Enrollment & Registration FAQ

Shorecrest is a public school, and we accept new enrollees at any time, provided they live in our attendance area.  No matter when you join us, we will strive to place you in the classes you request/need (or, if coming from another school mid-term, into classes that most closely approximate those you were taking at your former school). However, if you enter Shorecrest after the majority of students have been scheduled for the semester, it may be that some of the classes you want/need will have no more room. This is true for Honors/AP classes, too – but we will make every attempt to place you in an appropriate academic program.

Incoming freshmen should sign up for a full schedule for their first year at Shorecrest, and make plans to meet with their Shorecrest guidance counselor during the freshman year to discuss alternatives for meeting graduation requirements. Note that four years of band/orchestra/choir may be counted as the graduation-required Occupational credit.

Read the individual class descriptions in the Course Guide to help you determine the best placement in your particular circumstance. But in general: Honors/AP classes are more rigorous and challenging, usually requiring more independent work than regular sections. Most require more reading, writing, research, and/or speaking.  The classes are run at a ‘higher level’ than the regular sections; they have a different atmosphere. Most require preparatory reading and/or work to be done the summer before. Honors/AP students must be self-motivated and able to manage time effectively. The student’s GPA and/or grades in previous classes in that subject area are good predictors of success.

Colleges like to see that a student took an Honors/AP class (when available) even if the student didn’t earn as high a grade as they might have in a regular section. They know the student will have benefited from the challenge offered by such a course, and is accustomed to a more college-like level of work.

No, they are not. Some students feel up to Honors/AP-level work in only one particular area, while others will want to take all the Honors/AP courses available. Many know they don’t have the discipline to do the required extra work. Students who are worried that they won’t be able to take Honors/AP courses and still have time for music lessons or sports (or friends or sleeping!) should be reassured that many Honors/AP students are very active in clubs, leadership, music, and/or sports. The Honors/AP teachers and students in Honors/AP classes both say:  If you’re not sure if an Honors/AP class is right for you, take a risk and give it a try. Your freshman year is a great time to try new things!

The student’s current math teacher may be willing to help with proper placement, possibly using the math class flow chart in the Course Guide to help. The current math teacher may correspond with the Shorecrest Math department chairman or a school counselor at Shorecrest. In the end, if it turns out the student was improperly placed, the math teacher will suggest a change in level shortly after the beginning of the school year. As a general rule, if the 8th grader is a strong math student, Geometry will likely be the correct class; an average math student will be more comfortable in Algebra 1.

World language courses taken in Shoreline School District middle schools will show on the high school transcript as having been taken but with a grade of “S” (if satisfactorily completed) and no credit. To have the class count toward the district-required World Language graduation requirement for students in the graduating classes of 2016 and beyond, the grade and credit must be “brought up.”  This is done via a form obtained through the student’s high school counselor, which is signed by the student and parent/guardian. If the middle school class is the only World Language course the student takes, the class must be brought up in order to count toward graduation. If the student will be taking additional years of a World Language in high school, the middle school class may be brought up; it is often best to wait until the junior year to investigate this, as the grades from middle school will affect the established high school GPA.

Students who have knowledge of another language through an alternate source, be it native tongue or “Saturday School” etc., are able to take a test that can grant credit. These tests, given several times each year in the Seattle area, are available in many languages.  

See the OSPI website to learn more about World Language Competency-based Credits.

It’s always best to check with particular colleges your student may be interested in attending. In general, colleges want to see two years of successful high school study in the same language. If a student has taken a language in middle school, colleges want the student to continue their study in the same language for at least a year in high school. Some colleges won’t accept a year of language studied in 7th grade toward their entrance requirements.

In general, students who lived in a country where English was not the primary language and who moved to the United States after 7th grade, may be considered to have completed the World Language requirement for most colleges. In the case of students who have taken language studies outside of the regular weekday school, the college may allow strong results from an SAT II test to satisfy the language requirement. Again, consultation with colleges of interest is advised.

Students who passed these classes at a Shoreline School District middle school will show them on their Shorecrest transcripts as having been satisfactorily completed, but with no credit. As the student continues in high school, the grades and credit may need to be “brought up” to meet state graduation requirements in math.  (Or, a student who continues on in math may wish to include his/her good grades in those classes in the high-school GPA.)

In consultation with their counselor, the student and their parent/guardian apply to have the middle school grade and credit brought to the high school transcript. Then the grade received in the middle school class will figure into the high school GPA.  Once on the transcript, the middle school grade/credit will not be removed.

WAC 180-51-030 “High school credit for courses taken before attending high school” applies to students in Shoreline School District.

At the end of the eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades, a student and the student’s parent/guardian can request that credit for the course or courses taken before attending high school:

• be transcribed with a non-numerical grade

• be removed from their transcript 

• remain on the transcript with the assigned grade.

A student and parent or guardian who has requested a prior change to credit for the course or courses taken before attending high school may make changes to that request at the end of the tenth and/or eleventh grades.
A non-numerical grade will not be included in the student’s high school grade point average calculations. High school credit earned prior to high school and transcribed with a non-numerical grade will apply to fulfilling high school graduation requirements.

Note: A non-numerical grade of “P” is applied to the class.

When Shorecrest first opened, students were allowed to select the mascot. Between the fact that the school sits on a high piece of ground (“Highlanders”) and the impression that a visiting group of kilted pipers left on the student body, the decision was made. Shorecrest is proud to be an official member of the Gordon Clan of Scotland, and from their tartan we take our school colors of gold, forest green, and navy.  Shorecrest has one of the few kilted high school marching bands in the nation. Highland Dancing is offered as a club. Our mascot Otis can be seen at assemblies and games. When pipers march in playing Scotland the Brave, show your pride by standing and clapping along!

Check out our School History section!

• Get involved in activities and/or sports!
• Don’t skip classes
• Ask for help!
• Be responsible for your actions!

Students are expected to attend all assigned classes each day. School staff will keep a record of absence and tardiness, including a record of excuse statements submitted by a parent/guardian, or in certain cases, students, to document a student’s excused absences.

Learn about Shorecrest's attendance policies, how to excuse an absence, and more:

Attendance Information

Did You Know?

• Attending school on time, all day, every day will give your child the best chance of graduating from high school. 

• Starting in kindergarten, missing on average just 2 days a month, whether excused or unexcused, makes it more likely that your child will not meet academic standards in math and reading by third grade. 

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school. 

• Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with bullying, or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.

• By 9th grade, regular attendance is a better predictor of high school graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

Excerpted from Excused and Unexcused Absences in the Shoreline School District Student Handbook.