American education system

American School Staples:

7. Dances

• Homecoming: football game, parade, and dance that take place at the beginning of the school year
• Prom is the major dance at the end of the school year for seniors, and students vote for each other to be Prom Queen and King.

2. Lockers
4. Water Fountains
3. Mascots:
1. The yellow school bus
5. Sports
6. The Yearbook

Grades

• Grades are in percents (out of 100) and range from A (excellent) to F (failing). A student who fails a required course must repeat the course.
• Occasionally a student must repeat an entire grade because of prolonged absence or low marks, although this is rare and many times students are instead required to attend “summer school” to pass the failed courses.

Students receive a report card after every school quarter with their grades in each subject.

• Cumulative grades in all the student's courses form a "G.P.A." (grade point average) which is important for admission into college and scholarship applications. (4.0 is the highest possible G.P.A.)

Discipline

• Every school has a Principal and Vice Principal and one or more Guidance Counselors.
• High schools also have a special police officer called a “Liaison Officer” who deals with any students that break the law.
• Skipping class
• Truancy/being a truant

-What happens if you skip a class?

• Detention
• Suspension/being suspended
• Expulsion/being expelled

Options After High School…

• The words college and university are nearly interchangeable in the United States and you will almost always hear Americans talk about “going to” or “being in” college rather than the UK where people say “go to” or “be at” university.