CHOICES FOR NINE

1
The Transition from Grade 8 to 9 Presentation
Overview

Part A Choices for Nine Optional
Attendance and Timelines Part B Messages for
Success Part C Ontario Secondary School
Program
2
Check out Education Planning at
www.tdsb.on.ca/goingtohighschool
3
Accessing myBlueprint
www.myBlueprint.ca/tdsb
4

Part A Optional Attendance and Timelines
5
Choices Planning Guides
Choices for Nine(October) Choices Secondary
Schools Course Selection Planning Guide
(January with course selection sheets)
6
Find Your School
www.tdsb.on.ca Click on Find your School
7
Information Nights at TDSB High Schools
High School Information Evenings (dates
times) are listed in the Choices for Nine
brochure and posted on the TDSB website
www.tdsb.on.ca/GoingtoHighSchool
8
Where and What are the Specialized Programs?

• Check the Choices for Nine legend
• www.tdsb.on.ca/HighSchool/Guidance/Choices

9
Information Nights at Specialized Schools

• Specialized programs and designed for students
  with a strong
• passion and skill in a specific area
• To investigate specialized schools or
  programs, contact the
• specific school for admission requirements
• Specialized requirements may include
  auditions, tests,
• interviews, etc.
• Check deadline dates for applications

10
Optional Attendance

• Students are encouraged to attend the secondary
  school that
• serves their residential address
  home-school
• Use an Optional Attendance Application Form
  when applying
• to a school other than your home-school (forms
  available at
• Grade 8 school)
• Students may apply to
• - two regular schools
• - two specialized programs
• Some schools are CLOSED to Optional Attendance
• www.tdsb.on.ca/FindyourSchool/OptionalAttendance

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Specific Dates

• February
• January 31, 2014 - Optional Attendance
  applications due to secondary schools delivered
  by student/parent/guardian
• February 14, 2014 - Secondary schools will inform
  Optional Attendance applicants
• Mid to late February 2014 - Course Selection
  sheets completed and returned to current school
  counsellor
• February 28, 2014 - All course selection sheets
  due to secondary schools delivered by current
  school counsellor
• Only ONE course selection sheet per student
• is submitted for ONE secondary school

12

Part B Messages for Success
13
Key Message for Success
16 by 16 16 credits by 16 years of age
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The Importance of Credit Accumulation
15
Where do students go aftersecondary school?
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Part C Ontario Secondary School
17
Credit System

• Once a course is passed, a credit is granted (50
  or higher)
• Students are expected to take 8 courses a year
• To graduate from high school a student must earn
  30 credits

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Ontario Secondary SchoolDiploma (OSSD)

• Total of 30 course credits
• - 18 compulsory courses - 12
  elective courses (options)
• 40 hrs. Community Involvement
• - Begins in July after Grade 8
• Ontario Literacy Requirement
• - Written Test in Grade 10 (OSSLT)

Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12
Policy Program Requirements, 2011
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Compulsory Credits

• Students must earn the following 15 compulsory
  credits
• 4 English - one credit per grade
• 1 French as a Second Language
• 3 Mathematics - at least one in grade 11 or 12
• 2 Science
• 1 Canadian History
• 1 Canadian Geography
• 1 Arts (Visual Arts, Music, Integrated Arts,
  Media, Drama or Dance)
• 1 Health and Physical Education
• 0.5 Civics
• 0.5 Career Studies

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Compulsory Credits Continued

• Plus ONE CREDIT from each of the following 3
  Groups
• Group 1
• An additional English credit
• or French as a second language,
• or third language,
• or Social Science and Humanities credit,
• or Canadian and World Studies credit,
• or Guidance and Career Education credit,
• or Cooperative Education credit
• A maximum of 2 credits in Cooperative Education
  and 2 credits in
• French can count as compulsory credits.

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Compulsory Credits Continued

• Group 2
• One credit in Health and Physical Education, or
  the Arts, or Business Studies, or French as a
  second language or Cooperative Education
• Group 3
• One credit in Gr. 11 or 12 Science, or a credit
  in Technological Education, or Computer Studies,
  or French as a second language or Cooperative
  Education
• A maximum of 2 credits in Cooperative
  Education and 2 credits in French can count as
  compulsory credits.

22
Course Types in Grade 9 and 10

Open Applied Academic Locally Developed
Compulsory Credit (LDCC)
Making your choices choose success!
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What is an Open Course?

• Learning expectations are the same for all
  students
• Designed to prepare students for further study
  and
• to enrich general education in a subject
• Can be counted as compulsory or elective credits
  
• Grade 9 Open Courses at Zion Include
• Physical Education
• Arts (Music, Visual Arts, Drama, Integrated
  Arts)
• Business
• Exploring Technologies
• Exploring Family Studies
• Introductory French

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Academic Applied Courses
Academic Courses Cover the core content and
have an emphasis on the theoretical aspects of
the content Applied Courses Cover the core
content and have an emphasis on
practical applications
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Work Habits
Sample
Academic Works independently in a focused manner Synthesis skills uses prior knowledge and experience to assist with solving problems Completes homework consistently and thoroughly Applied Works in a focused manner (not always independently) Applies new learning to tasks (may need reminding of previous knowledge) May need assistance to organize and complete homework Locally Developed Works in a focused manner with prompting Applies new learning to tasks that have been directly modeled in the lesson May begin homework in class with direction and take home to complete
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Changing Course Type After Grade 9
Gr. 10 Academic
Gr. 9 Academic
Gr. 10 Applied
Gr. 9 Applied
Gr. 10 LDCC
Gr. 9 LDCC
(except Mathematics)
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Changing Course Type After Grade 9
Gr. 10 Academic
Gr. 9 Academic
T
Gr. 10 Applied
Gr. 9 Applied
Gr. 10 LDCC
Gr. 9 LDCC
Gr. 9 Applied to Gr. 10 Academic
Mathematics (Transfer Course worth 0.5 credit)
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Making Your Choices
Grades 9 and 10 Applied Academic Locally
Developed Open
Grades 11 and 12 College University Workplace Mix
ed
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• Zions Grade 9 Course
• Selection Sheets
• Distributed in class the week of February 3rd
• with teacher recommendations
• Due in homeroom by February 20th
• Current Grade 8 Zion students will
• complete course selection on-line using
• www.myBlueprint.ca/tdsb

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Accessing myBlueprint
www.myBlueprint.ca/tdsb
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Search for Course Descriptions

• www.tdsb.on.ca/choices