High school is harder

The same effort students put into school in grade 8 won't get grade 9 students the same results in high school. It's just harder. And faster with semesters (class every day for half of the school year). Students need to put in their best effort once they have started high school.  They should ask for help when needed!

Watch intro to high school video

Help in high school video - there are lots of people in every high school to support students!

Every credit counts!

Every course is worth one credit (except for two half credits in grade 10).

Students need to earn at least 50% to pass a course. Everyone should aim for higher by having goals and productive habits.⬆️

If students don't pass mandatory/compulsory courses, they need to repeat them. 

In grade 9 and 10 students must take 8 credits each year.

Students need 30 credits to graduate!

Parents/Guardians/Caregivers -  how much support do grade 9s need?

Parents/guardians may be surprised to know that high school students still need some supervision, especially in terms of daily practice (homework) and assignment completion. Distraction by technology (phones, AI) is a big area of concern while doing work at home. 

In a 2023 survey of YMCI's incoming grade 9s, 70% of respondents to a question asking "what are you nervous about" answered too much work. They were right to be concerned. The workload is one of the biggest jumps from middle school to high school. 

Another big adjustment area is credits. In middle school, students cannot fail a course. They can fail in high school. While there are efforts made here to support students until they at least earn a passing mark (50% on the final report card), there are still students who are not successful in courses due to poor attendance, lack of work completion, or inability to demonstrate their knowledge and skills at at the level 1 or "limited" level. 

Grade 9 students often tell their parents/guardians that they have no homework - everything is done at school. While there is sometimes work time in class, most often students have to complete assignments at home. And, they should be doing daily homework to practice their skills. 

70/30 split in marks is changing

Here's something new for students new to high school: stuff that comes at the end - exams and/or culminating tasks. 

Ontario Ministry of Education policy changes are new for this year. 

Link

Attendance and participation mark

This is also new. The wording on the rubric is a bit confusing at this time because excellent attendance is paired with strong participation. Since this is not always the case, we'll have to see how this policy is applied.