Each student has a mentor assigned to him/her each year. Every month the student will meet with that mentor and they will discuss together the students’ progress, goals, and etc. This is an important time where valuable one-on-one discussion can take place.

Oral exams are the grand finale of each semester. At the end of each semester each student will stand up in front of a small selection of mentors, board members, and parents to deliver an oral exam that covers information that the student has learned throughout the entire semester. This exam includes a mixture of monologue where the student presents information and a Q&A where mentors, board members, and parents ask questions pertinent to that semester’s studies and the student gives his/her answers.

This is an opportunity for students to look back over all the material for the semester and pull out the principles that have most impacted their lives. Because of their deep preparation for this exam, we see students’ transformation in real time. No one–students, mentors, or parents–is the same after this experience. Students are encouraged to prepare both mentally and spiritually for their oral; it will reveal to them their true selves and their amazing potential! These exams are a reward and treat for everyone involved!

What are Oral Exams? An oral exam is an opportunity for each student to demonstrate their understanding in an presentation/Q and A format. Students will present and answer questions for approximately 45 minutes.

Are there regular classes during Oral Exam week? Regular classes are not held during oral exam week. Seminary classes WILL be held.

Who attends Oral Exams? Students will present to mentors, Ascend board members, and their parents/family.

What do I wear? Students should dress professionally. Sunday best is appropriate.

When do I come for orals? Sign ups for specific time slots will be available.

Other questions? Reach out to your student’s Leadership Mentor for specific details about their oral exam. Mentors will coach students on how best to prepare.

Basic Supplies
- Refillable Water Bottle
- Lunch Box
- Backpack
- Student Planner

HISTORY / LITERATURE / U.S. GOVERNMENT
Books:
1. “Learning How to Learn” by Barbara Oakley
2. “Increase in Learning” by David A. Bednar
3. “The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster
4. FOR THE GIRLS: “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery
5. FOR THE BOYS: “Bendigo Shafter” by Louis L’Amour
6. “We Hold These Truths to be Self Evident” by Oliver DeMille
7. “The Five Thousand Year Leap” by Cleon W. Skousen
8. The New Testament (Selections)
9. “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing
10. “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by CS Lewis
11. “Bambi” by Felix Salten
12. “God’s Smuggler” by Brother Andrew
13. “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom
14. “When My Name Was Keoko” by Linda Sue Park
15. “Breaking Stalin’s Nose” by Eugene Yelchin
16. ”Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankle
17. “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare

Supplies:
1. Bound Notebook, blank pages (not ruled).
2. Pens/Mechanical Pencils

LEADERSHIP/MISSION DRIVEN TEENS
Books:
1. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey
2. “Little Britches” by Ralph Moody
3. “Do Hard Things” by Alex & Brett Harris
4. “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L’Engle
5. “The Cure for the Common Life” by Max Lucado
6. “Telling Yourself the Truth” by William Backus and Maria Chapian
7. “The Princess and the Goblin” by George MacDonald
8. “Leadership and Self-Deception” by The Arbinger Institute
9. “The Last Battle” by C.S. Lewis
10. “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do” by Amy Morin
11. “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” by Robert C. O’Brien
Supplies:
1. A section in a 3 ring binder
2. Pens

LANGUAGE ARTS
Books:
1. The Prince and the Pauper” by Mark Twain
Supplies:
1. Two compositional notebooks per semester

SCIENCE-FORENSICS
Books:
1. “Blood, Bullets, and Bones” by Bridget Heos
Supplies:
1. 3 ring binder
2. A plastic folder with pockets that fit in a 3 ring binder

MATH
(See your student’s specific math class supplies)

Math 6
1. Horizions 6th Grade Math Student Book 1 (semester one) (Lifepack)
2. Section in a 3-ring binder for math and filler paper
3. Mechanical pencils

Math 7
1. Fine tip Expo Dry Erase Markers
2. Section in a 3-ring binder for math and filler paper

Pre-Algebra / Algebra
1. 3x5 Index Cards
2. 3 ring binder with filler paper (NO spiral notebooks please)
3. Calculator

Geometry
1. Geometry set with protractor, ruler, and compass (Locking compass preferred)
2. Texas Instruments TI-30XIIS Scientific Calculator
3. One 1 inch 3 ring binder exclusively for math
4. 5 tab dividers (homemade is fine)
5. Lined filler paper (NO spiral notebooks please)
6. Graph paper
7. Mechanical pencils
8. 100 pack 3x5 Index Cards

Algebra 2 / Trigonometry
1. 3x5 Index Cards
2. 3 ring binder with filler paper (NO spiral notebooks please)
3. Texas Instruments TI-3-XIIS Scientific Calculator