By Angel Perkins News-Mirror Editor
Triton’s eighth graders and their parents gathered at a freshman orientation led by school guidance counselor Hugh Rettinger. He explained that preparing for a student's college career or life goals begins now, before he enters the high school grades.
Whether a student is planning on going into the military, enrolling in a technical school or a two or four-year college, seeking an apprenticeship, or delving right into the workforce after graduation, Rettinger emphasized the fact that preparing early is pertinent to assure that students are taking courses that are relevant to their plans for the future.
Each attendee at the performing arts center was handed out an orientation and curriculum guide for the upcoming school year and was audience to a projected Power Point presentation that offered not only career data but four diplomas and one certificate of completion options as well.

Based on what goal the student intends to pursue, the required classes and credits were explained and outlined. The Indiana Core 40 initiative goes beyond minimum graduation requirements (41 total credits and the passing of the Graduation Qualifying Exam which as of 2012 will be this year's eighth graders senior year) and will not accept the ISTEP scores of seniors but passing Core 40 exams in algebra, English, biology and U.S. History.
This Core 40 program can be pursued by beginning with pre-algebra or algebra and can be added on to with technical or academic honors. These levels of the expected high school career can be attained by adding a vocational program in place of the recommended courses or by adding advanced classes in science, English, math, six credits in Spanish, two in art or music and must earn a cumulative grade point average of 7.75.
The honors classes also require that the student maintain a C or above in all courses. The state of Indiana now requires that the students begin a four-year plan projection which includes the Core 40 curriculum that has been adopted as the minimum college admissions requirement for most Indiana Colleges.
Students were expected to go over the information with their parents and choose a class schedule for the 2008-09 school year based on their future goals and to complete a four-year planning guide of classes to take in the consecutive years and have them returned to the office by February 29. The course change deadline for the eighth graders' freshman year is April 25.
Information addressed also included some important facts for students and parents to consider even at this early date in their child's future. For example, almost 60 percent of jobs require an associates degree or certification including two years or less of training.
The curriculum guide offered a list of the Hoosier Hot 50 Jobs which was collectively based on Indiana's job growth and earnings potentials. "It's no surprise that 67 percent of job growth in the nation through 2010 is to occur in the health care, computer systems and technology fields," Rettinger said.
The guide also explained how Triton Jr. Sr. High School actively works with area academies and centers to offer 12 vocational programs available for on-the-job training that may earn students school credits as well as a paycheck.
Another table from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that those that had no high school diploma earned significantly less (roughly $25,000) than those with one (about $32,000) and far less than those with a four-year college degree ($58,000). Other factors Rettinger told students and parents to be aware of were that while some future jobs have yet to be thought of, other positions and careers, even those that had been popular will become obsolete as technology advances.
Successful people need to be flexible; they need to be well-rounded to try new ideas and to be a lifelong learner," he said. "Studies show that on average, American workers change their careers seven times throughout their working lifetime."