Overview
To meet the enrichment and academic needs of Pinetree students,
Pinetree Secondary offers a challenging and academically rigorous 9 – 12
program of studies for the gifted, talented and highly motivated.
Student Choice
In the academic subjects, qualified students in grades 9 & 10
may register in Honours courses designed to provide a challenging, enriched
learning experience in an environment of similar ability peers. At the senior
level students may choose Advanced Placement courses in English Language and
Composition, English Literature and Composition, European History (new 2011/2012), Biology, Chemistry
and Physics. The Math department offers Calculus 12H as the top level for
talented math students. In addition, new for
2011/2102, the Language department will be offering an IDS course in Japanese.
The Art department will be offering honour classes for Art 9, 11 and 12.
Senior students may take as many AP courses as they wish; however,
students may decide to select only the subjects in which they are especially
interested and talented. These options allow maximum flexibility for students
to choose courses suitable for their academic needs and strengths without
having to give up valuable elective courses serving their creative, technical
and artistic interests.
Achievement
Students entering the AP/Honours Program from middle school should
expect to be challenged by the course work, and will need a strong commitment
to their studies in order to succeed. Teachers
of Honours and AP courses will ensure that course marks accurately reflect the
ability of students and will adjust the marks to reflect what the student would
have achieved at the regular level. At any point in a student’s progress
through the grades, he or she has the option of moving out of the Honours
stream in a particular academic subject and into regular classes.
Alternatively, a student who has not taken Honours courses in the junior grades
may still opt to take the AP level with teacher and counsellor recommendation.
Honours Program Pathway Options
Mathematics |
Humanities
(English/Social Studies) |
Science |
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Math 9 Honours |
Humanities 9 Honours |
Science 9 Honours |
||||
Grade 10 Year Math 10 Honours (Fall) Math 11 Honours (Spring |
Socials 10H |
English 10H |
Science 10 Honours |
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Grade 11 Year Math 12 Honours (Fall) Calculus 12 Honours (Spring) Grade 12 Year Independent Directed Studies |
Socials 11H (Fall) / History 12 (Spring) / AP European History |
Grade 11 Year English
11H (Fall) / AP
English Language 12(Spring) |
Bio 11H Bio 12/ AP |
Ch 11H Ch 12/ AP |
Ph 11H Ph 12/ AP |
|
Grade 12 Year English
12 / Literature
12 / AP English Literature 12 |
Independent Directed Studies |
Note: All AP Designated
Courses are College Board Authorized and can be viewed online at https://apcourseaudit.epiconline.org/ledger/
In addition, the following AP Exams are offered at Pinetree
Calculus AB, BC Physics
C: Electricity & Magnetism
Macroeconomics Physics
C: Mechanics
Microeconomics Psychology
Grade Nine Honours Entrance
Students who are living in the Pinetree Secondary attendance area
may apply to the Honours program through their middle school. Students must
complete an application form, which includes parent consent. Students can apply
for a space in the Science, Math or Humanities Honours Program or a combination
of the three classes. Applicants for the Humanities program will complete an
in-class essay as well as a reading comprehension exercise. Science and Math
applicants are expected to sit a Math test and a Science question that will
examine their critical thinking skills. Since these tests assess higher order
thinking skills there is no way to prepare for the exams. Pinetree Secondary
staff will administer all testing. Space in each of the courses is
limited.
Grade Ten/Eleven Honours Entrance
Students who are currently attending Pinetree Secondary and not
currently enrolled in the Honours 9 program may select Math, Science, English
and/or Social Studies Honours classes. Each department will review the
applications for their program to determine which students may join the Honours
class. Placement in the program is dependent upon available space and
department recommendation.
Advanced Placement Entrance
Students may select as many AP course options as they wish.
Placement in the course(s) is based on available space and teacher
recommendation. Students are not required to have been enrolled in the grade 9
and 10 Honours classes, although it is recommended.
Sample Course Overviews:
New
for 2011/2012!
ART 9
HONOURS
Art 9 Honours is intended for students who are interested in
exploring with more rigor the technical and creative
aspects of two and three dimensional art and the creative process. This course
will be well suited for students who may have an interest in pursuing further
art training and experience.
ENGLISH
10 HONOURS
English 10 Honours is intended for students who
have demonstrated exceptional skills in speaking, listening, reading and
writing. The course emphasizes the development of students’ skills in academic
writing and requires students to read widely. Students will have the
opportunity to develop background knowledge from the Western tradition in
literature, which will be benecial
for the senior level AP/Honours English courses.
MATH 12 HONOURS
/ CALCULUS 12 HONOURS
The core course material
is based on Principles of Mathematics 12 and a portion of the Calculus 12
course. In addition, there will be extensive discussion regarding theory,
proofs, and derivations for each of the topics covered. Homework continues to
be a daily event. There will be an intensive evaluation process, including a
midterm and nal
examination.
New
for 2011/2012!
JAPANESE IDS
Japanese IDS is
designed for self-motivated learners who have completed Japanese 12 and wish to
take their knowledge of the language to the highest level possible at Pinetree.
This course is highly recommended for those students wishing to take the
Japanese AP Test or the JLPT. Students will meet weekly to facilitate the oral
component. In addition students have the option to gain further experience
working as a teaching assistant within the Japanese program.
New
for 2011/2012!
SOCIALS 11H/HISTORY
12 / AP EUROPEAN HISTORY
Students taking
this course will have the opportunity to receive credit for SS11 Honours,
History 12 and AP European History. The goals of the AP European History course
are to develop: a broad knowledge base of the factual history of Europe from
1450 to the present; an understanding of the key themes in modern European
history; analytical ability when working with historical evidence; and, the
ability to effectively demonstrate that knowledge in written and spoken format.
Other Course Previews can be viewed in our program
planning booklet
http://www.sd43.bc.ca/secondary/pinetree/Pages/default.aspx
Advanced Placements and Grades:
Five Point Scale
·
5 – Extremely Well
Qualified
·
4 – Well Qualified
·
3 – Qualified
·
2 – Possibly
Qualified
·
1 – No
Recommendation
Regardless of the grade students receive on an AP
course or an AP exam, neither could work against them for the following
reasons:
Advantages of the Advanced Placement
Program:
In addition to the financial savings and increased
range of educational choices mentioned above, some other advantages of taking
AP courses include:
Advanced Placement at North American
Universities
Some B.C. Institutions that recognize the AP program:
University of
Northern B.C.
University of the Fraser Valley
Many Institutions outside of B.C. recognize the AP
program:
University of Manitoba Carleton
And Most
As more
high school graduates continue to apply for a limited number of places for
first year students, post secondary institutions are embracing the Advanced
Placement alternative more than ever before.
In
Student's comments on their Advanced
Placement experiences
•"The AP
Examinations were valuable experiences, and the college placement and credit I
received as a result of AP."
•"One the
greatest benefits from AP experience was the preparation it provided for
college."
•"Even if I
hadn't received credit for the AP exams, taking AP courses still would have
been worth the extra effort they required."
•"I am writing this letter to
you in appreciation for all the teachings that I now value greatly in UBC
Science. I just had my Chemistry midterm today which covered Thermodynamics,
Chemical Equilibrium, Electrochemistry, and Acid & Base; all of which I had
previously experienced in your AP class."