High school is harder

The same effort students put into school in grade 8 won't get them the same results in high school. It's just harder. And faster with semesters. Students need to put in their best effort here.  Ask for help when needed!

Watch intro to YM video

Help at YM video - there are lots of people here to support our students!

Every credit counts!

Every course is a 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.⬆️

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

Students need 30 credits to graduate!

Graduation requirements for grade 9s starting in 2024

Know what you have to do to graduate!

Click here for graduation requirements for students starting high school in Sept. 2024 or after (current grade 9s and 10s).

Link to YMCI guidance website section on graduation requirements for other grades.

Link to YMCI guidance website section on community volunteer hours and how to submit them (40 hours are a graduation requirement).

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

Here's something new for students new to high school: for EVERY class, there's a split between the 70% for term work (assignments, tests, quizzes, presentations, etc.) and the 30% for culminating activities (exam, final test, big project or presentation - stuff that comes at the end)