January 11th, 2016

It is amazing how fast the years go by.  Our Grade 8 students are embarking on course selection for high school already.  Ms. Jespersen, our guidance teacher, has been working with students to help them determine their best pathway for high school.

In High School, students  select streams based upon their skills, strengths and destination after High School.  A student may select different streams for different courses.  This allows for students to create a High School experience that plays to their strengths and reflects where they will be going in the future.

High school is different than when parents went to school.  Now with Essential, Academic and Applied pathways they are connected to how a student learns and where they want to go after high school.  If your child likes abstract thinking, independent work and hopes to go to University after high school, then the Academic path is recommended.  Students should select this path if they are doing well academically in the Grade 8 program.

Students that enjoy hands on learning and getting to the most important parts of a topic, then they may be best suited to Essential level programming.  Essential level programming can be packaged together in a program called Fast Forward or can be as stand alone subjects.  The students that benefit from this stream, also excel when they have a teacher or adult helping them understand the work they are doing.  Having their questions answered when they are confused by a teacher, assists in their ability to complete tasks.  Students in this stream often head straight to the world of work or into an apprenticeship after High School.  More and more, there are College programs available from this stream as well.

There is also the applied stream for students that plan to go onto an apprentice or College after high schools.  Some of the College programs can lead into University programs as well.  These students enjoy hands on work and like more concrete applications to their work.  They can work independent, but often do better with the support of staff to guide them.  These students also do well at school.

The reality is, your child may not know what they want to do when they are an adult.  That is okay.  By 2025, most jobs available will not have even been thought of yet — by anyone.  So guide your child to the subjects they enjoy and to explore courses that they have never had the opportunity to do before.  It is an exciting time for them.