Mrs. Seepaul here with important information about Choice of Subject (COS).

It’s time for students to select their courses for 8th grade!

Here’s what to expect:

• By Friday, January 16:
  Students will receive a paper copy of their COS form during WIN. The COS guide, presentation, and is already uploaded to their Student Canvas.

• Science Class Visits:
  I will visit Science classes to review COS options and answer student questions:

  • Wednesday, January 21: Mrs. Salazar & Mr. Brown

  • Thursday, January 22: Mrs. Khan

  During these visits, I will collect COS forms. I will make copies and return the original forms to students by Friday, January 23.

• Final Review & Signatures:
  Students will have an additional week to review their selections and obtain parent signatures. Completed forms should be returned to their Science teacher or Mrs. Seepaul by Friday, January 30.

  If the form collected in class already included a parent signature, there is no need to return the original unless a change is being made.

  
  

After January 30, I will manually enter course selections using the copies collected from class or the parent-signed originals that are returned.

1. All students need to have a total of 8 classes/16 terms. Students will have 5 required classes, and 3 electives of choice.

2. All core subjects are AUTOMATICALLY carried over and pre-selected for students. Please note: we only offer Honors Science and Honors US History. Math placement (Pre-Algebra or Honors Algebra I) will be determined by STAAR scores. Counselors will not receive this information until we return from summer break.

3. Students taking Wind Symphony (Varsity) Band, A'Cappella Choir, Spanish I, Athletics, or Partners PE this year will AUTOMATICALLY have these electives pre-selected for them in Skyward. If students wish to drop any of these electives, they must make different choices on their COS form. If they would like to continue these electives, they need to write it down as a choice on their COS form. The form must be returned and signed by a parent/guardian. A counselor may reach out to the parent/guardian about this decision.

4. Students only need two years of Physical Education in middle school. In 8th grade, PE and Athletics are considered an elective - not a requirement.

5. If your student is NOT in Athletics, they must try out. After students try out for Athletics and make it, the coaches will let us know which students need to be scheduled into Athletics. One of the counselors will move the student from an elective into Athletics.

6. An elective (or electives) may be replaced with a

   Math Lab and/or Reading class based on STAAR

   scores and other assessment data as determined by

   the district. Counselors will not receive this information until we return from summer break.

If you need additional information about any of the courses being offered, the links below will take you to the GISD Course Guide. Please note that Hudson does not offer every course described in the guide, only the courses listed on the COS form.

GISD Course Guide in English

GISD Course Guide in Spanish

GISD Course Guide in Vietnamese

Complete this "COS Change Request" Google form if you have already returned your signed COS form, but now need to change something. Please submit any request(s) through the form linked above.

• Spanish I*

• Spanish II*

• Principals of Human Services

• Fundamentals of Computer Science

• Principles of Applied Engineering

• Principles of Arts A/V

*Students are required to complete two years of the same foreign language to graduate high school. While middle school students have the option to begin working on this requirement early, it is perfectly acceptable to wait until high school, especially if they wish to study a language not offered at Hudson MS, such as French, American Sign Language, or Chinese. However, for students planning to apply to a magnet or collegiate program, I recommend starting foreign language courses in middle school to create more flexibility for meeting the program's requirements.

Feel free to leave a comment below!

You can also reach me via email (KMSeepau@garlandisd.net), or by phone at 972-675-3070.

I will post answers to questions I receive in the comments below.

GPA is crucial for:
• College admissions
• Academic scholarships
• Honor society membership
• Athletic eligibility
• Graduate school applications

It's one of the best indicators of your academic performance and work ethic. Although all classes are important, if a student chooses a high school credit class, special attention should be given to that course to ensure a good start to their GPA.