In the United States, students attend primary school until age 11, then middle school for 3 years until age 14, and then attend high school for 4 years, graduating at age 18. High school students have different class periods each day from 8:05 am to 3:20 pm, and switch classes between periods. Extracurricular activities like American football games and the prom are important social events. Graduation ceremonies celebrate students who have completed high school.

1. Susan López Departamento de Ingles ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ High School in the United States ----------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------

2. In the U.S., the school system is different from the school system in Spain. Students go to primary school until they are 11. Then, instead of going straight to high school, they go to middle school for 3 years until they are 13 or 14. Then they go to high school for four years and graduate when they are 18. Education is required until you are 18 years of age there, and when you graduate after that you can go to a university or pursue professional training. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Students usually have the same schedule every day from Monday through Friday. Students school schedules in U.S. high schools are also organized differently than the schedules of students in Spain. High school students in the U.S. usually also have lockers too that they stop by during passing period to get books from or leave personal items in. ------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- Period Class 1rst: 8:05-8:55 Math 2nd: 9:00-9:50 English 3rd: 9:55-10:45 Study Hall 4th: 10:50-11:40 Biology 5th: 11:45-12:35 Lunch 6th: 12:40-1:30 History 7th: 1:35-2:25 P.E. 8th: 2:30-3:20 Art

4. If students live more than 1 mile away from their high school, they are usually eligible to take a bus provided by the school. Once students are old enough to drive and have their license, they can also drive to school if they apply for a parking permit. ---------------------------------- ---------------------------------- --------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------

5. U.S. high schools also usually have a school officer or police man. They are there in case of any fights and to help make sure that students are safe. They also work to try to keep drugs out of the schools. In some schools where violence is a big problem, they use metal detectors on students. Students have to pass through them in order to enter the school. ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ ---------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------

6. In U.S. high schools, American Football games are a big deal. Students dress up in school colors to show their school pride. Cheerleaders cheer on the team, and some times a school marching band made up of students plays during the breaks.

7. Prom is a formal dance held for high schoolers in the U.S. in their last years of high school. They usually go in their junior and senior years. Girls usually spend a lot of money on fancy dresses and guys wear tuxedos. Students will often times get groups of their friends together and rent limos to take them to the dance. Usually guys buy a girl a corsage, which is a flower decoration that goes on the wrist, and a king and a queen are selected during the dance. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. In the U.S. most high schools also hav Graduation ceremonies. These celebrate students completing their four years at high school sucessfully. Students wear traditional robes and a hat with a tassel. The entire graduating class will sit at a large stadium or field, with their parents and family watching from the side lines. They get their name called by school officials and go up to recieve their diploma. When they recieve it, they flip the tassels on their hat to the right and shake the officials hand, then return to their seat. When everyone has recieved their diploma, the official introduces the graduating class and all of the family members chear and the students throw their hats into the air. …………………………………