High Schools in the United States

« High Schools in the United States High schools in the United States include students who are in 9th through 12th grade (ages 14-18). Ninth grade students are called freshmen, tenth grade students are called sophomores, eleventh grade students are called juniors and twelfth grade students are called seniors.

Before high school, students attend middle school or Junior High school, which is 5th through 8th grade (ages 10-14).

Before middle school, students attend elementary school, which is kindergarten through 4th grade (ages 5-10). Schedules: High school students in the United States finish class everyday by 3 p.m.

but they always have school on Wednesday afternoons.

They have six or seven classes everyday and only 30 minutes to eat lunch. Subjects: Every student must take English, math, science, gym, and history and at least two years of a foreign language.

They also choose elective classes like music, art, band, computer science, business, choir or swing choir or shop. Grades: Students receive letter grades.

The highest grade is A+ followed by A and A-.

B is still good, while C is average.

D is failing and E or F mean complete failure. Vacations: The school year in the United States begins at the very end of August and finishes in the middle of June.

During the school year, students also have 2 days off for Thanksgiving in November, 2 weeks off for Christmas in December, one day off in January for Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, one week off in April for Easter, and one day off at the end of May for Memorial Day. Sports: American students have many choices of sports to play.

Most schools have teams for basketball, football, baseball, and track and field, soccer and sometimes hockey or swimming.

Students practice these sports after.... »