Normal speed, clean articulation please. Thank you!
1. PUBLIC SCHOOLS vs PRIVATE SCHOOLS
A large majority (around 88%) of American pupils go to public schools. These schools are called “public” because they are funded by the U.S. Government and local State governments. Private schools are not state-funded, so families usually have to pay expensive fees: 15.000 dollars / year on average. There is an extreme variety of private schools; some of them are very prestigious (Harvard, Stanford, Riverdale, etc.). Finally, some American teenagers don’t go to school, for a variety of reasons (medical, religious, psychological, etc.): they are “home-schooled”, which means that they study from home (with the help of a parent and also online). They represent 3 to 4% of all American students (about 4.5 million).
2. TESTS and GRADUATION
In the USA, there is no national exam or national curriculum . Each state defines the curriculum in public schools and the testing of students at the end of secondary education. In other words, there can be important variations from state to state: students don’t learn the same thing and do not take the same tests if they live in New York State, Florida, or Kentucky. At school, students receive ‘letter grades’ for their academic success. The best grade is A+ followed by A and A-. B is still good, C is average. D is failing and E or F mean complete failure.
After students have completed their last year of High School, they receive their High School Diploma: we say that they “graduate from High School”. During the “graduation ceremony”, students wear a special uniform. They often buy a yearbook containing pictures of their friends and teachers.
3. DAYS OFF and VACATIONS
The school year in the United States begins in the middle of August and finishes in the middle of June. Students have nearly 3 months of vacation during the summer. During the school year, students have days off / weeks off on different occasions: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Easter, and Memorial Day. During the summer holidays, summer sessions are organized: if they want, students can catch up with work they have missed or take a course they did not have time for during the year.
4. TYPICAL DAY and SCHOOL SUBJECTS
American students usually have 6 classes a day, starting at about 7.30 am and finishing school by 3pm. They only have about 30 minutes to eat lunch, followed by a very short break. They can bring their own ‘packed lunch’ or buy a hot meal at school. Every student must take English, math, science, and history: these subjects are “mandatory” . Schools also offer optional courses, called “electives”: art, music, PE, languages (usually Spanish or French), etc. Students in the USA do not stay with the same class for every subject; they change rooms and groups for each subject. They normally have the same lesson at the same time every day. In high school, some classes are divided by level: talented students can take advanced courses.
5. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
After-school activities begin in elementary school, but they considerably expand in high school and in college. Students can choose from many extra-curricular activities. They can join clubs based on a particular interest, such as chess, computers, acting or cooking, working on the school newspaper or playing in a sports team. Most schools have teams for basketball, football, baseball, and have track and field . Students practice these sports after school during the week, and they also participate in official games against other schools. Football is the most popular sport, followed by basketball. Cheerleaders attend all of the football and basketball games to support their school. Sports are very important at the high school level, and it is often very competitive.
6. TRANSPORTATION TO SCHOOL
American students usually ride yellow buses to and from school. Few students can walk to school or have their parents drive them. Students over 16 can drive to school but most students have to take the school bus. You must wait at the end of your driveway for the bus to pick you up. After school, you must get on the same bus and the bus driver will drop you off at your house. You do not have to pay for this bus; it is free.
7. SCHOOL DANCES
During the school year there are important social activities. In the autumn homecoming, the day when students return to the school, is celebrated with a big football game and a dance. Snowcoming is another dance in the winter. The most important dance of the year is the Prom which takes place at the end of the school year. Students take special care to find the right clothes for this event, and they vote to elect the Prom Queen and King.
on a team (rather than 'in')
Notice that the usage of punctuation [colon (:) and semicolon (;) and period/full stop (.)] is quite different. Use the colon in telling time, 6:30. Use a comma instead of a period in number groupings (15,000.10). Finally, use the semicolon when separating independent clauses, not the colon.