With the end of another school year, many Gr. 8 students in Ontario are met with mixed emotions. On the one hand, students are excited to mark the end of their elementary learning journey and to celebrate their accomplishments with graduation ceremonies and celebrations. On the other hand, however, there is a sense of nervous anticipation. Starting at a new school and knowing that their learning journey might become more challenging can cause some students to feel stressed and anxious about this transition.
Concerns about High School
One of the concerns that some Gr. 8 students have is the ability to manage their time effectively, especially with an unbalanced timetable of rigorous courses in one semester and less challenging courses in another.
Another concern that Gr. 8 students have is not being able to take certain electives because the course offerings conflict with compulsory courses. Depending on the size of the high school and the qualifications of educators, the ideal timetable may not be possible.
Reach Ahead Courses
One of the ways for Gr. 8 students to help alleviate such concerns is by taking a Gr. 9 course before actually starting high school. With Ontario Virtual School being an accredited virtual high school in Ontario, Gr. 8 students are able to take Gr. 9 courses with OVS and have them count towards their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
There are two ways this can be accomplished. During the school year, a Grade 8 student can participate in the Reach Ahead program, with permission from their elementary school principal. In the summer, once a student has graduated Grade 8, they can still take a Grade 9 course but no longer need the Reach Ahead form filled out. This way, Grade 8 students can enter high school with greater ownership of their learning and even provides the opportunity to fast-track high school courses in Ontario.
Designed for Success
With all courses being asynchronous and having up to a year to complete a course, Gr. 8 students can take advantage of an online self-paced high school in order to still enjoy family vacations and fun activities during the summer months. So whether a student chooses to take compulsory courses such as FSF1D (Gr. 9 Core French) or TAS10 (Grade 9 Technology and the Skilled Trades Online), or an elective like HIF1O Grade 9 Individual and Family Learning, these credits will count towards the OSSD requirements.
OVS Supports Students
As evidenced by student testimonies and Ontario Virtual School reviews, the dedicated OVS educators and support team are readily available to help Gr. 8 students with their transition to Gr. 9. In addition to offering direct learning support, Gr. 8 students also have access to mental health supports, IEP accommodations and Guidance Support. We know that the transition from elementary school to high school can be challenging, and we want to provide our OVS students with the tools they need to succeed to the best of their ability.
If you’re a Gr. 8 student who’s interested in a flexible high school schedule and wants to reach ahead this summer, then check out the steps to apply and register today!
Sources:
Earning your high school diploma. (n.d.-b). ontario.ca. https://www.ontario.ca/page/earning-your-high-school-diploma