September/October
Knowing yourself is the
best way to make decisions and set goals for your future. The Ontario Ministry
of Education has identified the following Learning Skills as an integral part
of a student’s learning:
- Responsibility
- Organization
- Independent Work
- Collaboration
- Initiative
- Self-regulation
In addition, the essential skills and work habits, available
through the Ontario Skills Passport website, allows students to reflect on the
skills they have demonstrated and would like to continue to develop. The
essential skills and work habits allows students to see how the skills they are
learning can be transferred to a variety of contexts in the class, school and
community.
- The beginning of the school year is a great time for
students to reflect on their interests, strengths and needs as a learner
and set goals for a successful grade 8 year. There are many opportunities
for students to do this, as a class or after school with the support of a
parent, guardian or mentor. In grade 7 and 8, students will have the
opportunity to engage in self-discovery activities as they explore
learning styles, interests and careers. Students will document this
learning in their Individual Pathways Plan (IPP). As
students explore and document opportunities they have had both in the
school and beyond, students will reflect using the 4-step inquiry
pprocess: Who am I?
- What are my opportunities?
- Who do I want to be become?
- What is my plan for achieving my goals?
For more information please see the Learning Skills and work Habits brochure.
Students will be provided with their Individual Pathways Plan
(IPP) login information and can access their IPP through My Pathway Planner.
October
Applications to Regional Programs
Regional programs are
focused programs that are available to York Region students and are offered at
specific secondary schools located throughout the region. These programs
include, Arts, Sports and International Baccalaureate. Schools that offer these
programs will host evening information sessions and have
specific application deadlines. Please visit the individual school
website for specific application requirements.
November
Many elementary students
will have an opportunity to visit their home secondary school. This event
is referred to as “Take your Grade 8’s to High School Day.”
Thinking about Course Pathways
Secondary courses are
organized as Applied, Academic, Open or Locally Developed. Each offers a style
of learning that meets the interests, strengths and needs of the student in a
slightly different way. All these options lead to a Secondary School Diploma.
Through conversations,
the student, parents/legal guardians, caring adult and/or the Grade 8 teacher,
can use the Fall Progress Report and Term 1 report card to guide and inform
course pathway decisions. It is never too early to begin this conversation.
Click on your home secondary school to
view available options.
You may decide that you are interested in attending a secondary school that is
different to your home school. There may be an opportunity to transfer to
another secondary school if there is space in that school. Information about
schools that are open to transfers is available in late November or early
December. Your Grade 8 teacher or elementary school principal will have this
information as it becomes available. In order to be considered for a transfer,
you must complete the Transfer Request form available through the office in
your elementary school. Please note this is a separate process than
applications to regional programs.
Secondary school open
houses occur between late October and January. Check the schedule of
secondary school information nights and
attend your community secondary school information night. Most secondary
schools will also visit the elementary school either in December or January to
inform students about secondary school registration and course selection. They
will also inform students about extra curricular opportunities that that are
available.
If you have applied to a regional program, acceptance to that program is
usually communicated in January. Once accepted to the program, you will need to
follow up with your Grade 8 teacher to ensure that your acceptance of the
regional program is communicated to the regional secondary school and the
community secondary school.
December
This month is a good
time to begin exploring the course selection features on My
Pathway Planner. and begin to think about the optional
courses available at your secondary school. Every grade 9 student gets to
select two optional courses.
January/February
Generally the deadline
for Grade 9 Course Selection is in February. Your Grade 8 teacher will have all
the important dates and deadlines, and will support you in using My
Pathway Planner. Course selection should be based on the
individual student’s interests, strengths and needs. It is always beneficial to
have a conversation that includes the student, teacher and parent/guardian or
caring adult when selecting your courses for Grade 9. Remember no decision is
ever final and changes can be made even after you click on the “submit”
button.
March/April
At some point in March
or April, you’ll be asked to verify the courses you have selected. At this
point, you will have an opportunity to make any necessary changes to your Grade
9 course selection.
May/June
Enjoy your final days as
an elementary student. The secondary school you are attending may offer
additional activities or events for you to become more familiar with your new
school or you may wish to schedule another visit on your own.
Now is the time to
consider what Community Involvement opportunities may
be available to you over the summer. Once you have completed grade 8, you may
begin to accumulate your 40 hours of community involvement that is a secondary
school graduation requirement. The summer immediately following grade 8 is a
great opportunity to get this graduation requirement out of the way. Be sure to
check in with your new secondary school to obtain the necessary forms and
information about eligible community involvement activities. Visit Community Involvement for
more information about the community involvement graduation requirement and the
required form.
Student Support
Some students may need
additional support throughout the transition
process. There are several avenues to gain that support. Depending on your
needs, the Grade 8 teacher, English as Second Language teacher or the Special
Education Resource Teacher (SERT) can be a great resource to help direct you to
the assistance you need. Similarly, there are departments at the secondary
school that can also help such as the Guidance Department, Special Education
Department and the Student Success Teacher.