Courses, Academics & Transcripts

COURSE PLANNING AND GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:

Click on the document below for AVHS course options for 2026-27, NS Graduation Requirements, etc:

COURSE CHANGE REQUESTS:

Each June, students receive their schedules for the upcoming September.  If a course change is required, ir there is an issue with courses or a student's program, in, students can request a course change via a Google Form. Changes will be processed (if possible) and students will be advised via their student email pr in-person as to whether a change is possible.  For more complicated requests, an appointment is required.  Changes will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis and Grade 12 students will be given priority.  

*NOTE: If a student is unable to come into the school to request their course change on the dates above please contact us to let us know the concern (902) 792-6740.  We will announce in the first days of school the process to accommodate any further required changes.

Reasons for a course change:

• Failed a course last semester

• Has a duplicate course in schedule

• Does not have required courses to graduate

• Would like to try and graduate 1st semester or stay the full year

• Missing a required course for a specific post-secondary program

• Other: __________________________

2nd Semester Course Changes:

Second semester course changes can be made at any time in the first semester, space-permitting.  

Please note: There are very few seats available in courses for the 2nd semester so students will be very limited in changing courses. Students are also reminded that they are not permitted to repeat courses next semester which they are not achieving success in this semester- this is due to the fact that classes are often very full.  If a student is unsuccessful completing a course first semester, they will most likely have to re-take the course next year. 

Adding Courses:

Students are not able to add or request any additional courses to their schedules after the first 5 classes in a semester.  

Dropping or Withdrawing from an AVHS Course:

• • Students in Grade 11 or 12 require permission from a school counsellor and their administrator to drop or withdraw from a course.  If you think this may be a need, please make an appointment with your school counsellor to discuss this.  

NOTE: Grade 10s are required to take a full course load of 8 courses.  Grade 11s are required to take a course load of 7 courses.  Grade 12 course load requirements are assessed on a case by case basis.

TRANSCRIPTS

 Unofficial Transcripts:

This is a record of student's marks that have been earned by the student either at Avon View High School, through summer school, correspondence, virtual school studies or transferred credits from another school. If a student has taken a correspondence course, they must bring a copy of their grade to Student Services.

 Official Transcripts:

This transcript must be sent in such a way that the student is not questioned about the marks. Official transcripts have a signature and the school seal.

Students are responsible for requesting and mailing their own transcripts to post-secondary institutions.

 How to make a transcript request:

Please see Ms. Angela Seeley, the secretary in Student Services to request transcripts.  Please allow a full week to 5 days during peak times for your request to be filled. (Example of peak times: November, February, March, June).

Electronic Transcripts:

My Transcripts - Electronic Transcript Submission (for Nova Scotia's 10 Universities and NSCC ONLY)

MyTranscripts is an electronic data exchange system developed and managed by the 11 universities and NSCC in Nova Scotia through the Council on Admission and Transfer for Nova Scotia (CATNS). It improves service to Nova Scotia students applying for admission to a university or NSCC in Nova Scotia by sending their academic records faster and more efficiently, which supports a better application and decision-making process.

Nova Scotia Public High School Transcripts

This system replaces the previous process whereby students who applied for admission to a Nova Scotia post-secondary institution had to make sure that their high school or regional education centre provided a paper copy of their transcript to the institution. Nova Scotia high school students will be asked to provide their 10-digit Nova Scotia Provincial Student Number (PSN) on the application for admission to the Nova Scotia university or NSCC of their choice. Note: If you are unsure of your PSN, please ask for help from your school counsellor or the office.  Students who do not want to have their records transmitted electronically may opt out of this process by not including their PSN on their application for admission and requesting a paper copy of their transcript be sent to the institution(s) to which they are applying.

IMPORTANT: Students who apply to institutions outside Nova Scotia or Private Career Colleges will still be required to request a paper copy of their transcript be sent to their institution(s) of choice.

NOVA SCOTIA GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Official Document: NS High School Graduation Requirements

To graduate from a senior high school, students must:

- Complete a minimum number of 18 credits

- Complete a minimum of five credits from grade 12

- Complete no more than seven grade 10 credits towards these 18 credits

- Only one credit is given per subject, per grade level (example: if a student passes both Grade 10 Math At Work and Grade 10  Math Essentials, only one credit is given).

Students are encouraged to come to Student Services in order to seek assistance with their selection of courses and to confirm they have the correct credits in order to graduate. The ultimate responsibility for selecting the correct number and type of courses to ensure that graduation requirements are met lies with the student.  Also, students who intend to study at post-secondary institutions must pay close attention to program admission requirements when selecting courses. If any questions arise, do not hesitate to come to Student Services for assistance from your school counsellor. 

AVRCE Honours/Honours with Distinction Policy

At the end of term or end of year, students may receive Honours standing to acknowledge their academic achievement. Honours standings are granted to all AVRCE students under the following guidelines:

1. The Honours standing is based upon an average of the final or term mark/grades of the following number of courses taken during the current year or term (including courses completed by correspondence, independent study, and/or challenge for credit). Any marks/grades for correspondence courses shall be included in the calculation of the average for the academic year the course was completed.

Grades 10, 11: any six (6) courses

Grades 12: any five (5) courses

*If Grade 12 students are attending for only one semester, they must take at least 3 courses in that semester to qualify for Honours or Honours with Distinction. If a Grade 12 student attends for a full year, they must take a minimum of five (5) courses over two semesters to be considered for Honours and Honours with Distinction.   

2. For an average of 80% or higher, the student will receive an Honours standing. For an average of 90% or higher, the student will receive an Honours with Distinction standing.

3. The student may not have a final failing grade in any course for the term or year. 

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDITS

The Department of Education awards students with high school credits for participation in select extra-curricular activities. Formal paperwork must be completed and submitted to your school counsellor for consideration.  For further details about Personal Development Credits, please visit the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development's Website - Personal Development Credits.

Here is the Approved Provider and Course List 2025-26 

Paperwork is available at Student Services and on the website mentioned above.

NOVA SCOTIA VIRTUAL SCHOOL 

The Nova Scotia Virtual School provides online high school courses to students enrolled in public high schools in Nova Scotia. In general, an NSVS online course should be one of the four that a student would enroll in during a semester.  Students must have space in their timetable to take an online course. Courses are taught by Nova Scotia certified teachers using both synchronous (when teacher and students are communicating in real-time through video conferencing or e-chat) and asynchronous (when students can complete activities independently) methods. NSVS teachers have office hours and students can log in to touch base with them individually. They can also instant message or email their online teacher at any time.

Registration for Nova Scotia Virtual School is now open for the first semester.  If you are interested in doing a course online, please check out the course description and details and the general information about NSVS.  You can also take the "Is Online Learning For You?" Quiz: Take the Quiz

Lots of other information can be found on this site, too.  Once you have completed the quiz and you are still interested, please book an appointment with your school counsellor.

NSIOL - Nova Scotia Independent Online Learning program

NSIOL is an online study program that allows students in Nova Scotia to complete high school courses at their own pace, starting at any time in the school year. 

How it works -  NSIOL allows students in Nova Scotia to complete high school courses at their own pace, without direct instruction from a teacher, providing flexibility for students to continue their studies in a way that suits their unique needs. NSIOL follows the Nova Scotia Public School Program (PSP) and meets the same requirements as in-person courses. Courses are not actively taught. Instead, instructional supports are built into the courses and Mentors will provide clarification of instructions when necessary. All NSIOL course work is assessed by course Mentors who have Nova Scotia teaching certification.   

Website for more info: NSIOL

ADVANCED PLACEMENT - AVRCE Virtual AP Courses

One option for students entering Grade 11 or 12 is the AVRCE's Virtual Advanced Placement (AP) Program offered by the AVRCE to provide advanced courses for interested students. The AP courses are considered to be of a first year university level and can lead to a university credit or university advanced standing if the student is successful in the course. Currently the AVRCE offers: 

Virtual AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature, AP Computer Science and AP Environmental Science to Grade 10, 11 and 12 students. The benefits to students are many. Students can study topics in greater depth as these are year-long courses, students are often exempt from high volume first year university courses. As well students in science courses can participate in labs that are not normally undertaken in their schools. AP courses are a great way to enhance your university application and scholarship opportunities. Students are encouraged to attend the AP orientation session when it is held at their school.

AP Coordinator Contact for the AVRCE: Jennifer Healy at jennhealy@gnspes.ca  

For more info, you can view the AVRCE Virtual AP Website HERE

You can also contact your school counsellor in Student Services at school to find out more info to see if this is the right choice for you. 

CHALLENGE FOR CREDIT

The procedure to challenge for high school credit can be found in this Guideline.    According to the NS Dept of Ed, "The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development recognizes that students may have already acquired the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that an existing course seeks to develop. Challenge for credit provides a process for students to demonstrate that they have achieved learning outcomes as defined in the Public School Programs and the curriculum guide for a directly-related course.  

SUMMER SCHOOL 

We do not currently offer summer school through the AVRCE, but the HRCE (Halifax Regional Centre for Education) sometimes offers summer school courses - see the HRCE Summer School 2025 Website

If you are successful in your course recovery then they will send your mark to us at AVHS in late August/early September so we can add the mark to your transcript of marks.

PUBLIC SCHOOL PROGRAM

Here is the website for the Nova Scotia Public School Program including many documents and policies.