Success in Secondary School

This on-line Program and Course Calendar has been assembled for you and your parents. It is a resource to help you decide which courses you would like to take next year and offer tips and tricks and suggestions to make those decisions easier to make. Here are a few things to think about to help make your school experience fun and successful.

Many of our students go straight from secondary school to work or apprenticeship. If you think this is what you want then choose courses that will help you find work that you will enjoy and are good at. Applied courses in Grades 9 and 10, and workplace preparation and cooperative education courses in Grades 11 and 12 are a great way to get ready for your first job.

Ask your teachers, the staff at your Student Services office, as well as family and friends for advice. They know you and your interests and abilities, and they can help you select the right courses for what you want to do and for what you want to be.

If you are considering college or university, take a mix of courses to find the things that interest you and that you might want to study after you have finished high school.

Select some courses that you want to take in addition to the courses you have to take. Having a balance of necessary courses and interest courses can make your school life more enjoyable. Even try something that you had never thought about before. It all part of helping you expand your horizons and grow your knowledge base.

Start early to get your 40 hours of community service. Too many students suddenly find out that they can’t graduate because they forgot this important part of school. Start in Grade 9.

Be careful about how many hours you work in jobs outside of school. Research tells us that students who work more than 15 hours a week don’t do as well in school as those who work less than that.

So I invite you to explore this site and all it has to offer and create your very own “Success for Life”.

Ted Doherty
Director of Education