will need this information to complete your course selection worksheet.

Step Two | Make sure you can login to your Infinite Campus Student Portal

You must be able to log into your own student portal (not parent) in order to register for your classes online.
If you forget how to login to your portal, go to portal link on the SHS website under "find it fast" or go to www.syc427.org/portal. If you forgot your username, password, or both, click on the “I forgot….” link. This will send a recovery email to your school email unless you have already added a personal email to their account. You should check your email and follow the link from there to reset it. Please make sure that you are able to access your Campus Portal as soon as possible.
Make sure that you choose a password that is 100% strong or it will not work.
If your family has trouble accessing their account, they can send an email to communications@syc427.org.

Step Three | Understand your graduation requirements

In order to graduate from Sycamore High School, there are both credit and course requirements that must be met. For those students who wish to go directly to a four year university, there are often class requirements beyond what SHS requires for graduation. Click below to see requirements for high school graduation and for college admission:

Sycamore High School Graduation and Community College Requirements

Earn a minimum of 20 credits and complete the following courses:

Four years of English (including a semester of speech)
Three years of math (four is recommended if going to college)
Two years of science
Two and a half years of social studies (world cultures, US history, and a semester of government)
One semester of consumer economics (this is not a social studies credit)
- Economics will count toward this requirement
One credit of a world language, music, vocational, or art
Four years of physical education (including a semester of health) and nine weeks of driver education (or proof of private lessons)

Students who will attend a community college immediately after high school will meet admission requirements by earning a diploma from their high school.

Four Year University Admission Requirements

Students planning to attend a university (four year college) the fall after graduation should complete the following courses:

Four years of English
Three years of math (four years recommended, including algebra 1, algebra 2, and geometry)
Three years of science
Three years of social studies
- Consumer economics does not count as a social studies credit
One semester of consumer economics (this i s not a social studies credit)
- Economics will count toward this requirement
Two years of the same elective
- Many schools want a foreign language, but some will also accept agriculture, art, music, and more

Colleges have varying expectations for admissions requirements. Always check with schools of your choice for their specific requirements as you make decisions about courses.

NCAA Requirements to Play Sports in College

Students who plan to be Division I or Division II athletes in college will have specific course requirements that must be met in order to be eligible to participate in college sports. Be sure that you register in the NCAA Clearinghouse and are signed up for the proper courses if this pertains to you.

View List of NCAA Approved Courses

View Division I Eligibility Requirements

View Division II Eligibility Requirements

Please check with the NCAA Clearinghouse for specific requirements related to each subject. Student athletes should apply to the NCAA Clearinghouse in their junior year.

Step Four | Map your courses (optional)

You are welcome to use the Four Year Planner to help guide you as you select courses. You can track the graduation requirements you have met and plan for those you need to take for each future school year. This form is for your own use — you do not need to submit this form.

Download the Four Year Planner

Step Five | Fill out the paper course selection sheet

Students will be given a course selection sheet that will be used to plan classes for next year which will include classes recommended by your teachers for English, math and, social studies, and science.
If you have more than one locked class option for a subject, write the class you want to take on your course selection sheet and your middle school counselor will remove the other when they check your sheet. If you want to take a course other than the one locked in your account, you will need to talk to your teacher about whether they would support a change in recommendation. Your teacher must contact your counselor to confirm this before there will be an online course change. Teachers are not expected to change a recommendation unless they feel that a student would be most successful in that course.
The course selection process will only be complete once students return their complete course selection sheet to Sycamore Middle School and select courses in their Infinite Campus portal by Friday, February 9, 2024. Sheets must be turned into the SMS office by this date.
If you have an IEP, you will be completing this process with your case manager.
Requested courses are not guaranteed to be in your schedule next year. The counseling department will work hard to meet your requests but these will be dependent on how your courses fit into your day based on the master schedule. Changes may need to be made to your course requests to allow your other classes to fit.
Meaning of Course Codes (pay close attention so that you pick the correct class)
- (1)= 1st semester
- (2)=2nd semester
- (1 Sem)=class is one semester long and can be put in either semester
- B=Blended
- H=Honors
- 0=Zero Hour
- -1 or -2 (XXX-1 or XXX-2) Year-long courses are designated by the course code. You must select both courses to fulfill the year-long requirement.
Study Halls (if desired) should be included in your course requests to complete your list of classes. However, study halls are not graded and do not provide credit to students. You cannot request a study hall for specific hours - including the end of the day. Freshmen should have a maximum of one study hall per semester.
Designate (2) backup classes on the sheet below. Do NOT enter backups in the computer. These will be used if one or more of the 7 classes you picked does not not run or there is a conflict with your schedule. The classes listed on these lines are not guaranteed to be in your schedule next year.These classes could also move up into your schedule if you complete a class during the summer that was listed as one of your 7 classes.
Course Catalog — the SHS course catalog provides information about prerequisites, course descriptions, credits, and more

Zero Hour Courses

Zero Hour classes are denoted under the Zero Hour Course Offerings section on the course planning sheet
THERE WILL BE NO BUS TRANSPORTATION FOR ZERO HOUR CLASSES. You must provide your own transportation. Make sure you have a dependable ride for the entire year.
If you sign up for a zero hour class, you must sign a contract stating that you will stay in the class for the entire year.
Seniors are NOT eligible for zero hour weight training
A Zero Hour Contract is required

Early Permit Class (not Driver Education)

An optional Early Permit class takes place Mondays during zero hour (you will have to make up your zero hour class that you miss if you are in one)
You do not register for this course through the Counseling Office. You must register with a parent using the online Enrollment Form. More information can be found by clicking on the Early Permit Option on the Driver Education department webpage.
Sign up by birthday, but fourth quarter permit class is for all remaining freshmen, regardless of birthdate.
Visit this website for more information.

Eligibility

You must pass 5 classes each semester to be eligible to participate in sports and activities including clubs, dances, prom and homecoming.
We encourage all students to take 6 classes each semester. Freshmen can have a maximum of one study hall each semester. Remember that they fill one of your lines on your course selectoin sheet. Study halls do not earn credit or count as a class towards eligibiilty.

Audition-Based Courses

Step Six | Sign up for your courses online

When the Infinite Campus portal opens, students and parents will receive an email providing detailed information about how to correctly complete this important process of choosing your classes.
When you log into Infinite Campus, choose "More" in the menu on the left and then choose "Course Registration." DO NOT choose Online Registration — you will receive a message that it is closed. (See below.)
Make sure that you look closely at the course code designations because these will help you identify what type of class it is (honors, zero hour, etc.)
Meaning of Course Codes (pay close attention so that you pick the correct class)
- (1) = 1st semester
- (2) = 2nd semester
- (1 Sem) = class is one semester long and can be put in either semester
- B=Blended
- H=Honors
- 0=Zero Hour
- -1 or -2 (XXX-1 or XXX-2) Year-long courses are designated by the course code. You must select both courses to fulfill the year-long requirement.

Screenshot of Infinite Campus Portal More Menu with purple arrow pointing to Course Registration

Current eighth graders will be given a course selection sheet that will be used to plan classes for next year. This will be sent home with students on Monday, January 22, 2024 so that they have the sheet with them for Incoming Freshmen Curriculum and Course Selection Night at Sycamore High School. Login to your Infinite Campus portal to see which classes have been recommended/locked by your teachers for English, math, social studies, and science. Write the locked recommendations on your sheet.
If you have more than one locked class option for a subject, write the class you want to take on your course selection sheet and your middle school counselor will remove the other when they check your sheet. If you want to take a course other than the one locked in your account, you will need to talk to your teacher about whether they would support a change in recommendation. Your teacher must contact your counselor to confirm this before there will be an online course change. Teachers are not expected to change a recommendation unless they feel that a student would be most successful in that course.
The course selection process will only be complete once students return their complete course selection sheet to Sycamore Middle School and select courses in their Infinite Campus portal by Friday, February 9, 2024. Middle school counselors will have 1:1 sessions with every eighth grade student between the dates of Thursday, January 25 and Thursday, February 1, 2024. This will take place in Literature classes on these dates. Sheets should be returned to the front office at Sycamore Middle School.
There is no “save” button when requesting classes — it will automatically save your choices.
There is not a set number of “units” that must be registered for when you look at the percent complete at the top of your course request page in Infinite Campus. Just be sure you have all the required classes and other desired electives.

Most importantly, we want you to thoughtfully select your courses. It is important to think about balance, interest, AND challenge when making final selections.

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