Transcript September Realities For Course Selections

Selecting Courses for 2015-2016
for students entering Grade 12
Dr. John M. Denison Secondary School
February 2015 Presentation
Agenda
 Diploma requirements
 Full Disclosure
 34 Credit Threshold
 Pathways and Course Types
 On-line Course Selection & the IPP
Diploma Requirements
 To earn your Ontario Secondary School
Diploma (O.S.S.D.) you need:
 18 compulsory credits
 12 elective credits
 Successful completion of the Ontario
Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)
 40 hours of community involvement (CI)
About the OSSLT &
Community Involvement
 The OSSLT is written in your Grade 10 year
 Community involvement can begin once a
student has finished Grade 8
 Pre-approval is required on all community
involvement activities
 CI forms are available in Guidance
18 Compulsory Credits










4 credits in English
1 credit in French as a Second Language
3 credits in Math (at least 1 in Gr. 11 or 12)
2 credits in Science
1 credit in Canadian History
1 credit in Canadian Geography
1 credit in the Arts
1 credit in Health and Physical Education
0.5 credit in Civics and Citizenship (Grade 10)
0.5 credit in Career Studies (Grade 10)
PLUS…
One credit from each group:

Group 1: an additional credit in English, Or French as a Second Language, OR Native
Language, OR a Classical or an International Language, or a Social Sciences and the
Humanities, OR Canadian and World Studies, OR Guidance and Career Education, OR
Co-operative Education

Group 2: an additional credit in Health and Physical Education, OR Business Studies,
OR the Arts, OR French as a Second Language, OR Co-operative Education

Group 3: an additional credit in Science (Grade 11 or 12), OR Technological Education
(Grades 9 -12), OR French as a Second Language OR Computer Studies, OR Cooperative Education

Note that a maximum of two French as a Second Language Credits and two Cooperative Education credits can be used toward these groups.
AND…
 You are to take at least 12 optional
credits, or electives, which allow
you to take courses that align with
your post-secondary pursuits and
program requirements.
Full Disclosure Policy
 Please note that the Ministry of Education
has a policy of “full disclosure”. What does
this mean?
 Only successfully completed courses from Grades 9 and 10 appear on
your transcript
 All Grades 11 and 12 courses that you attempt will appear on your
transcript whether you pass them or not
 There is a full disclosure date where a senior-level course can be
dropped an not appear on your transcript
34 Credit Threshold
 You are able to take up to 34 credits while at Dr. Denison Secondary
School (you require 30 for your diploma)
 There are some who may be exempt from this policy
 You may take additional credits once you reach 34 at summer school,
night school and through other formats
 See Guidance for further information
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9L1oNpA02o&feature=youtu.be
Pathways







Apprenticeships and Skilled Trades
College
Community Living
Employment
Travel
University
Volunteering
Post-secondary pathways
College – offers certificates (1 yr.), diplomas (2-3 yrs.), applied degrees (4
yrs). Except for applied degrees, college admissions are based on
Grade 11 M, C and U marks in general. You may need to take specific
courses for specific college programs.
Skilled Trades – may require certain college courses, for example, maths
and sciences for plumbing, electrical. There are over 140 trades,
ranging from 3-5 years for length of training required.
University – offers Bachelor’s degrees (3-4 yrs.)
Admissions are based on best 6 Grade 12 U/M courses, including
ENG4U – check programs carefully for specific courses requirements.
Course Codes
 Grades 9 & 10 courses are Academic (D), Applied
(P), Locally Developed (L), and Open (O).
 Grade 11 & 12 courses are University preparation
(U), College preparation (C), University/College
preparation (M), Workplace (E), and Open (O).
 Please be aware of course pre-requisites when
selecting courses. Do you have the correct course
required in order to take a course?
Entering Grade 12
You need to select:
English
PLUS sufficient courses to graduate as well reflect what you need for your
post-secondary program
Have you researched what courses you need to take NOW in order to be
prepared for post secondary studies - AFTER high school?
Please use your credit counselling summary to check what credits you’ve
earned and what you still need in order to graduate next year.
Are you choosing the correct level? (i.e. University, College, Mixed,
Workplace)
Researching the courses you need
Where are you headed? What do you need in order to get there?
If you intend to apply to an Ontario university or to a college for an
Applied Degree, please note that you must have at least 6 Grade 12 U
or M coded-courses
Specific courses required for programs are available on college and
university websites
Also, for college research, check out ontariocolleges.ca, and for
university research, check out www.electronicinfo.ca
This takes time – so please research carefully and select your courses
carefully
Realities for Course Selections
You are requesting courses for TWO semesters Semester 1 and Semester 2 for the next school
year
Special circumstances will be dealt with by the
Administration (Vice-Principals)
No courses are guaranteed, but guidance staff
will do their best to get you into the courses you
choose
Also, you may want to consider
 Co-operative Education learning (hands-on experience) for
students in Grades 11 and 12 – see Ms. Trenton in Room
305
 Specialist High Skills Major Programs for Grades 11 & 12
students: Hospitality, Construction, Business, and
Technology – a combination of courses and co-operative
education experiences available for all pathways
How to access course offerings
Visit www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca and follow the CareerCruising icon
Before logging in select the drop down menu called Student Course
Guide on the bottom left hand side of the screen
Example of a paper copy of a course selection sheet
Have your parents sign
the course selection and
submit it to your
homeroom teacher by
_____________
Key Dates
 February 9 and 10: Course Selection Assemblies for all
students
 February 11 and 12: in-class follow-up visits from
Guidance to answer your questions
 Career Cruising, Guidance information, websites…
 Printed, signed forms due no later than February 18th
 Choose once, choose wisely!
The Individual Pathways Planner
 The IPP tool is found on Career Cruising
 You are encouraged to review it as you move through
school and in life, assessing your opportunities, goals and
plans to achieve your goals
That’s all folks!