Sophomore Year Onboarding

In this newsletter you will find important information that will help you navigate the transition into your next grade level. We are looking forward to an exciting new year!

• *Examining U.S. History through Media Design & Arts
• Integrated English & Marketing
• Algebra II for Strategic Business Management
• Physics and Engineering Design
• *Rapid Protyping
• *Spanish 1 & 2 through Dual Enrollment (IVC)
• PE

*indicates honors = additional point toward LMA GPA

District Course Catalog (includes LMA course descriptors)

IVC Spanish 1 & 2 are mandatory courses within the LMA curriculum. Students may not drop these courses at any time or substitute them with outside language courses.

8AM Start Time:

Both Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 have 8AM will begin at 8AM two days a week in order to fit the the required minutes into or schedules (days to be determined).

Homework, Assessments, IVC Policy:

This course is rigorous and will require regular completion of homework. Test retakes are not allowed. Students must communicate with professors directly if they will be missing class or assessments. Professors are not obligated to LMA policy and will follow IVC policy regarding absences and missing work/assessments. Passing Spanish 1 is a prerequisite for Spanish 2 and both classes must be passed in order to stay on the LMA pathway.

IVC Tutoring:

All students will have access to IVC tutoring (TU 301) which can be accessed through Canvas. Please utilize these tutoring services to ensure you can progress through the pathway.

State Seal of Biliteracy:

The Seal of Biliteracy is a certificate given by the state of California to students who have studied and are proficient in two or more languages upon high school graduation. Earns a seal on graduation diploma. Successful completion of Spanish 1, 2, and 3 through dual enrollment would qualify.

Sophomore year starts counting towards college & university GPAs for admissions. It is important to work hard to achieve high marks so you will be eligible for the college or university of your choice.

At LMA, students adhere to a set magnet curriculum*. Both LMA and IVC Dual Enrollment courses are required to complete and cannot be substituted (unless options are indicated). To see what will be required of you for your remaining high school years, please review the sequence below.

*Please note: The high school course sequence and curriculum are subject to change as we continue to collaborate with our dual enrollment partners and work to update and enhance our curriculum offerings. While we strive to provide students with the most accurate and up-to-date information, modifications may occur to better align with college-level standards, partner requirements, and student needs. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.

Link to IVC dual enrollment course descriptions

• Spanish 1 & 2 will start at 8am
• Students are dually enrolled in both IVC courses and LMA courses.
• Dual enrollment is part of the LMA pathway, therefore all students must enroll and pass the courses to remain on track.
• Dual enrollment courses are taught at LMA by IVC college instructors.
• Grades are weighted (earn an additional point toward the LMA grade point average).
• Students are building a college transcript with each new course.
• IVC grades will be input on both your LMA and college transcript.
• Homework will be assigned (IVC homework policy is different than LMA policy).
• Dual enrollment is in lieu of AP courses. LMA does not offer AP courses.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act):

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. In accordance with FERPA, professors will only communicate directly with their students in the IVC course and will not be able to respond to parent emails or phone calls, all communication must be done with the student directly.

Accommodations due to learning and/or physical disabilities:

Any student with an IEP or 504 plan can contact the Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSPS) department at IVC and present a copy of the current IEP or 504 for evaluation to determine what services can be provided by the college. The level of service and accommodations can be different than those provided at Legacy and is determined by IVC. The DSPS department provides support services, specialized instruction and accommodations to students with a disability, allowing them to fully participate and benefit from an equitable college experience. The overall mission of DSPS is to provide exemplary instruction, support services and access to students with disabilities. DSPS will support students with disabilities in educationally related activities consistent with the mission and vision of Irvine Valley College and in compliance with federal and state laws.

(DSPS Packet)

As required by California Education Code, all 10th-grade students must be enrolled in PE Course 2. Please note that participation in sports does not fulfill the PE credit requirement for graduation.

If you are a current 9th grader planning to play a sport in 10th grade and wish to qualify for athletic dismissal (early release for sports practice), you must complete an online PE course during the summer before starting 10th grade.

• Students who do not complete PE over the summer will have PE included in their regular school schedule, as mandated by the state, and will not be eligible for early dismissal.

Details about summer school opportunities are typically shared with schools in March. Counselors will contact all students/families who express interest in being an athlete directly with Summer School PE information. If you do not express interest of being an athlete to your counselor, you will not receive these communications. Be sure to plan ahead to meet these requirements!

Informing your counselor of your interest to play sports during counselor 1:1 meetings will ensure you are directly communicated these logistics.

If you do not know whether you want to be an athlete or not by the time we have our 1:1, you have until April to inform counselors.

Athletics Guidelines

At LMA, while CIF-sanctioned sports are not offered, students in grades 9–12 have the option to try out for athletics at their designated home high school (Beckman, Foothill, or Tustin High School).

• Cheer and Dance: These activities may be available depending on each high school’s structure. Please consult your counselor for specific details.
• Marching Band: This activity is not included as part of this program.
• Home High School Determination:
• Students who live within the boundaries of LMA will have the opportunity to try out for athletics at Tustin High School.
• Students who have transferred into TUSD from another school district are also eligible to try out for athletics at Tustin High School.

It is the student’s responsibility to explore sports options, contact coaches, and communicate final decisions with LMA counselors to ensure proper scheduling.

Important Deadlines:

If not communicated to counselors during the follow up 1:1 meetings, all continuing and potential athletes must notify their counselor of their intent to play a sport by April to allow counselors to appropriately schedule for the upcoming school year and to communicate summer school PE options.

This includes students interested in spring semester sports, as schedules must be coordinated to minimize conflicts.

Additional Information:

1. Research & Contact: Students are responsible for researching available sports, understanding deadlines, and contacting the appropriate high school staff. The counseling website provides athletic contact information.
2. Home High School Participation: Athletes can only participate in sports at their designated home high school. Students uncertain about their home high school should confirm with their counselor.
3. Practice & Game Logistics:
   • Once rostered, athletes will have an early release from LMA for practices and games:
     • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 1:45 PM
     • Wednesday: 1:45 PM
   • Transportation: Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation.
   • Missed Work: Students are accountable for making up any classwork missed due to early release.
4. IVC Classes: If participating in athletics impacts IVC classes, it is the student’s responsibility to inform professors of any schedule conflicts.

Next School Year: Adding Athletics to Your Schedule

Schedules will only be adjusted for athletics once the Athletic Confirmation Form has been completed and submitted.

• Athletic Confirmation Process:
• Download the form and follow all outlined steps HERE.
• Submit physical copies to the Front Office. Digital submissions will not be accepted.
• Forms must be signed by all required parties, including your coach.
• Allow a minimum of 24–48 hours for schedule changes to be processed once forms are submitted.

Until the form is received and processed by both LMA and your team's high school (THS, FHS, BHS), your schedule will not include early release for athletics.

Key Resources:

For more detailed information, deadlines, and links to athletic contacts, please visit the counseling website or access the links below.

LMA Contact:

For any questions regarding LMA's athlete process, please contact our Counseling Tech:

• Wendi Cabrales
• wcabrales@tustin.k12.ca.us

The NCAA and NAIA Eligibility Centers certify whether prospective college athletes are eligible to play sports at a college level. Students interested in playing at a college level, will need to register for the appropriate Eligibility Center.

NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is made up of members who serve college athletes. The NCAA is divided into D1, D2, and D3 leagues. Athletes participate in 102 athletics conferences and there are 1,098 schools.

List of Colleges: https://www.ncaa.com/schools-index

Eligibility Center: https://web3.ncaa.org/ecwr3/

NAIA

NAIA is a college athletics governing body for small college athletics programs. The NAIA offers student-athletes an opportunity to earn athletic scholarships in 28 different sports at more than 250 schools across the country.

List of Colleges: https://www.naia.org/schools/index

Eligibility Center: https://play.mynaia.org/

A-G requirements are high school courses students would need to take in order to be eligible to apply for many 4 year universities, including UCs and Cal States. Graduation Requirements are the minimum courses students need to take in order to graduate from TUSD.

The LMA high school pathway has been structured so all students will be A-G eligible upon successfully completing their courses.

Students will have an opportunity to a number of the CTE pathways posted below upon graduation.

Sophomore year is a year to explore post-high school options and maintain solid grades. Here are some things to consider during 10th grade:

• Stay on top of your grades and coursework
• Get involved in school clubs and activities
• Attend college rep visits at LMA (during lunch) and college fairs
• Start creating a list of schools you might be interested in
• Research and apply for scholarships

If you are new to Legacy or have not had an opportunity to watch Dr. Harrison's presentations about the Legacy program, please take a look at her incredibly informative newsletter, linked HERE.

One of the key components of the instructional program at LMA is the delivery of instruction through project based learning (PBL).

PBL is the ongoing act of learning about different subjects simultaneously. This is achieved by guiding students to identify, through research, a real-world problem (from local to global) developing its solution using evidence to support the claim and presenting the solution through a multimedia approach based in a set of 21st-century tools. Students show what they learn as they journey through the unit, interact with its lessons, collaborate, and assess themselves and each other. They don't merely take a test or produce a product at the end to show their learning. PBL isn't about writing a state report. It's about using what you know about the state you study and then creating your own state. It isn't about building a replica of the Washington Monument. It's about researching someone to honor, designing your own monument, and persuasively pitching a committee to build it.

Project Based Learning prepares students for academic, personal, and career success, as well as readies young people to rise to the challenges of their lives and the world they will inherit.

Here's a VIDEO LINK that shares a bit more.

Legacy's grading mission: assessment and grading will tell an accurate story of a student’s academic progress so that they will be intrinsically motivated to consistently perform at their personal best with academic integrity.

Our grading is based on a 5 point rubric, scaled from 5 (not mastered) to 10 (mastery):

9/10 - Mastery

Student demonstrated complete and detailed understanding of the learning target or standard and can transfer it to new situations without assistance.

8 - Proficiency

Student demonstrated a firm grasp of the skill and has an almost complete understanding of the concept involved.

7 - Beginning to Understand

Student demonstrated some conceptual understanding of the learning target but may still have some confusion or assistance needed to complete.

6 - Authentic Attempt with Weak Evidence

Student has attempted the learning target but has demonstrated weak understanding or can complete with significant assistance.

5 - Not Yet

Student has not attempted this learning target yet or student attempted the learning target but with little to no understanding or submitted work is missing major portions of the assignment.

Wellness Support Counselor

Email: ttsang@tustin.k12.ca.us

Academic Support Counselor

Email: jple@tustin.k12.ca.us