Greetings, junior parents!

As hard as it is to believe, the start of the spring semester also marks the beginning of class registration for the 2026–2027 school year. Because senior schedules are often the most complex—and the most likely to involve alternates, conflicts, or follow-up conversations—we’re beginning this process with the Class of 2027 next week.

This year’s process looks a little different, so I want to take a moment to explain how it works, what’s changing, and how we can best partner together to support your student.

Class registration is a request process, not a guarantee. We ask students and families to think carefully and collaboratively about course choices, while also understanding that final schedules will depend on factors like enrollment limits, conflicts, and second-semester performance. Thoughtful planning now gives us the best chance of building a strong schedule later.

In the past, counselors shared important information regarding senior schedules in their Collaboration sessions. This year the process will run entirely through the Office of Academics, with support from the Counseling Department. They will now have two Collaborations, back to back, one for the scheduling process with me (Mr. O’Connor) and one for college and future planning with their counselors. It is imperative that they attend both Collaborations. These are mandatory junior collaborations and regular attendance policies will apply. 

Key Resources

Please plan to review the following materials together with your student:

• Four-Year Planning Document
• Course Catalog
• Class Registration Worksheet
• Video Walkthrough of the Registration Process

These resources are designed to help students build a rigorous but manageable senior-year schedule.

Steps in the Class Registration Process

We recommend working through registration in this order:

• Print a copy of the Class Registration Worksheet  (Or pick one up in the Counseling Center or outside the Office of Academics.)
• Review the Four-Year Plan.  This provides an overview of graduation requirements, recommendations, and available options.
• Watch the video walkthrough together. The video highlights important considerations—especially those that can help avoid conflicts or unrealistic combinations of courses.
• Draft a proposed schedule on the worksheet.
• Bring the worksheet to your scheduled Collaboration Meeting with Mr. O’Connor in the Welcome Center.
• January 14: Counseling Group B
• January 21: Counseling Group A
• Enter course requests in the PowerSchool Class Registration portal.
• (Optional) Attend a Scheduling Lab during Community Period in the Library. Dates: January 21, 22, 27, or 29.  Mr. O’Connor, Mrs. Wagner, and members of the Counseling Department will be available for questions and guidance.  Please bring your completed worksheet.

Deadline: The class registration portal closes at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 30.

What happens after January 30?

After the portal closes, all course requests are routed to department chairs for review. Most requests are approved; however, some may be declined if a student’s current (mid-quarter) performance in a prerequisite course does not meet expectations.

Once department review is complete, families will receive an updated listing of all currently approved course requests. If a requested course does not appear on that list and the student is still interested, an appeal may be submitted. Instructions for appeals will be included in that follow-up message—please read it carefully.

Students who do not complete class registration by the deadline will have a default schedule created by their counselor and will need to wait until the appeals window to request changes.

Key Dates at a Glance

• Jan. 14 – Class registration page becomes available on PowerSchool for rising seniors
• Jan. 14, 8:20–9:25 a.m. – Counseling Group B (Welcome Center)
• Jan. 21, 8:20–9:25 a.m. – Counseling Group A (Welcome Center)
• Jan. 21, 22, 27, 29, 2:00–3:00 p.m. – Drop-in Scheduling Labs (Library)
• Jan. 30, 4:00 p.m. – Class registration closes for rising seniors

Helpful Glossary

Class Registration
The name PowerSchool uses for this process. Knowing this term helps you locate the correct screen in the portal.

Course Requests
Requests are tentative—even after they are approved by departments. Many senior courses are “singletons” (only one section), and enrollment limits or schedule conflicts may prevent fulfillment. Additionally, students may be moved to a different course if second-semester performance falls below expectations.

Credit Hours
PowerSchool uses credit values to ensure students select exactly 7.0 credits for the Period 1–7 schedule:  

• Semester courses: 0.5
• Year-long courses: 1.0
• Courses outside Periods 1–7 (e.g., some co-curricular arts, Service & Justice): 0.0
• Flex and ASC (if applicable): 0.5
• Note: These credit numbers are different from those reported on transcripts; they’re used solely for this class registration process.

Prerequisites & Co-requisites
Prerequisites are enforced automatically based on grades and credits earned and are detailed in the Course Catalog. Some courses also require official recommendations, which appear in the “Alert” column in PowerSchool. Co-requisites require students to request two courses together.

Alternates
“Alternate Requests” may be listed for electives. These will only be scheduled if a primary request cannot be fulfilled, and they do not count toward the 7.0 credits required.

Appeals
Appeals occur after class registration and are reviewed following the third quarter. Students hoping to strengthen an appeal should focus on improving performance in prerequisite coursework.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to work through this process thoughtfully with your student. I know it represents a shift from prior years, and I appreciate your partnership as we aim to create senior schedules that are both ambitious and sustainable.

Warm regards,
Colin O’Connor
Assistant Principal for Academics