Course Selections February 2024

It is the responsibility of all students to make certain they earn credits in courses which will enable them to meet their long-term goals.

Students are urged to consult with teachers, counsellors and parents to determine the proper course destination for their success. All students are expected to register for a FULL timetable.

Courses are offered when selected by a reasonable number of students and at the discretion of the Principal.

Some courses, therefore may not be offered even though they appear in the calendar’s description. A list of cancelled courses will be available as early as possible. Students originally selecting – these courses will be asked to make new selections.

Full Disclosure – The Ministry of Education and Training has stated that full disclosure of all results must be included on the student’s official transcript of marks. This ruling represents a change from the past when only marks over 50% were reported on the official record of student achievement.

Please note: Students must have 24 credits before taking a study period. Grade 12 students who drop a course after the official drop date (five days after mid term reports) will find that course recorded on their transcripts as a withdrawal. Students wishing to discuss course changes must see a guidance teacher.

Course Selection Instructions - Feb 2024 

Types of Courses

Grade 9 & 10

Academic Courses – Academic courses emphasize essential concepts in a subject and the theory related to these concepts. These courses are required preparation for university/college and college level courses in the senior grades.

Applied Courses – Applied courses focus on developing knowledge and skills by emphasizing practical, concrete application of the concepts being taught. These courses lead to workplace and college level courses in senior grades.

De-Streamed Courses - Students benefit from learning in groups of varied abilities and interests in which teachers have high and appropriate expectations for all students and a clear understanding that all students can be successful.

Open Courses – Open Courses are suitable for all students, regardless of their post secondary destination. They are offered in non compulsory subjects and contain course expectations suitable for all students at a given grade level.

Locally Developed Courses – Locally developed courses are designed to accommodate students who experience difficulty with the provincial curriculum. Placement is determined through the I.P.R.C. process or at the recommendation of teachers and counsellors. These courses are sometimes made available in English, math, history and science when the enrolment numbers warrant their being offered.

Grade 11 and 12

University/College Preparation Courses – University/college preparation courses include content that is relevant for both university and college programs. These courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the entrance requirements for specific university and college programs.

College Preparation Courses – College preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the entrance requirements for college programs.

Workplace Preparation Courses – Workplace preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need for direct entry into the workplace or for admission to apprenticeship programs and other training programs offered in the community.

Open Courses – In grades 11 and 12, Open courses allow students at a given grade to broaden their knowledge and skills in a particular subject that is related primarily to their interests and which may or may not be related to their post secondary goals.

Transfer Courses – Transfer Courses are made available for students who lack the prerequisite for a senior credit course.

Course Code

The first three characters indicate the subject course code as indicated in the Ministry of Education Common Course Codes and/or The Ontario Curriculum Grades 11 and 12 Course Descriptions and Prerequisites.

The fourth character indicates the grade:

1 = Grade 9

2 = Grade 10

3 = Grade 11

4 = Grade 12

The fifth character indicates the course type:

• W = Destreamed (Grade 9)

• O = Open courses (Grades 9 – 12)

• D = Academic (Grade 10)

• P = Applied (Grade 10)

• L = Locally developed essential courses (Grades 9 or 10)

• U = University destination courses (Grades 11 & 12)

• C = College destination courses (Grades 11 & 12)

• M = University/College destination courses (Grades 11 & 12)

• E = Workplace destination courses (Grades 11 & 12)

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) Requirements

To earn an OSSD, you require the following:

• 18 compulsory credits

• 12 optional credits

• 40 hours of community service

• The provincial Literacy Requirement

• 2 online learning credits

Compulsory Courses (total of 18)

Students must complete the following compulsory courses:

• 4 credits in English (1 credit per grade)

• 3 credits in Mathematics (at least 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)

• 2 credits in Science

• 1 credit in French as a second language

•  1 credit in Canadian History

• 1 credit in Canadian Geography

• 1 credit in the Arts

• 1 credit in Health and Physical Education

• .5 credit in Civics

• .5 credit in Career Studies

Plus: 

Group 1: An additional credit in English, or French as a second language, or a Native language, or a classical or an international language, or Social Sciences and the Humanities, or Canadian and World Studies or guidance and career education.

Group 2: An additional credit in Health and Physical Education, or the Arts, French as a second language or Business Studies or co-operative education.

Group 3: An additional credit in Science (Grades 11 or 12) or Technological Education (Grades 9 – 12), Co-operative Education, or French as a second language.

Optional Credits (total of 12)

In addition to the 18 Compulsory Credits, students must earn 12 optional credits. Selection of optional courses will be determined by students’ planned career destination. Consultation with parents, classroom teachers and guidance teachers will help students determine the best optional courses for their educational program. To ensure thorough academic preparation, students are encouraged to explore a wide variety of optional courses and may choose to stay in Secondary School beyond four years.

The Grade 10 Literacy Test

The successful completion of the Grade 10 Literacy Test is required for graduation. The test will be administered in the spring of the student’s grade 10 school year. This test will measure how well students are meeting the reading and writing expectations across all subjects in the provincial curriculum up to the end of grade 9. Students who are not successful will be provided with remedial assistance and given the opportunity to rewrite the test.

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course 

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course has been developed to provide students who have been unsuccessful on the Grade Ten Literacy Test with intensive support in achieving the required reading and writing skills, and with an alternative means of demonstrating acquisition of those skills. Students eligible to take this course are those who have had two opportunities to write the Literacy Test and who have been unsuccessful at least once. Students who successfully complete this course will have met the provincial requirement for graduation and will earn one credit. The credit earned may be used to meet either the Grade 12 English compulsory credit requirement or the Group 1 additional compulsory credit requirement.

40 Hours of Community Service

Students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement as a requirement of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. These 40 hours may be completed at any time during the student’s high school years and may take place in a variety of settings, including not-for-profit organizations, businesses, public sector institutions, and informal settings. Students, in collaboration with their parents will decide how they will complete the community involvement requirement. Students may complete any number of eligible activities as outlined in the Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board Community Involvement pamphlet available from the school’s guidance department.

Activities must be completed outside of normal instructional school hours, may not be a part of a credit program and students may not receive pay for their community involvement activities. Students will maintain a record of their community involvement activities on their Community Involvement Completion Form. The purpose of community involvement is to encourage students to develop an awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and – of the role they can play to contribute to their communities. Examples of community involvement activities include: activities within the school such as Student Council committee work, helping an elderly neighbour, volunteering at a local hospital, helping a community event and tutoring an elementary school student.

The Certificate of Accomplishment Requirments

The Certificate of Accomplishment may be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the Ontario School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate. There are no compulsory courses required for this certificate. 

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate 

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, provided they have earned a minimum of 14 credits distributed as follows:

Compulsory Credits (total of 7)

• 2 credits in English

• 1 credit in Canadian Geography or Canadian History

• 1 credit in Mathematics

• 1 credit in Science

• 1 credit in Health and Physical Education

• 1 credit in the Arts or Technological Education

Optional Credits (total of 7)

Policy Substitutions for Compulsory Courses

Up to 3 compulsory courses may be substituted at the discretion of the principal in order to meet the needs of individual students. The total number of credits required for a diploma remains at 30. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) for Mature students Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) for Mature Students is the formal evaluation and credit-granting process through which mature students, who are enrolled in a secondary school course, may obtain credits for prior learning. Mature students may obtain credits towards the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) for knowledge and skills that they have acquired, in both formal and informal ways, outside secondary school.

The PLAR process involves:

1. Grade 9 and 10 individual assessment/equivalency process

2. Grade 11 and 12 equivalency process

3. Grade 11 and 12 challenge process

In all cases, the knowledge and skills gained through education, work experience, and training must be directly related to the provincial curriculum expectations. By using this process, mature students may be granted up to 26 credits towards their OSSD by the Principal. For more information and details about how to apply, or to obtain a brochure on the PLAR Process for Mature Students and Fact Sheets on each PLAR process, please go to the Student Services Office.