Blog Posts

Many students dread test day, and it’s easy to understand why. Tests are important, and students may feel that they just aren’t good at “test taking.” Test anxiety can indeed be a significant challenge, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a few tips, students can ease their anxiety and make writing a test much less intimidating.

For some students, the word “essay” brings to mind the most feared and hated form of schoolwork. Essay anxiety is very common, and it is easy to understand why students may be apprehensive about writing one. by keeping a few easy tips in mind, students can better understand why essays are helpful, enhance their essay-writing skills, and soon come to find essays are not as scary as they seem, but can actually be simple.

On October 11, 2024, a signing ceremony was held at the Canadian Embassy in Japan, marking the official launch of the Double Diploma program between OVS and Ritsumeikan Moriyama. Representatives from both OVS and RM, along with officials from the Canadian government, were present to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

As online learning continues to grow in popularity, more students and families are choosing this form of education. However, many families might be unsure of the role they can play in online learning. One of the main advantages of online learning is that parents can be more involved in the learning process. At the same time, online learning provides a valuable opportunity for students to learn and practice independence. These two aspects don’t have be contradictory; in fact, they can complement each other, depending on how parents and families engage in the process.

For students applying to university next year, it’s important to focus no only on university applications and senior courses, but also the financial cost of attending. University tuition costs are at an all-time high, which means many students struggle with the financial burdens of post-secondary education. However, opportunities exist to lighten this load through scholarships, bursaries, and other grants from both government-funded and privately funded programs.

This year, there have been some fundamental changes to the graduation requirements for students who are just entering Grade 9. So, while students who entered high school last year will still be working off the original graduation requirements, new students have a different set of criteria they need to meet.

In order to help parents and students navigate these changes, this article breaks down these new and previous requirements.

At OVS, we pride ourselves on providing a flexible education for students around the world. By allowing students to schedule their education around their lives, they have more free time to pursue their dreams.
Summer McIntosh has been an OVS student since 2020. She has been steadily working through her high school courses while simultaneously dedicating her time and effort towards her training schedule.

This past spring, several members of our team travelled to China to both solidify our existing partnerships as well as expand and connect with future partner programs.

Journalism today looks very different than it has in the past. While newspapers and journals are still printed, they are also available online, easily within reach. However, with modern technology, it can also be difficult for people to sort out fact from fiction and find reliable and accurate information.

Many young student athletes find that their academic life interferes with their ability to pursue their sporting careers. Here at Ontario Virtual School, we have heard this from many of our students who previously attended brick and mortar schools, and we are glad that they found us, a school that was able to accommodate them and allow them to pursue their dreams.

Ontario Virtual School wanted a place for our teachers to share learning strategies and tools for students. All the OVS podcast episodes are still relevant today. These episodes are within 20 to 60 minutes in length and offer handy tips for improving your learning.

Students are using social media platforms, especially TikTok, as a source for homework help and education support. TikTok is unique in that it allows educators to share knowledge in new and creative ways.

Engineering is an ever growing and incredibly popular field of study. Those who enjoy looking at the world around them and trying to figure out the mechanics behind how things work will feel particularly drawn to it. Engineering has several different branches to it, allowing students a wide variety of focused disciplines to choose from.

At OVS, our goal is to help students achieve success in whatever pathway they choose. So, to help provide information and support for students seeking to attend college, we will be releasing a series of blogs that will help students understand their options, courses that they can take, and how to follow their pathway to post-secondary success at a college program.

With the winter break approaching many students are gearing up for holiday celebrations with their families and friends. However, a break from daily grind of school or work can also be an important time to catch up on course work or prepare for final exams and tests that occur after the winter break.

As OUAC applications are due January 15th, students can also use this upcoming winter break to make sure they have the courses they need for their application or to quickly get a midterm or even a final report card in a course with OVS.

For students in Grade 11 and 12, it’s important to start planning ahead to your post-secondary applications when it comes to selecting your courses. Unlike Grade 9 and 10, where the majority of your courses are compulsory subjects, Grade 11 and 12 offers far more elective options and choice. It can be daunting to try and select courses both based on the subjects you find interesting and the courses you’ll need to have in order to apply to the post-secondary school of your choice.