entering Grade 12 Selecting Courses for for students entering Grade 12 Dr. John M. Denison Secondary School February 2015 Presentation

Agenda   Diploma requirements   Full Disclosure   34 Credit Threshold   Pathways and Course Types   On-line Course Selection & the IPP

Diploma Requirements   To earn your Ontario Secondary School Diploma (O.S.S.D.) you need:   18 compulsory credits   12 elective credits   Successful completion of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)   40 hours of community involvement (CI)

About the OSSLT & Community Involvement   The OSSLT is written in your Grade 10 year   Community involvement can begin once a student has finished Grade 8   Pre-approval is required on all community involvement activities   CI forms are available in Guidance

18 Compulsory Credits   4 credits in English   1 credit in French as a Second Language   3 credits in Math (at least 1 in Gr. 11 or 12)   2 credits in Science   1 credit in Canadian History   1 credit in Canadian Geography   1 credit in the Arts   1 credit in Health and Physical Education   0.5 credit in Civics and Citizenship (Grade 10)   0.5 credit in Career Studies (Grade 10)

PLUS… One credit from each group:   Group 1: an additional credit in English, Or French as a Second Language, OR Native Language, OR a Classical or an International Language, or a Social Sciences and the Humanities, OR Canadian and World Studies, OR Guidance and Career Education, OR Co-operative Education   Group 2: an additional credit in Health and Physical Education, OR Business Studies, OR the Arts, OR French as a Second Language, OR Co-operative Education   Group 3: an additional credit in Science (Grade 11 or 12), OR Technological Education (Grades 9 -12), OR French as a Second Language OR Computer Studies, OR Co- operative Education   Note that a maximum of two French as a Second Language Credits and two Co- operative Education credits can be used toward these groups.

AND…   You are to take at least 12 optional credits, or electives, which allow you to take courses that align with your post-secondary pursuits and program requirements.

Full Disclosure Policy   Please note that the Ministry of Education has a policy of “full disclosure”. What does this mean?   Only successfully completed courses from Grades 9 and 10 appear on your transcript   All Grades 11 and 12 courses that you attempt will appear on your transcript whether you pass them or not   There is a full disclosure date where a senior-level course can be dropped an not appear on your transcript

34 Credit Threshold   You are able to take up to 34 credits while at Dr. Denison Secondary School (you require 30 for your diploma)   There are some who may be exempt from this policy   You may take additional credits once you reach 34 at summer school, night school and through other formats   See Guidance for further information  

Pathways   Apprenticeships and Skilled Trades   College   Community Living   Employment   Travel   University   Volunteering

Post-secondary pathways College – offers certificates (1 yr.), diplomas (2-3 yrs.), applied degrees (4 yrs). Except for applied degrees, college admissions are based on Grade 11 M, C and U marks in general. You may need to take specific courses for specific college programs. Skilled Trades – may require certain college courses, for example, maths and sciences for plumbing, electrical. There are over 140 trades, ranging from 3-5 years for length of training required. University – offers Bachelor’s degrees (3-4 yrs.) Admissions are based on best 6 Grade 12 U/M courses, including ENG4U – check programs carefully for specific courses requirements.

Course Codes   Grades 9 & 10 courses are Academic (D), Applied (P), Locally Developed (L), and Open (O).   Grade 11 & 12 courses are University preparation (U), College preparation (C), University/College preparation (M), Workplace (E), and Open (O).   Please be aware of course pre-requisites when selecting courses. Do you have the correct course required in order to take a course?

Entering Grade 12 You need to select: English PLUS sufficient courses to graduate as well reflect what you need for your post-secondary program Have you researched what courses you need to take NOW in order to be prepared for post secondary studies - AFTER high school? Please use your credit counselling summary to check what credits you’ve earned and what you still need in order to graduate next year. Are you choosing the correct level? (i.e. University, College, Mixed, Workplace)

Researching the courses you need Where are you headed? What do you need in order to get there? If you intend to apply to an Ontario university or to a college for an Applied Degree, please note that you must have at least 6 Grade 12 U or M coded-courses Specific courses required for programs are available on college and university websites Also, for college research, check out ontariocolleges.ca, and for university research, check out This takes time – so please research carefully and select your courses carefully

Realities for Course Selections You are requesting courses for TWO semesters - Semester 1 and Semester 2 for the next school year Special circumstances will be dealt with by the Administration (Vice-Principals) No courses are guaranteed, but guidance staff will do their best to get you into the courses you choose

Also, you may want to consider   Co-operative Education learning (hands-on experience) for students in Grades 11 and 12 – see Ms. Trenton in Room 305   Specialist High Skills Major Programs for Grades 11 & 12 students: Hospitality, Construction, Business, and Technology – a combination of courses and co-operative education experiences available for all pathways

How to access course offerings Visit and follow the CareerCruising iconwww.yrdsb.edu.on.ca Before logging in select the drop down menu called Student Course Guide on the bottom left hand side of the screen

Have your parents sign the course selection and submit it to your homeroom teacher by _____________ Example of a paper copy of a course selection sheet

Key Dates   February 9 and 10: Course Selection Assemblies for all students   February 11 and 12: in-class follow-up visits from Guidance to answer your questions   Career Cruising, Guidance information, websites…   Printed, signed forms due no later than February 18 th   Choose once, choose wisely!

The Individual Pathways Planner   The IPP tool is found on Career Cruising   You are encouraged to review it as you move through school and in life, assessing your opportunities, goals and plans to achieve your goals

That’s all folks !