Junior 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!

All juniors will take the following courses:

• *Psychology of Human Communication & Marketing Government (1 sem)
• *Business Economics & Entrepreneurship (1 sem)
• Technical Business Communication
• Chemistry & Engineering Design: Solving Local & Global Challenges
• *Virtual Enterprise I - Business Planning
• Digital Music Production for Marketing+
• IVC Elective
• Math
• Point Break

*indicates honors = additional point towards LMA GPA

To accommodate your athletic schedule, your sport will take the place of VE.

Looking ahead to senior year, all 12th-grade are required to be enrolled in VE. Students who have not yet completed VE 1 will be placed in VE 1.

For additional information about our athletic program, please refer to the Athletic Guidelines section on this page.

Students will have the option to select between the following:

IVC Math Courses: Math 124 (Fall) and Math 2 (Spring)

Students will have the option to select between the following:

Fall: Choose between IVC Span 3 or DMA 50 Digital Photography

Spring: All students take DMA 70 Digital Video Production

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 seal of graduation diploma.

Find Balance

Junior year is a very rigorous academic year. It will be important to consider all aspects of your life while making these decisions. Find a healthy balance between school work, extracurricular activities, and family/personal life.

*Please note courses are subject to change, as we continue to build our IVC partnership.

District Course Catalog (includes LMA course descriptors)

• 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)

Support documents for dual enrollment:

How to Enroll (all steps included: enrolling at IVC, completing CCAP, adding classes)

Support for student accommodations (504 and IEP)

Support with Canvas

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/

Students will have an opportunity to complete a number of the CTE pathways posted below upon graduation. All CTE courses are embedded in the LMA course progression. Completing CTE Pathways help students to be prepared for college and/or the workforce because pathways connect academic learning to real-world application. For each pathway completed, students receive a cord to wear at graduation.

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.

Junior year is a pivotal time in the college planning process. The habits and decisions you make this year will help shape your options as a senior. Here are some key steps to keep in mind:

• Attend college representative visits at LMA (held during lunch) to learn directly from admissions counselors.

• Go to college fairs to explore a wide range of campuses and programs.

• Explore potential majors that align with your interests and long-term career goals.

• Research testing policies (SAT/ACT) for schools you’re considering. Requirements vary, and your counselors are here to help you navigate this.

• Take the PSAT in October and prepare using free resources through Khan Academy and the College Board.

• Consider SAT or ACT testing during the second semester of junior year, depending on your college list and each school’s testing policy. (Note: SAT Subject Tests have been discontinued.)

• Stay focused on your grades and coursework. Junior year performance carries significant weight in college admissions.

• Take care of yourself and maintain balance. Prioritize sleep, build in breaks, and protect time for activities that help you recharge. Sustainable habits support both strong performance and overall well-being.

Being intentional this year will reduce stress senior year and help you build a thoughtful, balanced college list.

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.

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Wellness Support Counselor

Email: ttsang@tustin.k12.ca.us

Academic Support Counselor

Email: jple@tustin.k12.ca.us