Notre Dame Secondary School

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Notre Dame Secondary School

• Grade 9
• September 2008

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Information ???
The information contained in this presentation is
available from the following Halton Catholic
D.S.B. Course Calendar available on
line. http//www.ntdm.ca Halton Catholic
District School Board web site http//www.halto
nrc.edu.on.ca Ministry of Education web site
- www.edu.gov.on.ca for policy documents
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Timeline

• December Associate School Information Meeting
• Option sheets distributed
• January School visits
• Evening information meeting for
  parents and students
• - Option sheet and registration
  fee collected
• Wed. Feb. 6th Collection of Online Student
  Course
• Verification forms
• April - Verification forms to Associate
  Schools
• At risk student identification
• June - Course selections finalized
• August Student Timetables ready for
  distribution
• - Grade 9 Orientation

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What You Need To Know About The New Ontario
Secondary School System

• Four-year high school system began in September
  1999 for Grade 9 students
• A new graduated streaming model
• A new curriculum
• New diploma requirements

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READY FOR NINE

• THE TRANSITION FROM GRADE 8 TO 9

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Notre Dame C. S. S.

• Semester School - Courses offered on a half-year
  basis
• Generally, 8 subjects in two blocks
• - 4 subjects from September to January
  -
  another 4 subjects from February to June
• The 4 subjects are taken daily for the semester
• 4 period day, each period length is 75 minutes.

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Transportation

• 3.2 km. Radius
• Schedules are posted

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• Ontario Secondary School Program

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ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL DIPLOMA

• 30 credits (110 hours each)
• 18 compulsory credits
• 12 elective credits
• (4 Religion courses are compulsory,
• 1 in each year)
• - 40 hrs. community service
• - Ontario Secondary School Literacy
  Test

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Secondary School Certificates

• The Ontario Secondary School Certificate
• for students who leave school before earning the
  O.S.S.D. must earn at least 14 credits
• The Certificate of Accomplishment
• for students who leave school before earning
  either the O.S.S.D. or the O.S.S.C.
• useful means of recognizing achievement for
  students who plan to take certain vocational
  programs or other kinds of further training or
  who plan to find employment after leaving school

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18 Compulsory Credits
4 credits in English (1 credit per grade) 1
credit in French as a second language 3 credits
in mathematics (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
(music, visual arts, drama) 1 credit in health
and physical education .5 credit in civics .5
credit in career studies (grade 10) Plus..
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Compulsory Credits (contd.)
Plus 1 additional credit in English or FSL, or
a third language, or a social science, or
Canadian and world studies, or Guidance, or
Co-op 1 additional credit in health and physical
education, or business studies, or the arts
(music, visual arts, or drama), or
Co-op 1 additional credit in science (grades 11
or 12), or technological education (grades 9-12),
or Co-op
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Encourages civic responsibility, promotes
  community values
• Supports students career explorations
  reinforces importance of volunteering
• Minimum 40 hours in addition to 30 credits,
  completed over 4 years
• Broad range of unpaid activities
• Minimal school involvement
• Provincial policies/guidelines governing
  placements

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The Literacy Test

• administered in the Spring of the grade 10 year
• a test based on language and communication
  (reading
• and writing) expectations of curricula up to and
  including
• grade 9
• accommodations, deferrals and exemptions may be
• appropriate for some students
• if a student does not meet the standard in the
  first
• attempt, schools will provide remedial support
  the test
• will be re-administered until the student
  successfully
• completes the test or alternatively successfully
  completes
• the Grade 12 Literacy Course

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Pathway Planning
Important to know

• how you learn best
• diploma requirements to graduate
• prerequisites for courses
• how to plan for experiential learning
  opportunities
• admission requirements for post-secondary
  opportunities
• preparing for school-work

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Course Types

• Open
• Music
• Art
• Business
• Technology
• Health and Physical Education
• Social Science
• Guidance and Career Education

• Academic/Applied/
• Locally Developed C.C.()
• English ()
• Mathematics ()
• Science ()
• French
• History
• Geography

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Academic???

• Academic courses cover essential concepts plus
  additional material.
• While course work exposes students to both
  theories and practical applications, there is a
  greater emphasis on THEORY and ABSTRACT thinking
  as a basis for future learning and problem
  solving.
• Student centered learning environment
• General Rule Minimum 75
• - Solid Learning Skills

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Applied???

• Applied courses focus on the essential concepts.
  
• While course work exposes students to both
  theories and practical applications, the emphasis
  is on PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.
• Course work relates to familiar real-life
  situations and provides students with the
  opportunity for hands-on application of the
  concepts they learn.
• Teacher centered learning environment
• General Rule 5074
• - Satisfactory Learning Skills

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Locally Developed Compulsory Credit???L.D.C.C.

• A L.D.C.C. course is a locally developed course
  that meets educational needs not met by
  provincial curriculum documents
• ie MAT 1L
• Provides an opportunity to build skills so that
  the student may be successful in future high
  school programming

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Open???

• Open courses have
• one set of expectations
• for the subject being taken.

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Switching Course Types Gr. 9 to 10

• Transfer Courses
• students who are successful in any academic or
  applied grade 9 course will have the opportunity
  to enter either the academic or applied course in
  the same subject in grade 10
• students wishing to change course types from gr.
  9 to gr.10 will complete additional course work
  in order to demonstrate achievement of the
  learning expectations that are included in the
  one course but not the other
• Students are recommended to attend Summer School
  when moving to a different level.

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Making the Choice??? LISTEN TO YOUR
TEACHERS !!!

• parents and students will select courses in
  collaboration with elementary school teachers,
  guidance counselors and administrators
• grade 8 students and their parents choose grade 9
  courses on the basis of the students needs,
  interests, strengths, and past achievements, and
  may also be influenced by learning opportunities
  available outside the school

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GRADE 10 COURSES

• Students will have to consider future goals when
  they make choices for Grade 10
• Some Grade 10 courses will be prerequisites for
  specific Grade 11 courses

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Grades 11 and 12 Programs

• Courses in Grades 11 and 12 will prepare students
  for the following post-secondary destinations
• Workplace
• College
• Apprenticeship
• University
• College/University
• As in Grades 9 and 10 some courses will be Open

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Course Types
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The following diagram illustrates a generalized
overview of the destination-based pathways.  
Grade 10
Grade 11
Grade 12
Grade 9
Academic
Academic
University
University
Applied
Applied
College
College
Workplace
Workplace
L.D.C.C
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Our goal is to move this last 24 into the other
three categories.
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Pathways to Opportunity
College
International Travel/Educn
Work
School
Apprenticeship
University
Private Training
Which path will your teen choose?
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• Notre Dame s Grade 9 Program

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Grade 9 Compulsory Courses

• Religion Open
• Academic, Applied or
• Locally Developed ()
• English ()
• Mathematics ()
• Science ()
• French
• Geography

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Grade 9 Elective Courses

• Food and Nutrition
• Health Physical Education
• Introduction to Information Technology in
  Business
• Integrated Technologies (Auto, Manufacturing,
  Construction, Computer Science, Personal Service)
  
• Learning Strategies
• Music
• Visual Arts

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Extra Curricular Activities

• Fall, Winter, Spring Sports Teams
• Football, Basketball, Hockey, Volleyball, Soccer,
  Baseball, Tennis, Field Hockey, Rugby many
  others
• After School Clubs
• Year Book, School Reach, Photography, Tutoring,
  Chess Club, Dance, Jazz Band, Theatre Productions
  many others

Student Council Executive, Grade rep, Dances,
Fund Raising, Spirit Building Activities
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The Destinations

• Students in Ontario have many options for post
  secondary training.
• They can choose from 28 colleges, 19
  universities, hundreds of private career colleges
  and over 100 apprenticeship opportunities.

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Making the Decision
ASK QUESTIONS!

• honest self-assessment
• what are you good at?
• what do you like?
• talk to parents teachers neighbours
• consider all post-secondary options
• research
• surf the net
• consider cooperative education

GET ANSWERS!
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On Behalf of all the Notre Dame Staff

• Thank you for joining us this evening
• Have a safe trip home
• For more information visit
• http//ww.ntdm.ca