Keep in mind that you WILL be able to change what you have entered on your Course Request Card during your meeting with your counselor. The most productive meetings happen when the student has already fully completed their Course Request Card before they meet with their counselor because it provides your counselor with the best context for discussions and answering questions. 

So please complete every line on your Course Request Card and submit it on time. Have a list of questions ready to ask your counselor. If you decide to change something during the meeting, your counselor can do that for you.

We understand that it can be overwhelming to make decisions about classes, and it can also be time-consuming to review all of the enrollment resources on this page. But it is well worth your time to review the Instructions for completing the Course Request Card, the Enrollment powerpoint, the course descriptions in the SMSD Program Planning Guide, the Honors Packet, the SME Course Information, and the other materials available on this web page before you choose courses and meet with your counselor.

Summer school options vary from year to year.  There are usually both in-person and online options.

Please consult the SMSD Summer Academy website for 2021 options, dates, fees, and enrollment dates and deadlines.

As a general rule, prior to their freshman year, students may take courses such as PE, Health, and Intro to Studio Art

Some students choose to take all standard classes and some students take every honors class available in 9th grade. Other students take one, two, or three honors classes. Each student needs to decide what is right for them. 

To help you make the right decision:

1. Read the information in the SME Freshman Honors Packet.
2. Ask your current math, science, social studies and English teachers for advice. They know you well as a student in their subjects and can help you reflect on your strengths and study habits.
3. Keep in mind that honors courses usually require more time spent on homework, but also require independent study habits, self-advocacy, and excellent time management skills. 
4. Students tend to do better in honors courses in subjects they like and have confidence in their abilities in. You are more likely to want to put in the time and effort in a subject you enjoy.
5. Consider how much time you have available outside of school. Most students involved in athletics and extra-curricular activities are able to handle honors coursework because they learn to plan ahead and balance their time.
6. Students are expected to remain in an honors class for at least the first semester of 9th grade. It can be difficult or impossible to switch to a standard level class during the middle of the semester due to space limitations in standard classes or conflicts in the student's schedule.

Students must complete .5 credit (one semester) of Health and 1.0 credit (two semesters) of PE sometime before they graduate. These courses are not required to be taken during 9th grade, but many students choose to take one or both during a summer session or during the school year in eSchool, which offers online courses that are taken outside the school day, for an additional fee.

Many students choose to take these classes during freshman year because there are more elective options available in later grades and they like to complete PE and Health earlier, in order to make room for other classes later. 

If you choose to take one or both of these courses during summer, or eSchool, or in a later year, you may choose a different course and enter it in line 5 of your Course Request Card.

There is only one course available to freshman at another school site:  Citizenship/Leadership Naval Science 1 (NJROTC), which is a full year course at SM West HS. Students take the class at the beginning of the day (1st hour) and then have a Transit period in 2nd hour for their travel back to SME. Watch this video to see the program in action. 

All other freshman courses are taken only at SME, including introductory courses for Signature Programs that are based at the Center for Academic Achievement or Career & Technical Center.

Introductory courses for Signature Programs that freshmen may take at SME are: 
Introduction to Engineering Design, Blue Eagle Academy, Introduction to the Study of Legal Systems, and Business Law.

For complete information, see the Signature Programs website. 

Students may not start a new (different) class after school has started, and we do not have study halls or other types of non-academic classes to switch into, so students should plan on staying in their elective classes for the first semester.

If a class seems difficult or confusing, talk to your teacher. They need to know that you're struggling, in order to help you. Regular communication with your teacher, both in class and outside of class (such as during seminar), is the best to get back on track if you're struggling.

If you believe the class is not too difficult, but you just don't like it, plan on staying in the class for the first semester. Many students find they end up enjoying a class they didn't like at first. 

World Language is not required for graduation in SMSD, nor for admission to a Kansas Board of Regents university (KU, K-State, Emporia State, Pittsburg State, Wichita State, Fort Hays State).

However, many other colleges and universities recommend or require two-to-four years of the same world language for admission and/or for certain program eligibility. Consult the admissions websites of schools you are interested in to determine their recommendations and requirements. 

Introductory courses include skills and content that establish an important foundation for success in future courses, so you should plan on taking any course listed as a prerequisite in the SMSD Program Planning Guide.

If you have questions about exceptions to prerequisites, ask your counselor during your individual enrollment meeting.

Students will be able to ask questions, discuss course choices, and make changes to their course request card when they meet individually with their counselor, so please bring your list of questions to your enrollment meeting with your counselor, and be sure to complete every line on your course request card---you'll be able to change it during the meeting.

If you have a question that is not addressed in the rest of the Frequently Asked Questions above, or in the Instructions for completing the Course Request Card, the Program Planning Guide, the Enrollment Powerpoint, or the other materials on this site, please call the SME Counseling Office at 993-6630.

Your best source of information will be SME staff, so please contact us (rather than Indian Hills counseling staff), if you have questions. 

SME counselors will begin working on individual schedules later in spring semester. Schedules will be available to view on Skyward in late July.