Incoming Freshman

Virtual Incoming Freshman Enrollment Information Meeting

Thursday, December 2, 2020, 6:00 p.m. via Zoom

This important meeting will focus on how to request courses and enroll your student for the 2022-2023 school year. 

 

Online Enrollment, Course Selection & Residency Verification

Here are key dates and the steps you will need to complete:

• January 18, 2022: Open House (Virtual)
  • Submit Freshman Course Selections during Virtual Open House (sample document will be distributed to the Middle Schools on Wednesday, January 12, 2022). During this event, you will attend a short presentation lead by Division Heads and then attend a group meeting with your student’s counselor to ask questions and enter your course requests. Please plan on being in attendance virtually starting at 7:00 p.m. We also will provide information on how students and parents can get involved at OPRFHS. More information will be available in the coming months. 
• After May 2022
  • Submit all health and dental records by the deadlines (turn this page over for more information).
    • Students planning to participate in athletics should have the Certificate of Child Health Examination form completed after May 1, 2022, to ensure athletic eligibility for the entire freshman year. Students who will participate in a fall sport must turn in physicals BEFORE August 1.
  • The DHS Certificate of Child Health Examination form WILL BE ACCEPTED for participation in athletics.
  • Illinois High School Association (IHSA) forms are not necessary for freshmen.  
• June and July 2022: Online Enrollment & Residency Verification
• Further instructions will follow in the spring via email. Please note that course selections will not be valid unless you complete your student’s online enrollment and residency verification. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our offices. And again, welcome!

Oak Park & River Forest High School reviews student data to determine course selection options in English, History, Mathematics, Science, and World Language courses for incoming freshmen. Our divisions may use slightly different processes to arrive at their recommendations, so please review the information below for division-specific details.

 

Incoming students from our area sender schools

Private schools in our sender area are included in this and the achievement test data they administer will be utilized.

 

English & History

Course options in freshman English, History, and literacy courses consider a student’s ability to read, comprehend and analyze grade-level text.  We use students’ current grades in Language Arts and Social Studies, and MAP Reading scores to make a recommendation if supplemental literacy support or a different instructional experience is needed to be successful in the freshmen curriculum.  Contact Brian Conant, English Division Head, or Amy Hill, History Division Head, for any questions regarding course selection options in these subjects. 

Science

Recommendations for our freshman Science course, Physics/Chemistry, are based on MAP scores in Mathematics and Reading, as well as a review of students’ science course performance in 8th grade. Based on that information, it may be determined that a student would benefit from our Physics/Chemistry course that provides more structure and support in reading and math skill development, and accessing the grade-level curriculum. Contact Matt Kirkpatrick, Science Division Head, with questions regarding Science course selection.

Mathematics

OPRFHS Math placement freshman year considers the following information: MAP Mathematics scores, current course (prerequisite), and current course performance. Based on our review of information, we will make a determination of what is the next logical step in a student’s math course progression and also if there are any indications that a student would benefit from additional supports and instruction to build critical math skills. Contact Dr. Julie Frey, Mathematics Division Head, with any questions regarding Mathematics programming.

World Languages

Recommendations for Spanish, French, and Italian consider a student’s ability to understand the four modes of communication: reading, writing, listening and speaking in a language class. Based on a review of the current course level in language and student course performance, we will make a determination of appropriate placement in our programming. 

Students who have prior coursework or experience in Chinese, Japanese, German, or Latin, and are interested in potential placement in one of these language programs beyond the introductory level, should contact Claudia Sahagun, World Languages Division Head at csahagun@oprfhs.org. 

Special Education 

If a student has an Individualized Education Plan, a transition meeting will be held with the student’s current IEP team and special education representatives from Oak Park and River Forest High School.  As part of the transition meeting, course offerings are shared and a course request form is completed.  Course selections are made in collaboration with the special education team, based on the student's individual needs.

1. December 2, 2021 6:00pm via Zoom - Virtual Enrollment Information Meeting (More information coming soon)
2.  January 18. 2022 - Open House (Remote)
3. January 18, 2022 - During this remote open house  submit freshman course selections
4. May 1, 2022 - Athletics Certificate of Child Health Examination form needs to be submitted
5. After May 2022 - Submit all health and dental records
6. June and July 2022 - Online enrollment and Residency verification needs to be submitted

 Illinois State Law requires each student to have a medical examination performed by a licensed healthcare provider (MD, DO, APN, PA). State law also requires each student to show evidence of immunity to the diseases listed in the immunizations section of the enclosed DHS State of Illinois Certificate of Child Health Examination form. Parents and guardians are responsible for obtaining the medical examination and immunizations. All incoming 9th graders must turn in a physical examination and up-to-date immunization record by OCTOBER 14, 2022 to Health Services to attend OPRFHS.  Those who fail to meet this requirement will be subject to exclusion from school per board policy 7:100. For more information Click Here.

 

• All 9th graders must submit a proof of dental examination form by May 15, 2023.
  • Proof of School Dental Examination Form
• If a student requires medication during the school day, a Medication Authorization Form must be completed by the student’s physician, and on file with the Health Services office.
• If your child has a condition that requires a medical action plan (asthma, diabetes, food allergies, seizure disorder, etc.), an updated medical action plan must be turned in at the time all forms are submitted. 
• COVID vaccine cards can be uploaded directly to Skyward via Family Access.  Click here for instructions.

 

Please submit the completed and signed forms to medicalforms@oprfhs.org.  Please direct all questions to the Health Services office at 708-434-3234 or medicalforms@oprfhs.org.

*Please note that families must be enrolled in our district through our Registrar’s office before recommendations and/or testing can take place To begin the enrollment process, please go to our website at OPRFHS.org/enrollment. If you have any questions, contact our Registrar, Carmen Lopez at clopez@oprfhs.org

 

For transfer students and incoming freshmen from outside of our area sender schools, we will require the student’s most recent course information and grade report, and standardized test scores. For students who cannot provide a standardized Reading and Math test score (NWEA MAP, PSAT 8/9, ASPIRE, iReady, or Terra Nova, for example), we will need to administer an assessment to help determine a student’s academic levels. For questions regarding testing, please contact Mayra Delgado at mdelgado@oprfhs.org

After receiving a Chromebook, it is vital that all freshmen update their passwords, agree to the Acceptable Use Policy, and complete the online student orientation. Instructions were given with the Chromebook. Choosing a strong password reduces the risk of account issues including loss of connectivity, disabled accounts, and the inability to participate in school-related activities. Please check your Gmail account for information regarding this.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Helpdesk@oprfhs.org or (708) 434-3737 and choose 'Option 2.'