PLANNING A PROGRAM

It is important when planning a secondary school program to make sure that educational choices are in line with possible career options and vice-versa. Students at Sutton District High School will work with our school team and in some cases our community partners to ensure they explore a broad range of learning and employment opportunities. Parents and students will select courses in collaboration with the Guidance Department, teacher-advisors and subject teachers. It is important to remember that every effort is made to get parent approval for course selections of students under the age of 18, but this may not always be possible.

In grades 9 and 10, in addition to open courses, students make selections in the core subject areas at either the Applied or Academic levels. In grades 11 and 12 Destination Pathways are clearly laid out for students who will select courses in the University, University/College, College or Workplace levels. It is important to choose courses and destination levels wisely as moving between pathways is difficult and may involve additional course work on the part of the student. If a student must change a course selection before the start of the 2003 –2004 school year we require that they see a Guidance counsellor before June 13, 2003. Also be advised that with the introduction of the Full Disclosure Transcript, students who withdraw from or do not achieve a passing grade will now have that information acknowledged on their transcript. Withdrawal will be indicated with a “W” after the course code. Failure of a course will be indicated with the class mark achieved.

Should a student find it necessary to change destination pathways we advise them to see a Guidance Counsellor as soon as possible and obtain information about the availability of transfer courses. These courses teach the concepts and information necessary to bridge the gap between pathways and have a partial credit value. Moving from one destination to another can be extremely difficult and is recommended only as a last resort when planning a student’s timetable.

We recommend students take the following minimum number of credits each year while at Sutton District High School.

You may, under extenuating circumstances, take less than the required number of courses. Such application is to be made through the Vice-Principal.

COURSE CHANGE POLICY

Sutton District High School is a full credit semester school. This means students take half of their courses from September to January and the other half from February to June. We believe that students should be responsible for making careful educational decisions regarding course selection. We assume that if they choose their courses thoughtfully students should not need to make major timetable adjustments in the September of their next calendar school year. We will, however, make timetable changes within 10 days of the start of a semester if it involves one of the following situations:

a)       Completion of Diploma requirements

b)       Successful completion of Summer or Night school courses

c)       Course failure the previous year

d)       Adding a course to replace an existing study period.

e)       A timetabling conflict

We will not alter timetables to adjust a lunch period or to change teachers. Students and parents should also remember that under Secondary School Reform all courses are considered to be of equal rigor and that there are substantial differences in the material covered in Academic, Applied, College, University and Employment streamed courses. This means moving from stream to stream is extremely difficult and should be considered only as a last resort when looking at a student’s academic progress. Changing destination pathways may also involve taking a transfer course in order to ensure students have mastered the skills necessary to be successful in their chosen stream. Lastly, please remember that Grade 9 and 10 students are not allowed a “spare” period during the course of their academic year. Typically senior students must have 20 credits before having a spare period. Senior students should also keep in mind that they must carry at least 3 courses per semester to be considered a full time student at Sutton District High School.

To further avoid confusion and unnecessary course changes, we ask students to please print carefully on their option sheet and take care to write course codes legibly. Also please make sure that alternate courses are filled in on the option sheet as indicated, as these courses will be scheduled should timetabling problems arise. As always – please double-check your sheet, for accuracy.

FULL DISCLOSURE TRANSCRIPT

Be advised that with the introduction of the Full Disclosure Transcript students who withdraw from or unsuccessfully complete a course will now have that acknowledged on their transcript. Withdrawals will be indicated with a “W” after the course code and unsuccessful completions with the class mark achieved.

GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT

The Guidance Department at Sutton District High School provides a number of services to our school community. We offer personal and group counselling opportunities, academic and career planning sessions as well as night school, and post-secondary information. We also offer computer and Internet access to college, university and employment programs in Ontario. In addition, we provide CD-ROM’s that can assist students in understanding how their interests and skills are related to their career choices.

CONFLICT/PERSONAL ISSUES MANAGEMENT

Sutton District High Schools Guidance Department provides a number of programs to help students deal with issues of a non-academic nature. Most of these programs are “group” centered but individual counselling is available. We hope to have Anger Management, Social Skills and Bereavement groups running on an ongoing basis. For more information please contact a guidance counsellor at the school.

SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

The special Education Department provides services to all exceptional students. The Special Education staff advocates for special needs students through counselling, intervention, support and monitoring. They encourage the attainment of an Ontario Secondary School Diploma, a Certificate of Education or Certificate of Achievement. We endeavour to maintain contact with parents to ensure that they are fully aware of and understand the implications of course selection at all levels. We offer courses that incorporate a range of placement alternatives to meet the needs of the exceptional pupil as identified by the Identification, Placement and Review Committee.

Essential Courses: Grades Nine and Ten

These courses were developed to support students who need significant modifications to the curriculum expectations in English, Math and/or Science. Please contact the special Education department for details.

The follow up to the grades 9 and 10 essential courses is called the Workplace Co-op program. Please see the explanation for this program under Co-operative Education.

CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION

Cooperative Education is a unique opportunity for students to apply and practice knowledge and skills gained in school while under the supervision and guidance of an employer and a Co-op Teacher.

Co-operative Education is divided into two sections. The first, known as Subject Based Co-op is directed at students who are studying in the Workplace, College, or University destinations. The students’ schedule reflects classroom courses taken and a combination of one; two, three or four credits obtained at a job placement.  Placements are obtained in consultation with a Co-operative Education Teacher.

The other area of involvement in Co-operative Education is an extension of the Gr. 10 Essential program, or is an alternative to Workplace level programming. This course is called the Workplace Co-op program. In this program, Co-op placements in the workplace are paired with classroom studies at school on a two-week in, two week out basis. This course is available only through consultation with the Co-op, Guidance, and Special Education Departments.

All Co-operative Education programs are available by application only. For more information contact the Co-op Department in Rm. 99.

Alternate Education Department

Alternate Education students come from all levels of school programming and usually have gaps in their basic knowledge that interfere with current learning. Many older students, who have dropped out or are on the verge of dropping out, find alternate programming more comfortable socially than attending classes with much younger students. Many students lack the self-confidence, which these programs try to address. Other students, however, are seeking a non-traditional learning experience. The Alternative Education department offers a variety of program options, such as A.L.E.P., Re-Entry and S.A.L.E.P. to help meet student needs. Contact the Alternate Education or Guidance Departments for further information. Some course fees may apply.

LIBRARY

The Sutton District High School library provides reference and research facilities to support the school curriculum. As well as the traditional print resources such as books and encyclopedias, we offer a wide range of electronic research tools. These include the OPAC catalogue, C-D ROM’s, Internet access, and our most recent acquisition, an online periodicals database. The library staff provides lessons on the use of these tools and their integration with more traditional resources in order to provide a comprehensive approach to library study.

The staff is pleased to help students in their quest for information and resources. We assist in the development of information search patterns and the processing of information for reports, presentations and independent assignments. Come visit us and find out how we can help you.

Please remember additional compulsory courses include:

Courses that qualify as group one, two or three are indicated under the group column.