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High School

Middle East International School (MIS) High School, where we value continuous improvement and believe that learning is the work, together. What we know is that critical thinking skills will be crucial to student’s success. Theirs is a digital world; their future will be more strongly affected by technology. Hence, our vision at MIS High School is to provide excellence in education presupposing that technology is seamlessly integrated throughout our instructional program.  This fits with our mission of "learning through critical thinking, problem solving and creativity."

The high school section includes 250 students in grades 9-12. The academic program is a challenging and engaging American college preparatory system, supplemented with Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) for students seeking to challenge themselves to an even higher level.

To enrich student life, high school offers a variety of organized activities which consists of sports as well as spirit-building activities. In recent years, the MIS Model United Nations delegation has regularly taken part in THIMUN, Andrew MUN at Carnegie Melon University, MUN at Georgetown University, Messaied, Al Dukhan, and Al Khor in Qatar. In addition, our Robotics Team and Destination Imagination are developing programs offered to students.

Student Leadership

The student body elects the High School Student Council. The Student Council consists of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Public Relations persons as well as grade level representatives. They not only make recommendations pertaining to the general welfare and activities of the school but also organize pep-rallies and extra-curricular events after school to enrich and enhance the curriculum.

Student Council is an initiative to empower the students while providing an approval process to support their growing leadership skills; this enables the students to demonstrate leadership talents, commitment and responsibility by serving the student body. Student representatives are elected annually by their peers and must meet criteria regarding academics, attendance and behavior. Student Council exists at the Elementary, Middle and High school.

Student Council duties includes promoting and being ambassadors for the school within the wider community and acting as liaison between the students and the school leadership.

Academic Programs

Our curriculum is in line with our school’s vision and mission, ensuring that our students learn at high levels to be competitive in the international community. The curriculum is based on the Common Core State Standards and we are able to offer a wide variety of coursework for students.  Students in the high school must earn 24.0 credits to graduate.

High School Diploma

MIS offers a college preparatory program for students from the international community residing in Qatar.  The curriculum is aligned with the American Common Core Standards and California Standards. MIS seeks to produce students who are prepared to enter college, preferably a U.S. institution of higher learning; however, students also choose to qualify for entrance to institutions of higher learning all over the world.  We offer a strictly academic-oriented program of study.

Students are expected to earn 24.0 credits in their four years at high school to graduate. The program focuses on inquiry based learning approach throughout the core subjects; English, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Languages (Arabic & French) and a selection of special subjects (Islamic Studies, Crafts, Band, Physical Education, ICT, Art, Music, Career, Robotics) that provide our students with a solid foundation as they prepare for university. As part of developing, we encourage students to participate in service and leadership opportunities offered in the local community.

Academic Curriculum

The foundations described above are embodied through our curriculum and student expectations.

Each core area of learning is defined by the California Standards with scope and sequence organized chronologically.  Developmental and yearly visited (back-mapping) curriculum maps and lesson planning are used to articulate the standards, strands, pacing guides, teaching strategies, instructional resources, formative and summative assessments, all aligned to the standards.

Seniors are advised to take either SAT or the ACT.  Sophomores and Juniors are advised to take the PSAT, administered in school and in preparation for the SAT.  The PSAT is administered in October of each academic year.  MIS is an authorized testing center for PSAT.

Honors/AP Courses

Honors and AP courses are designed to challenge highly motivated students. These academically rigorous courses require students to delve deeply into issues and concepts, both at the abstract and concrete level.  AP courses are college courses offered on the MIS campus.  They are significantly more rigorous than Honors courses.  At present, Honors courses are offered in English, Math and Science (grades 9 – 12).  AP Environmental Studies is offered to students in Grades 10-12.  AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Psychology, AP English Literature & Composition and AP Physics is offered to Grades 11 and 12, while AP Micro & Macro Economics is offered to Grade 12 only.

Honors and AP courses will be weighted to acknowledge the commitment and dedication that is required to be successful in such courses. Students must also be aware that U.S. universities most often ‘unweight’ GPA’s in the college admissions process.

Students wishing to study in the UK are advised to enroll for AP courses to avoid a foundation year before entering into undergraduate studies.  Students wishing to study in Europe are advised to take AP courses to be eligible for undergraduate studies, depending on the specific course and country.

Grading System

Class grades are derived from the cumulative work which the student completes throughout the semester.  Tests, quizzes, projects, assignments, portfolios, end-of-semester assignments, and mock AP exams may be included in the grade calculation.  Semester grades will be comprised of 100% of each student’s term work.

MIS uses a GPA grading scale system out of 4.0.  This is the rubric for how the GPA is calculated.  Only high school students use the GPA system, as that is the system used in the admissions process for universities.

97-100%              A+                   4.0                   4.5 (Honors)     5.0 (AP)

93-96 %               A                     4.0                   4.5 (Honors)      5.0 (AP)

90-92%                A-                    3.7                   4.2 (Honors)      4.7 (AP)

87-89%                B+                   3.3                   3.7 (Honors)      4.2 (AP)

83-86%                B                     3.0                   3.5 (Honors)       4.0 (AP)

80 -82%               B-                    2.7                   3.2 (Honors)       3.7 (AP)

77-79%                C+                   2.3                   2.7 (Honors)       3.2 (AP)

73-76%                C                     2.0                   2.5 (Honors)       3.0 (AP)

70-72%                C-                    1.7                   2.2 (Honors)       2.7 (AP)

67-69%                D+                   1.3                   1.7 (Honors)       2.2 (AP)

65-66%                D                     1.0                    1.5 (Honors)       2.0 (AP)

Below 65             D-                     .5                     1.0 (Honors)     1.5 (AP)

Below 60             E/F                    0                       0  (Honors)        0 (AP)

Recommended graduation requirements:

  1. SAT Subject Tests are highly recommended for college bound students, particularly students who are interested in engineering or the sciences, or for students who want to prove their English language skills.

     

  2. American Government (online) is also highly recommended for non-Americans who plan to attend U.S. colleges/universities, especially for students wishing to study government, law, or international politics.

     

  3. Students electing to take ‘community service’ must provide evidence of the work they have done at the end of each semester and routinely check in with the community service coordinator (or counselor) throughout the semester.

    Note:  Students may not take ‘community service’ just to skip an elective they do not particularly enjoy. You must be enrolled in an AP course, an online course, or a pre-approved service project, in order to be eligible.

     

    MIS High School Course Offerings and Credit Requirements

    College Preparatory Program of Study

    Minimum requirement:  24 graduation credits to complete High School

    Students are required to enroll  in a minimum of six classes each semester / Grade 11 and 12, with approval, may enroll in up to eight.  There are minimum credit requirements to move up to the next grade level. 

 

SUBJECTS (Core & Elective)

Credit Value per school year

Total Credit Value for H/S Graduation

 

ENGLISH

0.5 / semester

1 full credit / school year

4 credits

MATHEMATICS

0.5 / semester

1 full credit / school year

4 credits

SCIENCE

0.5 / semester

1 full credit / school year

4 credits

SOCIAL STUDIES

(with Qatar History)

0.5 / semester

1 full credit / school year

4 credits

WORLD LANGUAGE

0.75 credit / school year

3 credits

ISLAMIC STUDIES or

Crafts / Values Education

0.5 credit / school year

2 credits

ICT (Computer Studies)

0.25 credit / school year

1 credit

*P.E.

0.25 credit / school year

1 credit

*Art/ Music/ Career

0.25 credit / school year

1 credit

REQUIRED TOTAL CREDITS BY END OF SCHOOL YEAR

TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL:

 

Freshman

No credit requirements, but the student must have Algebra-I to enter grade-9.

Sophomore

5 credits (minimum) / 7 credits (maximum)

Junior

12 credits (minimum) / 14 credits (maximum)

Senior

19 credits (minimum) / 21 credits (maximum)

 

Grade:  9

Freshman

Grade:  10

Sophomore

English I

English II

Geometry

Algebra 2

Earth Science

Biology

World Geography

World History

[ Total Credits:  4 ]

[ Total Credits:  4 ]

Grade:  11

Junior

Grade:  12

Senior

English III/AP Lit and Composition

English IV/AP Lit and Comp

Pre-Calculus

Calculus/Statistics

Chemistry

Physics

U.S. History

Economics & Marketing/AP Micro or Macro Economics

[ Total Credits:  4 ]

[ Total Credits:  4 ]

Elective Subjects:

World Language

(Arabic Language* or French)

Art/Music/ Career/Robotics

Islamic Studies* or

Crafts

P.E.

ICT

AP Courses

Notes:

* Arab students are required to complete four years of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies, as per the Ministry of Education (MOE).

 

NOTE:

It is important that each course, particularly in courses that build upon one another (such as in the case of the four main core subjects), is successfully passed/completed by a student, in order to receive the final grade and due credit for the course.

Parents are encouraged to meet with Ms. Tessy, Academic Counselor, once each year in order to facilitate planning.

 

The Advanced Placement Program

In addition to the regular curriculum, MIS offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses.  This gives students the opportunity to do college-level work while still in high school. The courses are available to qualified, motivated students. The school administers AP exams, conducted by the College Board, to students enrolled for AP courses. Those who are sitting for an AP exam are obliged to pay the exam fee. These fees are subject to change due to increases by the College Board.

Current Advanced Placement Courses at MIS:

  • Biology
  • Calculus
  • Environmental Science
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • English Literature and Composition
  • Psychology
  • Micro-economics
  • Macro-economics
Islamic Studies/ Crafts/ Music

MIS demonstrates a sincere commitment to Ministry of Education’s regulations and indeed to the vision of Qatar for the future of the education of its citizens. School aims to provide appropriate education for their students in Islamic Culture and knowledge/commitment to Islamic beliefs/ values. These classes are conducted twice a week both in Arabic for students that are proficient in Arabic and in English medium for Arabic Second Language speakers. Non-Muslim students are provided the option to take Crafts in lieu of Islamic Studies.

Physical Education

The Physical Education program seeks to develop and promote a positive attitude about fitness and sports. The program offers students opportunities for active participation and provides physical, intellectual, emotional and social growth. Participation in sports is offered at all high school levels for both boys and girls. During the Inter-school Olympics each season our teams compete in tournaments that is hosted by the Qatar School Olympics. MIS has had considerable success over the years in Volleyball and Soccer competitions.

Art, Music, Robotics and Career Guidance

These are elective options for high school students intended to establish an aesthetic awareness and appreciation of fine arts. We anticipate that as they continue to study and gain experience, each student’s perception, creativity and critical thinking skills will likewise sharpen. Career Guidance is a course introduced by the Academic Counselor to empower students with workforce skills, goal setting, strategies and writing effective personal statements.  The Robotics program covers visual intelligence, machine learning, robot dynamics, control and locomotion.  

Student Trips

We are announcing our trips for 2019-2020 to Chicago and Berlin!  Students qualify to travel with excellent grades, outstanding attendance, and no behavior issues.  Please plan ahead as no extensions will be given for late payment or registration.  All trip fees must be paid by December 1 of the school year.  

Chicago and Wilmot, Wisconsin, are the USA trip this year.  Students will spend several days in downtown Chicago exploring the museums, sites and shopping of the Miracle Mile.  Then, they will move on to small town Midwest life at our sister-school in Wilmot, Wisconsin.  The high school focuses on technology and careers with a rigorous Project Lead the Way program.  

Berlin is a CAS trip which involves both sightseeing and volunteer work. As many students need volunteer or service hours for university entrance, this is an excellent way to complete this requirement.  

Please see the newsletter for additional information about trips in 2020-21 and beyond. We plan ahead because student trips require some extra steps and planning as well as to help you consider the family budget.

Student Council 

Student Council is an initiative to support growing leadership skills.  Involvement with the Student Council enables students to take on the commitment and responsibility of serving their school community and the larger community by engaging in volunteer and charity work with local organizations like QAWS (Qatar Animal Welfare Society).  Students representatives are elected annually by a points system and must meet criteria regarding academics, attendance and behavior.  

 

University Visits

During the school year, we host several university fairs and representatives from universities worldwide regularly visit school to give our students with talent and ambition the exposure to pursue their passion, get college-ready, and be socially responsible leaders of tomorrow.