Tenth grade is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten (or pre-school) study in schools in the United States of America. Students are usually 14 to 16 years of age. The equivalent of "10th grade" in various nations is described below.

Australia

Tenth grade, for most Australian states is in the middle of a student's high school education. However, in the Northern Territory, it is the first year of senior school, after high school. For more information on Australia's education system, see: Education in Australia.

France

The tenth year of schooling in France is known as the Seconde, so called because it is the second last in secondary education. It is the first year of High School ("Lycée")

India

The tenth grade, known as Standard X (Std. X) is very important in India. After the completion of class 10, the student is required to sit for national board exams or state board exams, wherein question papers are prepared and answer sheets are checked by a central institution to which the school is affiliated. The percentage scored in Class X decides what a student can opt for in Class XI (Science/ Commerce/ Arts). The Grade gains even more importance as in many parts of India the number of seats for Class XI is generally lower than the number of students who pass out Standard X.

Upon completion of class 12, students are then required to sit for the entrance examinations for their chosen course of study and university (see Twelfth Grade, India) or to the universities through the AIIMS, IIT-JEE, AIEEE, etc.

In a controversial move, the Union Government abolished the Std X examinations from 2011 onwards. The CBSE board also introduced a new system of evaluation called CCE (Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation).

Ireland

In Ireland, it is the 4th year of Secondary School, also known as Transition Year. It can also be 5th year in schools without a Transition Year.

Israel

In Israel, the tenth grade is the first year of the high school, which lasts three years (high school is called ''Tichon''), except in some cities (such as Ramat Gan and Giv'atayim), where elementary school ends at 8th Grade and High School starts at 9th Grade.

Italy

In Italy, the tenth grade is the second year of the high school (which is called Scuola media superiore or Scuola secondaria di secondo grado). High school in Italy lasts five years.

Mexico

In Mexico, the tenth grade is the beginning of the high school, which lasts only three years. Similar to Israel's education system. Tenth graders are normally aged 15–16.

Pakistan

Grade ten is the final year of high school in Pakistan; it is an important year level as it here that matriculation examinations occur after which students can qualify for grades eleven and twelve in college. Successful completion of college allows eligibility for entrance into universities and higher education.

Spain

In Spain, the tenth grade is the fourth year of ESO (Educación Secundaria Obligatoria - Obligatory Secondary Education), which has been in force since the promulgation of LOGSE in the middle of 1990s. Fourth ESO is also the last year of Obligatory Education.

Sweden

In Sweden, the tenth to twelfth grades are taken at a certain type of school called 'Gymnasiet'. After ninth grade, Swedish children end their compulsory schooling, and therefore these schools are significantly divided in terms of abilities and career aims. For these higher schools there are then a few options, so as to where you want to go:

Choose a school that is specialized for the job you wish to take. At these schools only classes relevant to the classification of the school are taught, along with language and math skills. Some schools are very hard to get accepted into, but it depends on which classification you are seeking.

:The schools can have very specific aims. There are widely oriented schools such as General Arts, but also very specific schools, such as Equestrian.

If you fail your exams at the end of ninth grade, or pass with low results, you can choose (or are recommended) to enter a school that aims only to get your skills to a proficient level for everyday life. As some of these students gain knowledge, they may be offered to move into a general class (see below).

Students that pass with average marks, or that perhaps do not yet have any specific career aspirations, can choose to move into a general school. The subjects taught here, and the everyday systems, are very similar to the systems from seventh grade to ninth grade. As these students advance, or show excellence in a particular area, they may be offered to apply for entry into a specialized school.

United Kingdom

For education in England and Wales, this is known as Year 11, which is the final year of compulsory education in the United Kingdom. For education in Northern Ireland, this is called Year 12. A general education certificate will be awarded if the pupils sit the end of year examinations, called GCSEs. In Year 11, students take their GCSEs in approximately 10 subjects. With grades ranging from A* (90%) to U (ungraded), these exams are vital for getting employment or university places. GCSEs are taken in May and June. Pupils may then go on to sit 'A' Levels

In Scotland, tenth grade is called S4 (secondary school, 4th year). At the end of S4, students normally sit examinations in 8 Standard Grade subjects,which have been taken over 2 years. Standard grade examinations come in three levels of difficulty: Credit, General and Foundation and are sat during May. Scots pupils may choose to leave at the end of S4 provided they have reached the age of 16 by 30 September that year. Those who wish to leave, but will not meet the September deadline, may do so provided that they have either secured an apprenticeship or a placement in a college (U.S. community college) designed for Christmas Leavers.

Those Scottish students who return to school will usually take Highers in S5 and then more highers, or Advanced highers (the equivalent of first year university courses) in S6. Grades are A, B and C with an A being divided into Band 1 and Band 2.

North America

The tenth grade is the tenth school year after kindergarten (or pre-school) and is called Grade 10, in some regions, for education in the United States and education in Canada. Grade 10 is a part of secondary school, and in most parts of the USA, it is the second year of high school, with 9th then 10th 11th and 12th grade. People who do not complete the grade, for the required coursework, have been re-entered into 10th grade during the next school year, although summer school is often taken to complete the prior courses. The equivalent in England/Wales is Year 11. Usually, this is when children would leave compulsory education.

The term ''high school'' is often used to mean ''senior high school'' and distinguished from junior high school. Starting in ninth grade and ending in twelfth grade, grades are used in determining a students GPA (in the U.S.), and become part of a student's official transcript. Therefore, students obtain much more control of their education and often may even choose their core classes.

In the U.S. curriculum for mathematics, tenth graders are usually taught Algebra II or Geometry. Occasionally, Trigonometry, Precalculus, or higher classes, are offered for students who wish to take Advanced Placement math classes in later years of high school. In the U.S. curriculum for literature, students have already begun to familiarize themselves with notable authors such as Shakespeare, while some Advanced Placement programs emphasize the work of author J.D. Salinger, for example, and his ''Catcher in the Rye'', putting a major emphasis on literary terms and getting to know themes such as ''alienation''.

In the U.S. curriculum for social studies, tenth grade students are taught recent World History. In some districts, Advanced Placement coursework, such as geography, European history, or World Studies, is first made available to students in this grade.

This grade is normally followed by eleventh grade, although some U.S. colleges will accept excelling students out of this grade as part of an early college entrance program. Alternatively, some students may choose to graduate early through standardized testing or advanced credits.

Sophomore

In the U.S., tenth grade is also known as ''sophomore'' year. The word sophomore is ultimately from the Greek word "sophia", meaning wisdom or knowledge. It is listed as a North American English term by the Oxford English Dictionary and it means little to the majority of English speakers outside the U.S.A.

References

See also

Ninth grade

Eleventh grade

Twelfth grade

10

it:Sophomore

name	Heather Brewer
birth name	Heather Truax
birth date	September 21, 1973
death date
occupation	Author
alma mater	Central Michigan University
period	2007–present
genre	young adult fiction
spouse	Paul Brewer
children	2
website	http://www.heatherbrewer.com/
portaldisp	}}

Heather Brewer (born September 21, 1973) is an American writer of young adult fiction. Her debut series, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, was published by Dutton Juvenile.

Biography

Early life and education

Heather Brewer was born in Lapeer, Michigan, but was raised in Columbiaville, Michigan, where she graduated from Lakeville High School in 1991. She has studied at Mott Community College, Ferris State University, and Central Michigan University.

Marriage and children

Brewer and her husband, Paul Brewer, have two children. They currently live in St. Louis, Missouri.

Published Books / WIP

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod:

''Eighth Grade Bites'' (Dutton Juvenile, 2007)

''Ninth Grade Slays'' (Dutton Juvenile, 2008)

''Tenth Grade Bleeds'' (Dutton Juvenile, 2009)

''Eleventh Grade Burns'' (Dutton Juvenile, February 9, 2010)

''Twelfth Grade Kills'' (Dutton Juvenile, September 21, 2010)

The Slayer Chronicles:

First Kill (Dutton Juvenile, Fall 2011) This will be about Joss and the Slayer Society. How he joined, what happened to his sister, etc.

Other novels:

Bloodbound (Dutton Juvenile, Summer 2012)

Notes

External links

HeatherBrewer.com Official Website

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:American children's writers Category:Writers of young adult literature Category:Writers from Michigan

name	Midnight Syndicate
background	group_or_band
origin	Chardon, Ohio USA
genre	Dark ambientEthereal waveNeoclassical (Dark Wave)
years active	1997–present
label	Entity Productions (1997 - present), Monolith Graphics (1998)
associated acts	Nox ArcanaParlormuse
website	http://www.MidnightSyndicate.com
current members	Gavin Goszka and Edward Douglas
past members	Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, Christopher Robichaud (1997). Joseph Vargo (1998-2000).
notable instruments	}}

Midnight Syndicate is an American musical group that has been working mainly in the genre of gothic music since 1997 and is based out of Chardon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The band refers to their CDs as "soundtracks for the imagination" or "soundtracks to imaginary films." Most of the songs on their thirteen albums are characterized by a blend of instrumental music and sound effects and are commonly used to provide atmosphere during the Halloween season, in haunted attractions, and in the role-playing game industry.

History

Formation and Early years (1996-1998)

Composer/filmmaker Edward Douglas formed Midnight Syndicate in 1996 shortly after releasing a micro-budget, direct-to-video horror film called ''The Dead Matter (1996)'' which he directed and scored and would later remake. Midnight Syndicate's self-titled debut album was released the following year. A majority of music on the album was written, arranged, and performed by Edward Douglas. Contributors included Scott Angus, Mark Rakocy, Dennis Carleton, Jamie Barbour, Ray Portler, the rap act Dark Side, and Christopher Robichaud. Douglas coined the term ''cine-fusion'' to describe the album. ''Cine-fusion'' is described in the album's liner notes as :''"a blending of movie soundtrack music and pop music... a compilation of soundtracks to movies that do not exist. The goal of the music is to stimulate the imaginations of listeners so that they are able to transport themselves to worlds or movies of their own creation."'' Musically, the album contained an eclectic blend of styles including everything from dark instrumental music (of which three tracks appeared on future releases), rock, rock-a-billy, techno, rap, new age, humor-pop, jazz, and space. Movie-style sound effects were employed in some tracks. In March 1998, a multimedia show was produced by Douglas and his company, Entity Productions, to support the album. The show included a blending of original short films, live music, animation, and stage performers.

Breakout (1998-2000)

In 1998, Douglas teamed up with gothic fantasy artist Joseph Vargo, and the two decided to create an exclusively dark-themed instrumental Midnight Syndicate album. Vargo developed the storyline and concept of a musical journey through a haunted castle, with the music reflecting his gothic artwork. Composer Gavin Goszka, formerly a solo artist in a project called ''Lore,'' also joined Douglas and Vargo in the new Midnight Syndicate line-up. Together, they created ''Born of the Night'', a groundbreaking album that appealed to fans of gothic music, the horror genre, and haunted attractions. Douglas and Goszka wrote and performed the music on the album while Vargo served as executive producer and creative director of the project, as well as writing and performing the vocals and narrations, and designing the cover art and packaging. The album and songs were also titled after several of Vargo's most popular paintings. ''Born of the Night'' was independently released in September 1998 through Vargo's Monolith Graphics and Douglas' Entity Productions, hitting the horror market just in time for the Halloween season. It was Midnight Syndicate's first critically acclaimed gothic-horror soundtrack and proved to be an instant success, establishing Midnight Syndicate's trademark sound.

In March 2000, ''Realm of Shadows'' followed suit with the same flavor of dark instrumental music and another gothic setting. Douglas and Goszka wrote all of the music for this album while Vargo wrote and performed the opening narration and theme story. Again, the songs were titled after Vargo's artworks. Both albums were featured as official soundtracks for Universal Studios' ''Halloween Horror Nights'', and used in several other major theme parks during Halloween, such as Busch Gardens, Cedar Point and Thorpe Park's ''Fright Nights'' event. The heavy metal band King Diamond also featured tracks from ''Born of the Night'' as opening music for their 2000 US tour. Afterwards, Vargo and Midnight Syndicate chose to work separately of one another on future projects.

Rise (2001-2006)

Midnight Syndicate's third gothic horror soundtrack, ''Gates of Delirium'', was released in 2001. This time Douglas and Goszka teamed up with two members who worked on the first ''Midnight Syndicate'' CD, Mark Rakocy (graphic design) and Christopher Robichaud (vocals). Set in a Victorian haunted mental institution called Haverghast Asylum, ''Gates of Delirium'' was the first Midnight Syndicate disc to feature the fictitious Haverghast family, a theme the band would revisit on future discs such as ''The 13th Hour''. Gavin Goszka has since called ''Gates of Delirium'' "a personal favorite" from the Midnight Syndicate library.

During the 2001 Halloween weekend, six of the band's mp3 singles were in the Top 20 for all of MP3.com (#1, #2, #7, #10, #12, and #19) registering over 100,000 listens in three days. The title track from ''Born of the Night'' remained at #1 for over a week with two tracks from ''Gates of Delirium'' maintaining their positions in the Top 40 as well.

In August 2002, the band released their fifth studio album ''Vampyre''. The vampire-themed disc was the first Midnight Syndicate disc to feature a cover designed by fantasy artist Keith Parkinson.

By this time, the band's popularity with role-playing gamers who used their discs as background for their sessions had grown to where they were exhibiting at gaming conventions. It was at one of these conventions that the band was approached by designers from Wizards of the Coast. The result was 2003's ''Dungeons & Dragons: Official Role-playing Soundtrack'', the first officially-licensed soundtrack to the classic roleplaying game of the same name. The album (whose fantasy themes were a departure from previous releases) was generally well-received by music critics and the gaming community and helped the band build their following in Europe. Some of the tracks were later used in computer games ''Baldur's Gate - Dark Alliance II'' and ''Shadowbane'' expansions ''Rise of Chaos'' and ''Throne of Oblivion''.

In August 2005, the band returned to darker themes with their seventh CD entitled ''The 13th Hour.'' Featuring vocal effects by Lily Lane of the horror-rock band Lazy Lane and cover art by Keith Parkinson the disc is set in a haunted Victorian mansion and features tracks like: ''Fallen Grandeur'', ''Grisly Reminder'', and ''Family Secrets''. ''Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994–1999)'' was released in 2006 and featured re-recorded versions of tracks from ''Midnight Syndicate'', ''Born of the Night'', and ''Realm of Shadows'', along with some of Edward Douglas’ early horror film scores including ''The Dead Matter (1995)''. Fantasy artist Rob Alexander designed the cover.

''The Rage'' and ''The Dead Matter'' (2007-2010)

In early 2007, the band temporarily shifted from creating "soundtracks to imaginary films" to composing music for actual projects when they completed the score to Robert Kurtzman's, ''The Rage'' and wrote music for Universal Orlando's ''Halloween Horror Nights 17's Carnival of Carnage.'' ''The Rage: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' was released in February 2008.

In September 2007, Douglas returned to filmmaking as director, co-producer, and composer of an updated remake of his 1995 horror film, ''The Dead Matter''. During this time, Gavin Goszka started a solo project called Parlormuse which featured Victorian era songs re-recorded in a modern folk rock style.

In August 2008, the band released ''The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates'', a CD of music inspired by the themes from the new ''The Dead Matter'' movie. Midnight Syndicate's first two music videos were made for the songs ''Dark Legacy'' and ''Lost'' from the disc. In the finale of the music video for ''Dark Legacy'', Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka are shown playing on stage at the historic Phantasy Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. It marked the first time they had played together live.

On July 30, 2010 ''The Dead Matter'' movie was released on DVD along with a Midnight Syndicate "greatest hits-style" compilation CD called ''Halloween Music Collection'' and an EP entitled ''The Dark Masquerade'' featuring gothic artist Destini Beard performing operatic vocals and lyrics to various Midnight Syndicate recordings. ''The Dead Matter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' was also released on July 30. The CD featured the score by Edward Douglas, other music that appeared in the film, and several remixes of Midnight Syndicate tracks by other artists.

Future projects (2011-present)

In a January 2011 interview, Edward Douglas stated that he and Gavin were working on a new Midnight Syndicate CD (Carnival Arcane) for release in August 2011. He said the CD will have "a dark carnival theme with a twist."

Impact in Halloween music and the Haunted Attraction industry

Some say Midnight Syndicate's music has become synonymous with the celebration of Halloween. The music is commonly used as atmosphere for Halloween-themed events, stores, and parties (including Hugh Hefner's), as well as home decorating for trick-or-treating. Many credit them as helping to legitimize the genre of Halloween music (music for the Halloween holiday), elevating standards in the genre, and inspiring other musicians to create similar projects. On September 11, 2009, AOL Radio released a list of the Top 10 Best Halloween Music CDs as ranked by AOL/CBS Radio listeners. Three of the ten CDs were Midnight Syndicate discs (''Born of the Night'' #8, ''Realm of Shadows'' #4, and ''Vampyre'' #3), ranking behind Danny Elfman's ''The Nightmare Before Christmas'' and John Carpenter's ''Halloween'' soundtrack.

Midnight Syndicate's music has been a standard of the haunted attraction industry worldwide for many years and they are credited with being the first company to produce soundtracks of quality specifically for that industry. In 2005, Leonard Pickel, editor of Haunted Attraction Magazine estimated that "75-90% of the attractions in the industry had at least one Midnight Syndicate CD." The music is also used by amusement parks like Universal Orlando, Busch Gardens, Kings Island, Six Flags, and Cedar Point that hold Halloween-themed events such as ''Halloween Horror Nights'', ''Howl-O-Scream'', and ''Fright Fest''.

Impact in the role-playing game industry

Midnight Syndicate's reputation and following in the role-playing game community rivals its following in the horror community. Their ''Dungeons & Dragons CD'' which reportedly broke previous sales records for gaming soundtracks in its first month, established them as the leading supplier of music to the hobby game industry. Their ''The 13th Hour'' CD won the Origins Award for Best Gaming Accessory presented by the Academy of Adventure Game Art & Design, marking the first time a role-playing soundtrack or music CD had won the award. In 2007, Midnight Syndicate teamed up with Goodman Games to produce ''Cages of Delirium'' a Dungeon Crawl Classics adventure based on ''Gates of Delirium'' which came packaged with the CD.

Self-distribution

When record labels and distributors rejected the band's first two CDs, Douglas began building his own distribution network by selling CDs out of his van with Goszka and cold-calling hundreds of stores. Today Midnight Syndicate's CDs are self-distributed to thousands of retailers worldwide through Entity Productions, Inc. and its partners, making them one of the largest distributors of Halloween-themed music. Entity Productions also distributed the 2010 version of ''The Dead Matter'' movie.

Midnight Syndicate in television and film

In addition to ''The Rage'' and ''The Dead Matter'', Midnight Syndicate's music has been featured in television programs such as ''Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People of 2002'', ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', ''The Today Show'', ''Monday Night Football'', ''NBA on TNT'', Syfy's ''The Possessed'' and Halloween-themed specials on the Travel Channel. The music has also been used as theme music in independent horror films like ''Dead & Rotting'', ''Revamped'', ''Witchouse 3: Demon Fire'' and ''Song of the Vampire'' (AKA ''Vampire Resurrection'').

It is also used in the now-discontinued ''The Byron Chronicles''.

Influences

Douglas has cited film composers such as Danny Elfman, James Horner, John Carpenter, Hans Zimmer, heavy metal acts King Diamond and Black Sabbath, radio dramas, and horror films as primary influences for Midnight Syndicate. Goszka has cited similar influences in addition to bands such as Dead Can Dance and early Genesis.

Discography

''Midnight Syndicate'' (1997)

''Born of the Night'' (1998)

''Realm of Shadows'' (2000)

''Gates of Delirium'' (2001)

''Vampyre'' (2002)

''Dungeons & Dragons'' (2003)

''The 13th Hour'' (2005)

''Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994–1999)'' (2006)

''The Rage: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2008)

''The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates'' (2008)

''The Dark Masquerade'' with Destini Beard (2010)

''The Dead Matter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2010)

''Halloween Music Collection'' (2010)

''Carnival Arcane'' (2011)

Film

''The Dead Matter'' (2010)

See also

Nox Arcana

References

External links

Midnight Syndicate band website

''The Dead Matter'' official website

Category:American rock music groups Category:Gothic rock groups Category:People from Geauga County, Ohio Category:Musical groups from Ohio Category:Musical groups established in 1997

ru:Midnight Syndicate sv:Midnight Syndicate