GRADUATION TRANSITIONS What you need to know.

There are 4 parts: Healthy Living Community Connections Career and Life Graduation Interview

HEALTHY LIVING A. Daily Activity Requirement: 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week Hand in your signed DPA form to your advisory teacher

HEALTHY LIVING B. Healthy Living Plan Use the template on the GT website to describe your goals for healthy eating, physical activity and stress management.

Healthy Living Plan: (700 words minimum) Provide as much detail as possible in your responses to the questions below Setting a Personal Goal for Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Describe your current eating habits and physical activities: Refer to the major food groups to describe what you normally eat and drink – include coffee, junk food, water and pop. Describe the regular and irregular activities in which you participate – include walking to school, playing on a sports team, skiing or hiking on weekends. Analyze your current situation and set two personal goals: Identify what you could improve in your diet and set a goal for healthier eating. Consider integrating super foods (those that are nutrient dense and those that have high disease-fighting qualities.) Identify how you could improve your physical activity and set a goal for increasing activity or improving your current training regimen. If you are already participating at an optimal level, identify how you will continue to maintain your current fitness levels after leaving high school.

Healthy Living Plan: cont’d Setting a Personal Goal for Emotional Health Describe how you normally react to stressors in your life. You do not need to describe specific personal situations that give you stress – share what you can. Perhaps you don’t sleep well when you have a lot of work to do, or you can’t eat before a competition. Maybe you get migraines when your boss gives you a lot of pressure or you have a big test coming up. Set a personal goal for handling stress and maintaining good personal relationships. What is a strategy that has worked in the past? Do you know how to access help if you are feeling overwhelmed?

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS A. 30 Hours of Work or Volunteer Experience during Gr. 10-12. Provide documentation in the form of a pay stub or reference letter; or have an employer or supervisor complete the Community Connections form.

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS B. Show which Employability Skills you developed while volunteering or working at this particular job. Select on Employability Skills checklist on website C. Describe what you did and how you benefitted from this experience. Type a response. 200 words minimum

CAREER & LIFE PLAN A. Résumé See the GT website for templates for ‘high school graduate’ résumés B. Post-Secondary plans Use the Career , Life & Financial Plan template to outline details of your plans for life after graduation.

Career & Life Plan (1000 words minimum) Answers should be in “essay form” and complete sentences 1. Career Goals: Short Term, Long term, Career options 2. Post-Secondary Pathway (respond in detail to one of the two): Education Goals: Post-secondary options (at least two), Where will you go for training/education? How long will it take? What do you need to do to get ready for this training/education? Are there any prerequisites? Travel or Work Plans: Are you going to work, travel, or perhaps do both?? Explain in detail what your plans are; where will you travel? Who with? How long? Have you looked into visa requirements, vaccinations, etc? If working, do you already have a job lined up? What kind of work will it be? Are you planning to do an apprenticeship? etc etc

Career & Life Plan (cont’d) 3. Give your reasons for choosing this path (Education/Travel/Work): Employability Skills (that you already have developed) Interests (things you enjoy) Aptitudes (things you are naturally good at) Values (what’s important to you?) 4. Experience: What have you done that relates to your chosen field? Why have your activities been important to you? What have you learned? (Extra-curricular activities, Part-time jobs, Summer employment, Volunteer work, Community involvement)

Career & Life Plan (cont’d) 5. Challenges: What might get in the way of reaching your goals? Financial barriers? Academic barriers? Personal barriers? How will you overcome these obstacles? Who has been your support in the past and who will you depend on in the next year or two? 6. Financial Plan: How do you plan to pay for “life after graduation”? Whether your plans include Post-Secondary studies, travel, or work you will need to consider how you will manage to finance the following: tuition, books & supplies, transportation, food, accommodations, travel expenses, rent, utility bills, computers, gifts, clothing, insurance, car repairs, cell phones, etc, etc . Some suggestions for financing your expenses could include personal savings, family savings, loans from parents, scholarships & bursaries, student loans from the government, Education Savings Plans, etc. Provide details on how much you expect the amount of the expenses to be and explain in detail how you will finance those expenses after graduation. Note: a one-line answer of “My parents are going to pay for everything” is not good enough!!

THE GRADUATION INTERVIEW Interview questions are on the GT website to help you prepare Interviews will be with a Riverside staff member (January & May) You will discuss your school experiences and future plans

Graduation Transitions 12: Graduate Interviews When you reflect on your time in high school, of what do feel most proud or what has been the most meaningful experience? What would you like to have done differently? Who has been particularly supportive of you during your school days? Have you taken the time to express to this person how appreciative you are of the support they have provided for you? What advice would you pass onto a grade 9 student so they could have the best high school experience? What are you most looking forward to after graduation? What steps have you already taken towards making this happen?

RM: Requirements Met! To receive your Dogwood, you must complete these 4 sections to earn your RM and cross the stage! Healthy Living Community Connections Career and Life Graduation Interview

Here’s how we’ll help you: You have a Grad Transitions teacher. Visit them when you have questions All documents are accessible on the GT website Students will upload completed documents to the website. Grad Transitions teachers will monitor progress and meet with students if necessary.

Deadlines… Grade 12s will complete Grad Transitions in the same semester as their English or Comm 12 class. First semester English students Must have all written work completed by Nov. 17th. Will NOT be able to purchase Winter Ball tickets unless all written work is completed. Tickets go on sale late November. GT interviews to be held in mid-January

Deadlines…. Second semester English students GT deadline will be April 23rd Dinner/Dance ticket sales in Early May GT interviews to be held in mid-May All Grade 12’s cannot reserve their Dinner/Dance table until they have earned their RM.

GT Website on the web:

Did we say …? Just do it! Get started early. Ask for help: see your friendly Grad Transitions teacher.

Good luck, Grads!! Grad Transitions 12 really isn’t difficult but making those post-secondary decisions can be. Use the tabs on the Grad Transitions website to access valuable information from the Career Centre and Counsellors. We are here to help and advise you no matter what your plans after high school are. Don’t leave it to the last minute! 