Grad Update

GRAD UPDATE - JANUARY

GRAD FEE

deadline February 28th - through SchoolCashOnline

OCAS/OUAC Transmission

Both OCAS and OUAC will be receiving your semester one grades by February 20th. Please log into your OCAS and/or OUAC account(s) and confirm that the grade and course information is accurate. It is your responsibility to check that your marks are accurate.

SUSPENDED PROGRAMS - ALGONQUIN

As you may have heard, Algonquin College is recommending the suspension of 30 academic programs, effective Fall 2026 to its Board of Governors at the February 23, 2026 meeting. If approved by the Board, no new learners will be admitted to these programs starting Fall 2026. For those who have applied or been accepted into these programs for Fall 2026, additional information will be made available following the Board decision.

If you have students who have applied to only one program that has been recommended for suspension, they may wish to consider adding additional programs to their application prior to February 1. Programs added before February 1 will be considered equally. Any programs added to an application after February 1 are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Frequently asked questions have been prepared to provide further background on the financial realities Algonquin College is facing as well as additional information pertaining to program suspensions.

UNIVERSITY INFO

The University of Ottawa will be visiting on Tuesday, Feb 10 at lunch in room 179.

During this visit, you will be provided with valuable information on the next steps for applicants—those waiting to hear back, as well as those who have been admitted and those who may have already committed to uOttawa. Topics will include the admissions process, important dates and deadlines, financing your studies and scholarship applications, upcoming events and more.

Carleton University will be visiting on Wednesday Feb 18 at lunch in room 179. This group visit is a great opportunity for students to learn more about the application process, next steps, and ask their questions.

St. Francis Xavier University will be visiting on Friday, Feb 13 at lunch in room 179. The university rep can answer any questions about St. FX’s, such as program choice/decision, how to apply for scholarships (deadlines approaching), residence applications, tuition, etc. The rep will also have a code so that you can apply for free.

Bishop’s University will be visiting on Friday, Feb 27 at lunch in room 179. The university rep can answer any questions about Bishop’s, such as program choice/decision, how to apply for scholarships (deadlines approaching), residence applications, tuition, etc.

NIGHT SCHOOL INFO

Please follow this link to get more information about course offering, dates, and how to register: OCDSB Winter 2026 Virtual Night School Information (Registration is from January 12th -February 12th, 2026. It is first come first served.). Be sure to fill out the form for non-OCDSB students.

AWARDS

Applications for the Ilana and Steven Rubin Scholarship will open in the spring.

This is an education scholarship, valued at $1,800, available to Ontario high school students who are aiming to attend a post-secondary institution. The scholarship is open to High School students graduating in 2026 and then going on to university, college, or a higher institution of learning that provides programs of at least two years or more. Students applying for the scholarship must have marks of less than 83% for grades 11 and 12 combined.

Applications will be due in May and the full application form is available on our website.

School, Community, and OCSB School Board Awards - To access these scholarships, please see the doc that was sent to your student email. All successful applicants will be announced at the Grad Commencement in June. You must use your school account to access this document.

#EdgeGrad26 GRAD BURSARY - We are asking students to post photos and videos on Instagram illustrating their work to benefit a cause close to their heart through volunteering, organizing a rally, gathering donations, or the like. Document your journey from start to finish and take us along for the ride by using the #EdgeGrad26 hashtag.

Each month, we will choose a qualifier. In May, secondary school principals and vice principals across Canada will vote on which qualifier should be the grand prize winner. For more information, see here: Edge Bursary.

The Full Potential Scholarship will be awarded to up to 20 students with a documented learning disability who are applying to University/College in Canada. Students can apply here until March 3, 2026 at 1:00PM EST.The scholarship awards students $1,000 each year as well as 40 hours of tutoring credits in the first year and then the hours reduce to 30, 20, and 10 in the subsequent years (renewable up to 4 years). More information about the scholarship and eligibility criteria can be found here.

StudentScholarships.org - check out available scholarships here.

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

The Ontario government has introduced the Minister's Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement to celebrate graduating students who demonstrate exceptional civic engagement, leadership, and community spirit by completing more than the 40 required hours of community involvement.

Moving forward, St Peter students will continue to provide evidence of their graduation requirement of 40 hours community service by submitting verified volunteer hours using the community service record sheet. Students who wish to earn a Minister’s Certificate of Recognition for Community Involvement must submit additional hours using the same form. The deadline to submit all community service hours for graduating students is April 1st. Current grade 12 students who wish to be considered for a Minister’s Certificate must ensure all accumulated community service hours have been accurately recorded. Grade 12 students can verify their current accumulated hours in Student Services.

If you are looking for volunteer opportunities, please check the daily announcements and the volunteer board in the atrium.

Bronze Silver Gold

50 to 99 hours 100 to 199 hours 200+ hours

GRAD UPDATE - DECEMBER

Hello Grads! As we head into our Christmas break, your focus should be on applying for your post secondary programs and organizing your post secondary plans. Your time for deciding where to apply is coming to a close. APPLY EARLY; do not wait until the last minute!! Please know that if you have any questions or concerns, you can make an appointment with your Guidance Counsellor - We are here to help!

The Awards Package is included in this update: Use the break to apply for awards. The deadline to apply is March 9th at 2:10pm.

APPLYING TO COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

Applying to university - You can apply at: ouac.on.ca

You have until January 15th to apply (for equal consideration).

Applying to college - you can apply now at: ontariocolleges.ca

You have until February 1st to apply (for equal consideration).

OCAS/OUAC Transmission

Both OCAS and OUAC transmissions were sent recently. Please log into your OCAS and/or OUAC account(s) and confirm that the grade and course information is accurate. It is your responsibility to check that your marks are accurate.

GRAD PHOTO RETAKES - Friday, January 9th, 2026

COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES

With the Christmas break coming up, it is a great opportunity for you to spend some time accumulating your volunteer hours. Once you have completed your hours, please submit a signed copy of the Community Involvement Tracking Sheet to student services so that we can record your hours. Paper copies of the form are available outside of Student Services. Please make sure that the form includes all necessary information and is signed by the person who supervised your volunteer activity, along with a parent/guardian and yourself. As a good practice, you should scan or take a picture of your community involvement form for your records.

Here are some links that may be helpful:

Volunteer Ottawa

Charity Village

Keen to Help

Mission Thrift Store (10th Line Rd)

** You can also check the volunteer board across from Student Services

OPPORTUNITIES:

Gift Wrapping Volunteers are needed at Place d’Orleans from December 12-24th. Shifts are in 2-hour blocks during regular mall hours. Email events@guidedogs.ca for more information.
Cardinal Creek Community Park is looking for volunteers to help prepare and maintain the full size outdoor rink throughout the winter season. If interested email president@cardinalcreek.org or rinks@cardinalcreek.org for more information.

SCHOLARSHIP/BURSARY INFORMATION

1. School, Community, and OCSB School Board Awards - To access these scholarships, please see the doc that was sent to your student email. All successful applicants will be announced at the Grad Commencement in June. You must use your school account to access this document.

2. Schulich Leader Scholarship - Awarded to students enrolled in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Science) at selected universities across Canada. If you are interested in this award, your application is due in Student Services by January 20th, 2026. The school will select one student to nominate for this award.

3. Check out Student Scholarships for scholarship opportunities: Student Scholarships

4. You can search community scholarships and bursaries at the following websites:

GRAD UPDATE - OCTOBER PART TWO

OCAS/OUAC Transmission

Both OCAS and OUAC have received your information. Please log into your OCAS and/or OUAC account(s) and confirm that the grade and course information is accurate. It is your responsibility to check that your marks are accurate. Please note that mid-term marks have not yet been uploaded to OUAC.

GRAD GOWN ORDER:

It is time to order your grad gown for the June commencement ceremony. Your order includes a graduation cap and tassel. Please note that no additional payments are needed, as this cost is covered in your grad fee. Please ensure that your grad fee has been paid on School Cash Online and complete this form by Friday, November 14th. Please see Mrs. Cheshire with any questions. 2026 Grad Gown Order Form

FULL DISCLOSURE DATE

Students wishing to drop a course and not have it shown on their transcript must do so by a certain date. This date is called the full disclosure date. Any courses that you choose to continue past the full disclosure date will be reported on and will appear in your university or college application.

Semester 1 - November 26th, 2025

GRAD PHOTO RETAKES

If you missed your grad photos, retakes will be on Friday, January 9th, 2026.

University/College Information

Algonquin College - a representative from the Algonquin College will be visiting on Friday, November 14 during period 2. In order to attend, students will be required to sign-up using this link. There will be limited space available, so please sign up early.

Upcoming University Visits (will take place in the atrium)

University of Guelph-Humber - Wednesday, Nov 5 @ 10:45 am

Waterloo University - Thursday, Nov 6 at 2:00 pm

St. Lawrence College - Thursday, Nov 13 at lunch

Naval Reserves/Armed Forces - Wednesday, Dec. 3 at lunch

GAP YEAR INFO

Any student interested in learning more about the Gap Year program can find more information in the attached brochure. You can also view this link for a video.
The Discover Year team would love to meet you at the Fall Open House: November 18th, 2025, 7:00-9:00 PM. Register here: Discover Year

COMMUNITY SERVICES HOURS

Check the bulletin board across from Student Services or see Ms. Lydon for more volunteer opportunities.

You can also check out Volunteer Ottawa, Keen to Help and Charity Village for opportunities in the Ottawa region.

TUTORING

If you are interested in becoming a tutor, please fill out the QR Code in Student Services. You can earn community service hours or an hourly rate.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award - The Terry Fox Humanitarian Award is open to students of all abilities and all fields of study. Terry Fox Humanitarian Award recipients are selected for their dedication to the humanitarian ideals of Terry Fox, their courage in overcoming obstacles, and definite marks of distinction and persistence in the pursuit of excellence in academic, athletic, and civic life. We are looking for humanitarians, those who improve human welfare, make a difference, and have a positive impact on the community and others.

While Terry faced many obstacles, and quite clearly a physical one, candidates may face different types of obstacles. A myriad of obstacles exist, and we consider any adversity that calls for a demonstration of courage, compassion, and fortitude. Financial need is not in itself a criteria of our Award. It can, however, be included as an obstacle.

Please visit Terry Fox Humanitarian Award for more information and to apply. Deadline: Dec. 1, 2025.

Schulich Leader Scholarship - Awarded to students enrolled in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Science) at selected universities across Canada. If you are interested in this award, your application (from the Schulich website) is due in Student Services by January 20, 2026. The school will select one student to nominate for this award.)

Check out Student Scholarships for scholarship applications.

GRAD UPDATE -- OCTOBER - PART 1

IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:

OUAC (Ontario University Application Centre)

NOW: Application Centre open for registrations
January 15, 2026: Deadline to submit your completed applications to the OUAC

OCAS (Ontario College Application Service)

NOW: Applications become available for programs starting the following fall.
November 1: Colleges may begin sending offers of admission.
February 1: Equal Consideration Date – apply to highly competitive programs on or before this date.

-Gather information about Ontario’s universities, including programs, campus life and anything else that may help you decide which Ontario university to choose.

Date: October 8th, 2025

Location: Shenkman Arts Centre – Lower Lobby

245 Centrum Blvd.Orléans ON

Time: 5 to 7 pm

Parking: Free Parking at rear of building (3-hour max at front). Entering from back parking will bring you right to the Lower Lobby.

Algonquin College - Unfortunately, we have had to cancel our in-school visit from Algonquin College due to the on-going strike. Please visit the following links for information about programs and applications for Algonquin:

Virtual Algonquin College Presentation

While in-person visits are paused, we're currently offering weekly virtual presentations every Thursday from 3:30-4:30 pm.
Students can register for here: Virtual Presentation Registration

Live Q&A Sessions

Students with questions can join our drop-in virtual Q&A sessions to speak directly with a member of our team.
Students can register here: Q&A Session Registration

On-Demand Webinars

We've created several pre-recorded webinars to help students navigate the college application process.
- Program Page Navigation Webinar - Students can learn how to navigate the program pages on our website.
- Apply to College Webinar - An overview of the Ontario College Application Service, how to find programs and how to determine eligibility.
- Next Steps Webinar - An overview of next steps and what to expect after receiving an offer from Algonquin College.

Virtual Tour

Students can explore our campuses online through our virtual tour. In-person tours will resume once the labour dispute has been resolved.

Upcoming University Visits (will take place in the atrium)

Thursday, Oct 16 @ 1 pm (early dismissal day) - Queen’s University

Monday, Oct 20 @ 2 pm - Bishop’s University

Monday, Oct 27 @ 10:45 - Nipissing University

Monday, Oct 27 @ 10:45 - Trent University

Do you know anyone who is considering taking a gap year after high school? We would love to meet them at our upcoming Info Session!

WHEN: Tuesday, October 14th from 7:00-9:00 pm ET

WHERE: Online via Zoom

WHAT TO EXPECT:

- Meet and Greet: Meet Discover Year students, alumni, parents and staff

- Discover Year 101: The what, how, where and when of a Discover Year

- Q&A: Hear what our students, alumni and parents have to say about their experiences at Discover Year

Full Disclosure Date

Please check this chart to see the full disclosure date for your courses: Semester 1 November 26th, 2025

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT HOURS

Please hand your community service hours to Student Services.

SCHOLARSHIPS/AWARDS

Check out scholarships here: Student Scholarships

Welcome back!

We know that this is a very important and sometimes stressful time in your lives; you’re finishing up your last year of high school and thinking about your future plans - and how to best achieve your goals.

In order to keep the lines of communication open, we will be emailing you a Grad Update every three-four weeks. The purpose of this email is to inform you of events and/or deadlines related to your graduating year. You will receive information about the application process for college/university, awards and scholarships, post-secondary information, and more.

If you ever need to discuss options, please let your Guidance Counsellor know.

Guidance Counsellors

Michelle Lydon (michelle.lydon@ocsb.ca) (A-Di)

Cristina Crochetiere (cristina.crochetiere@ocsb.ca) (Dj-K)

Justin Malloy (justin.malloy@ocsb.ca) (L-Ph)

Catherine Rea (catherine.rea@ocsb.ca) (Pi-Z)

Below is your first Grad Update.

GRAD UPDATE - SEPTEMBER 2025

GRADUATING INFORMATION

In order to graduate, students must successfully complete 30 credits and 40 hours of community, plus the literacy test requirement.

**If you have completed community service forms filled out, please drop them off in Student Services. Also, please note that the list of acceptable activities is on the back of the form (outside of Student Services).

In order to apply to university, students must have at least SIX U/M-level (University or Mixed) credits. Universities will specify which courses are required prerequisites for specific programs. It is very important to check this information early to ensure that you are in the correct courses. Please email your Guidance Counsellor asap if you are not.

**There will be presentations for grade 12 students in a few weeks to give an overview of how/when to apply to University and/or College - more information to come.

HIGH SCHOOL COURSE CHANGE REQUESTS

A reminder that Monday at 2:10 is the last day to request a course change for semester one. Students wishing to make a course change should follow the procedures outlined HERE.

Those students requiring a guidance appointment will need to fill out a google form indicating the reason for their appointment. Guidance counsellors will refer to this form and call students down, based on priority. To access the form, there is a QR Code posted outside of Student Services next week.

E-LEARN GRADUATION REQUIREMENT

Students choosing not to take e-Learning courses can be opted out of this requirement by their parent/guardian. A form will be sent to parents in semester 2, allowing them to opt out. This WILL NOT affect your pathway towards graduating or applying to college/university.

NIGHT SCHOOL

Night School is now open for registration (closes September Visit OCDSB Summer School for information on courses, schedule and dates. If you are signing up, be sure to sign up under the heading “Non-OCDSB students.”

UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE VISITS

Please check your emails often to get any college/university visit updates! When visiting our school, the university representative will set up a table in the atrium. Feel free to drop by to ask questions and pick up information. Please check out our new digital sign in the atrium (beside the tuck shop) that will show updated university and college information.

Upcoming visits:

University of Ottawa - a representative from the University of Ottawa will be visiting on Wednesday, September 17 during period 1 (last name A-K) and period 2 (last name L-Z). In order to attend, students will be required to sign-up using this link. There will be limited space available, so please sign up early.

Carleton University - a representative from the University of Ottawa will be visiting on Thursday, September 18 during period 1 (last name L-Z) and period 2 (last name A-K). In order to attend, students will be required to sign-up using this link. There will be limited space available, so please sign up early.

Guelph University - Thursday, September 11 @ 10:45

RMC

If you are thinking of applying to the Royal Military College next year, you should begin the process now. Visit https://forces.ca/en/apply-now/, if interested.

GRAD WEBSITE

We will be updating the Grad Website regularly (http://peh.ocsb.ca/ - Go to Academics & Support and “Graduation Information” on the school’s website homepage).

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

You can check out the Daily Announcements slide deck on the St. Peter website and the bulletin board across from Student Services for current volunteer opportunities.

You can also visit Volunteer Ottawa, Charity Village, or contact a charitable organization in the community to explore volunteer opportunities. Some examples of possible activities are listed on the bulletin board across from Student Services.

Cumberland Minor Hockey is looking for volunteers to help with tryouts - until Oct. 2nd! They need help with jersey handout, registration desk, and on-ice support for all levels from U9 to U18.

If you can lend a hand, please contact Julie Flaherty ASAP at: julie.flaherty@cumberlandminorhockey.ca. **You can finish your volunteer hours with these sessions!

SCHOLARSHIP/BURSARY INFORMATION

1. Loran Scholarship - High level of academic performance (85%+ avg for last 3 years), leadership and a record of community service to the community. 30 awards valued at up to $80,000. The online application is available at:

www.loranscholar.ca. Apply directly by October 16th.

2. Queen's University Chancellor’s Scholarship

Value: $12,000 annually

Criteria: Superior academic ability (90+); creative and original thought; proven leadership qualities. The school can nominate 2 students. Check out Major Admission Awards at www.queensu.ca/studentawards for more info and application form. If you wish to be nominated by the school, please submit your completed application (Admission Awards Application from Queen’s website) to Student Services by November 17th.

3. Schulich Leader Scholarship

Awarded to students enrolled in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Science) at selected universities across Canada. If you are interested in this award, your application (from the Schulich website) is due in Student Services by January 20th, 2026. The school will select one student to nominate for this award.)

4. You can search community scholarships and bursaries at the following websites:

5. School, Community, and OCSB School Board Awards - A general application form with 20 to 25 different scholarships / bursaries / awards will be posted in January. All applications will be reviewed by the St. Peter High School Honours and Awards Committee. All successful applicants will be announced at the Grad Commencement in June.

6. Father Ted Colleton Scholarship

The deadline for submission of the full application package (including essay, letters of reference and resume of personal interests and leadership activities in school and community) is October 17th, 2025.

For further information and to download the application form please go to: http://niagararegionrighttolife.ca/projects/father-ted-colleton-scholarship-program/ or that of The Interim newspaper, https://www.theinterim.com/category/fr-ted-colleton-scholarship/.

The value of the scholarship prizes are as follows: $2000 for 1st, $1500 for 2nd, and $1000 for 3rd place respectively.

Call 416.204.1687 with questions.

7. Any information about special scholarships will be posted on the grad website when available.

O.S.A.P. (Ontario Student Assistance Program – osap.gov.on.ca) - application opens in the spring.

Report abuse