Tri-Creek School Board OKs district calendar for 2012-13

LOWELL | The Tri-Creek School Board on Thursday approved a calendar for next school year and a number of new course offerings at Lowell High School.

Superintendent Debra Howe said the 2012-13 school calendar differs from previous years because staff development days are clustered up front.

"No more day here and day there for staff development," she said.

The first student day will be Aug. 20. The last day of school is set for May 30, but bad weather or snow days could be used to extend the last day to as late as June 7.

Howe presented the new course offerings.

Qualifying freshmen will be able to earn two credits in Algebra Enrichment, a supplemental course to be taken concurrently with Algebra 1. It's an elective credit and not a math credit.

Advanced Placement World History for grades 10 through 12 covers 8000 B.C. to the modern day with content established by the College Board. It will focus on analytical and writing skills used by historians.

Juniors and seniors will have a dual credit opportunity when taking Principles of Business Management. While focusing on the roles of managers, it will also deal with ethically managing a business in the free enterprise system.

Other new course offerings are the two-credit, Integrated Chemistry-Physics which will replace the Earth and Space course in the general education classrooms and Advanced Business Management for seniors.

IT Essentials for grades 10 through 12 is an introduction to computer components and operation, while Computer Tech Support explores how computers work. Introduction to Transportation will replace Automotive Technology 1.