Focus Programs

Focus Programs take place in Grade 11 and/or 12 and give students an opportunity to take a package of courses in an area of specific interest.  These programs combine in-class and out-of-class programming to provide a unique learning experience.  

Most Focus Programs use an application process to admit interested and motivated students.  

Please contact the offering school for additional information about these programs.

Hockey Canada Skills Academy

Offered at Fellowes High School & Valour JK-12 School

The Hockey Canada Skills Academy is available to students, completely free of charge.  This program occurs during the regular school day and allows students to develop their hockey skills and enhance their success in the classroom.  Students combine athletic development with academic achievement through specialized hockey training.  Whether students are aiming for the next level of competition or using hockey to develop discipline and teamwork, this program lets them pursue their hockey passion.  Players with all levels of experience are welcome to enroll in this program, including those who are new to the sport.

The Hockey Canada Skills Academy integrates on-ice skill development (skating, shooting, passing, puck-handling) with off-ice training and classroom learning (weight training, nutrition, sport psychology, aerobic fitness), allowing student-athletes to improve individual hockey skills during the school day while earning two credits towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.  It is a program that is designed to improve skills, boost confidence, develop leadership, and promote overall athletic and personal growth. The program will be taught by a Hockey Canada-certified instructor and will be supported by various community partners. Each student will receive a free customized jersey in addition to new practice socks. 

To summarize, key components of the HCSA include:

• On-Ice Training: Focuses on fundamental individual skills like skating, stickhandling, shooting, and passing, under the leadership of a Hockey Canada-certified instructor.

• Off-Ice Training: Includes strength & conditioning in the weight room, dry-land drills, and practical life skills.

• Classroom Instruction: Covers important topics for athletes, such as nutrition, sport psychology, leadership, goal setting, and game analysis.

• Academic Integration: Students receive a grade 9 physical education credit for the program, balancing hockey with their regular school curriculum.

Renfrew Culinary Institute

Offered at Renfrew Collegiate Institute

The Foods and Culinary Program operates out of the Metro Shared Community Kitchen at RCI. This space was made possible through a grant from Metro of over $200,000 for the 2025-2030 school years.  This room is now equipped with state-of-the-art kitchen equipment that will allow our students to learn and practice their culinary skills to prepare them for a life, whether that be in the food industry or their home kitchen.  

There are 4 courses which students can choose as part of this program: 

• • • Grade 10:  HFN 2O - Food and Nutrition  

    • Grade 11:  HFC3M1 or HFC3E1 - Foods and Culture 

    • Grade 12:   HFA4U or HFA4C1 - Nutrition & Health

    • Grades 11 & 12:  IDC3O1 or IDC4O1 - Food Rescue 

The course is offered in partnership with Renfrew and District Food Bank and processes food donated by local grocery stores into meals for students at RCI and clients of the Renfrew and District Food Bank.  Students will learn time management, meal planning, food preparation skills, food safety and culinary skills throughout the course.

River Otters Outdoor Education Program

Offered at Valour JK-12 School

Otters represent play, curiosity, and cooperation.  This program is designed to be joyful, community-oriented, and nature-connected, and it will immerse students in the natural world through experiential outdoor learning.  In an era of increasing environmental challenges and technological dependence, students benefit from reconnecting with ecosystems while developing scientific literacy and data analysis skills.

The program emphasizes:

• • • Hands-on learning in local ecosystems (forests, wetlands, parks) through various trips and excursions

    • Interdisciplinary scientific inquiry combining biology, ecology, and statistics

    • Environmental stewardship and sustainability awareness

    • Development of employable skills in environmental monitoring, field research, and data analysis

This program also addresses the growing demand for green careers and fosters wellness through outdoor activity and teamwork. It’s a great opportunity for students who are active and enjoy the outdoors as well.

River Otters Outdoor Education is currently available to all students in grades 11 & 12.  Students will earn a senior geography credit (CGF3M or CGR4M) and a senior science credit (SVN3M), which will be useful to those students pursuing both college and university pathways.

TAMARACK

Offered at Mackenzie Community School

TAMARACK is a total immersion integrated semester program that involves a class of Grade 11 and 12 students who are together as a group with one teacher from February to June.  Started by the late Bill Patterson in 1991 at Mackenzie, TAMARACK was originally inspired by the Foxfire program and is now one of the most successful, longest-running integrated semester programs in Ontario.

The core credits earned in the program are BOH4M (a leadership credit), CGR4M (Environment and Resource Management), and NDW4M (Indigenous Issues and perspectives). Students learn in an interdisciplinary, project and trip-based, experiential environment.  The class will be going on winter camping, Algonquin Park hiking, and canoe trips, working on conservation and environmental projects with community groups, leading events within the school, doing individual research, and working to commemorate the indigenous history of the local area through collaboration with Steffanie Adams and her research into the Silent Community.

TAMARACK was developed on the basis of character education and good citizenship, and heavily incorporates Fullan’s 6 Cs:

• Character,

• Citizenship,

• Collaboration,

• Communication,

• Creativity, and

• Critical Thinking.

In addition, participants will work on wilderness skills, including:

• • • Water Mastery:  Water safety training,  canoeing and canoe camping techniques.

    • Wilderness Survival:  Fire-building, emergency winter shelter construction, and navigation.

    • Backcountry Living:  Sustainable "Leave No Trace" camping, outdoor cooking, and gear maintenance.

    • Risk Management:  Learning to assess risks, weather patterns, terrain, and first-aid needs in remote areas.

TAMARACK is a transformative journey that builds grit, self-reliance, and a profound connection to the natural world. It is a rare opportunity for students to step away from screens and step into a role of responsibility and leadership, returning with a renewed sense of confidence, a group of lifelong friends, and several credits toward their diploma.