generally it goes:
17-18 yrs old - senior year (or 12th grade)
16-17 yrs old - junior year (or 11th grade)
15-16 yrs old - sophmore year (or 10th grade)
14-15 yrs old - freshman year (or 9th grade)
13-14 yrs old - 8th grade
12-13 yrs old - 7th grade
11-12 yrs old - 6th grade
10-11 yrs old - 5th grade
9-10 yrs old - 4th grade
8-9 yrs old - 3rd grade
7-8 yrs old - 2nd grade
6-7 yrs old - 1st grade
5-6 yrs old - kindergarden
4-5 yrs old - pre-k

of course some people do get left back and have to repeat a grade which will earn them the title of "super senior"

the years between pre-k to 6th grade are elementary school children
the years between 7-8 are referred to as junior high or middle school
the years between 9-12 are reffered to as high school

though there are some schools that are small enough to host grades pre-k through 12 all in one building. but generally they are separated by group as listed above.

-raises hand-

"Grades? EX- 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade...ect untill you get to 12th grade then that is your last year of school."

*raise hand shyly* Not sure but... from 6 in primary school and on when 13 to start secondary (high) school?


*mutters* Also, professor, it isn't too late to hand in homework, right? The deadline was today....

Kay raises her hand. "Many Muggle parents send their children to Preschool or Head Start from the ages of 3 to 4. The purpose of this is to prepare the children for Elementary School. The Primary or Elementary Grade levels are Kindergarten through Grade 5. The Secondary Grade levels are Grades 6 through 12. The Secondary Grade levels are broken down into two categories: Middle School (also called Junior High in various Muggle school districts) and High School. Middle School traditionally consists of Grades 6 through 8, however this can vary from district to district. High School traditionally consists of Grades 9-12. For the Muggle students who are not successful in High School by the time they turn 15 1/2, they are encouraged to enroll at a Continuation High School. At this type of school, the Muggle students have the opportunity to earn the credits needed to graduate from school or to take an exam that is the equivalent of a High School Diploma."

oh professor i also forgot to mention there is higher education after the high school level, which would be completed at a university or college.

1st year college students - freshman
2nd year college students - sophmore
3rd year college students - junior
4th year college students - senior

however, your standing in colleges and universities are based on the number of credits you accumulate (i.e. it's possible for someone who has been at a university for 1 year to have sophmore standing).

"Yes, but colleges can be different. Some are only two years, some are four years, and then for certain occupations, you may have to go to school many more years than just four, accumulating different 'degrees'. A Bachelors, a Masters, a PHD are a few examples. Then you can minor in an area, as well," Ashlie pointed out. "You can wind up going to school for a long time, and that is providing that you passed all of your grades and gained enough credits."

:: "Also, it goes Preschool, Elementary, Middle school, High school." I say adding to the discussion. "I heard of even Elementary being divided into lower and upper." I give a big smile. ::

"Middle school is often considered Jr. High in some schools. And some still consider that Kindgergarten to fourth grade to elementry school, while fifth to eighth is middle or Jr. High school. It all depends on where you live, and if school's have changed their set ups," Ashlie added.

Serena took notes while she listened to the other students.

Nadia took notes seeing she knew little or nothing or the subject. "I agree with Ashlie that some collegues are different, some taking 4 years to 8 years. There's also an alternativet to collegue which is in my laguage is called "terciario"... but no, I don't know about American muggle schooling..." Nadia sighed realizing this would be probably her yet most difficult class,

*Sarah writes down notes about the grades, being from England she didn't know much about the American school system*

Other counrties have either shorter or longer school years than the UK and US system. Some have 4 years of grade school (grades 1-4), 2 years of intermediate school (grade 5-6), 4 years of high school (1st year-4th year), then on to the regular 4 years of college.

:: Ganymede new only of American muggles schooling. She herself attended Elementary school until she recieved her Hogwarts letter. She recieved the letter the summer before her first year of middle school. That began in grade 6. "In America, it is optional whether to attend preschool or not. I myself never went to preschool." I announce hoping to clear up some confusions. ::

Sangeetha who was writing notes quickly raised her hand.

'In my country, there was noting called as a freshman year or a sophomore yer. why is it called that?'

"I think it may just be an American thing. Although, I know that Canada does too..." Ashlie said. "All countries are different. I, being from America until I was in my fourth grade, would know a lot about it. I moved back recently, so that is a very big thing with me, getting brochures about colleges. Now. About the names of the high school grades. I'm not sure why they're named like that. A senior would mean that they're the top of the school, gradewise and agewise, that is. Freshman, means a begenner. So you get that Freshman is your first year of highschool or college, being that you're begenning that.

"Now, highschool classes are divided into Uperclassman and Lowerclassman. Lower is freshman and sophmore. Upper is Junior and Senior. Senior, you know is also used as the older of someone with the same name, and a Junior is someone who is the younger of the same name in a family. Example, John Senior is the father of John Junior. So, in a way, I suppose that part of the names make sense. Does this help you any?"

Now in referring to Freshman, Sophmore, Junior and Senior. These are rather American terms. Basically they refer to the year in which someone is within their schooling. It can apply to both high school also called secondary school and college and/or university. Basically as one progresses though a 4 year program they are referred to their year by each name. Freshman year is the first year, Sophmore year is the second year, Junior year is the third year and Senior year is the fourth and final year. Now in post-secondary education, another name for university or college the length of the program can vary. For example some programs last only 1-2 years while others such as becoming a doctor like we discussed in our last lesson can take many more as much as 14 years. If one would want to become a doctor you would need to gain first a 4 year degree from a university. The 3 years of medical school and anywhere from another 3-7 years for residency training. Residency training involves hands on training working with real patients, often in hospitals, there are many teaching hospitals throughout the world.

Nadia hears and takes notes, not knowing all of it. Figures, going to many schools herself and knowing nothing of all them. Setting her quill down, she wondered what else was to be said on the subject, other than "knowledge is power" and all that... Wondering what else they wold discuss, Nadia listened quietly to the lesson.

Sangeetha quickly dipped her quill in her green ink and jotted down the notes what Ashlie and the Professor had said. No wonder she never knew.... they were American terms. Cool...

Right now I am a 16 yr. old junior in high(or secondary) school, which means I'm in my 11th year and have one more to go. After I finish this year I am going on to college to get degrees in Marine Biology, English, and Theatre, which means I'm going to double major in Marine Bio. and english, and minor in Theatre.

Our normal school year runs normally from the middle of August to the end of May or beginning of June in the south. In the north school usually starts September and ends sometime in June.

We get 2 weeks normally for Christmas and this year we get a week for Thanksgiving which i am on now. We also get a spring break and a winter break.

OK, so basically we know that the American/Canadian school system follows grades. Initiating at Kindergarten, then grades 1 - 5 elementary school, grades 6-8 middle school and finally grades 9 - 12 high school/secondary school. Then you have the option of moving on to College and/or University.

OK, in the UK we are divided into Key Stages. There are 4 stages: Stage 1 includes reception, year 1 - 2, Stage 2 includes years 3 - 6, Stage 3 includes years 7-9, and finally Stage 4 includes years 10 - 11. Now depending on what system you are going through it may be called different things. In the first type Stage 1 is called Infant school, Stage 2 is called Junior school and Stage 3 -4 is called Grammer school. In the second type Stage 1 -2 is called Primary school and Stage 3 - 4 is called Seconday school. In the third type Stage 1 and the first year of Stage 2 is called First school, the remainder of Stage 2 and the first year of Stage 3 is called Middle school and the remainder of Stage 3 and Stage 4 are called Junior High School. ONce they have completed this school they are eligible to study for GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) similar to our NEWT levels.

*Sarah wrote down a few brief notes, she already knew most things about UK education*

*Nikki writes the notes over the British school system*
Is the GCSE like a high school diploma?

OoC: Thanksgiving break doesn't start for me until Wends. o.O Lucky


Ashlie nodded. "That's how my friends are. They go from about middle to late August, some still start in September though. I would be a sophmore in highschool, that's tenth grade, I'd still be considered and underclassman."