Grade 9 options for students SO MANY CHOICES! Grade 9 options for students

NOW IS THE TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT GRADE 9! Grade 8 is the first year of Secondary School in British Columbia Coquitlam Middle Schools – Grade 8 is Secondary Curriculum! Students will receive information for Grade 9 in December, usually the week before Christmas break

DECEMBER: GRADE 9 INFORMATION WILL BE SENT HOME AT CHRISTMAS Information will be sent home with all Grade 8 students the week before Christmas holidays Students and parents MUST read this information together Important dates, deadlines, etc., will be included in the document

IT IS BEST IF YOU START THE DISCUSSION NOW! THERE ARE MANY CHOICES. Which Secondary School will your child go to for Grade 9? Which program will he/she do? Continue in French Immersion at Dr. Charles Best or Riverside Secondary? Enroll in the IB program at Port Moody Secondary? Enroll in the Talons (gifted) program at Gleneagle Secondary? Drop French Immersion and continue in the English program? The INQUIRY HUB

IF YOU NEED TO DISCUSS THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE: REQUEST A MEETING Make an appointment with your child’s teachers BEFORE going on Christmas break A January meeting with teachers is TOO LATE! Dates, Information Meetings, etc., will come up very quickly after the New Year Parents and students MUST weigh their options together

CAN’T DECIDE?..LET YOUR CHILD CHOOSE! It is after all your child’s education and future The student MUST be happy to study in the program chosen Success will be easier if the student has a say in the choice of program

TALONS program at Gleneagle Secondary The TALONS program is for students who have been designated “Gifted”. Students must apply to the program Students not designated “Gifted” will not be considered http://www.sd43.bc.ca/Programs/gifted/Pages/TALONS.aspx For more information contact Quirien Mulder ten Kate or Gleneagle Secondary School: qmtk@sd43.bc.ca

The INQUIRY HUB- A PROGRAM FOR SELF-DIRECTED STUDENTS The INQUIRY HUB is a program offered by the Coquitlam School District where students who chose to be self-directed can pursue their personal interests Please contact Mr. Truss at the link below for more information http://www.inquiryhub.org/ http://www.inquiryhub.org/contact/

French Immersion or International Baccalaureate (IB)… If these are the two choices your child is leaning towards: DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND SEEK INFORMATION ON EACH BEFORE JANUARY! Leaving it too late will only create anxiety and sometimes panic for both student and parents Teachers will NOT meet with you on deadline day to help you make a decision!

IB program (Port Moody Secondary) https://www.sd43.bc.ca/secondary/portmoody/ProgramsServices/IB/Pages/d efault.aspx Your child must apply for admittance into this program You and your child MUST attend one of the information meetings provided in early January (This usually takes place the first week back at school in January) Grade 9 and 10 are pre-IB (Foundation) Grade 11 and 12 is the actual IB program

IB program started in Europe for students living in international settings The program was intended to be transferrable and rigorous. The philosophy of IB is to develop intercultural understanding towards a more peaceful world. Please go to the following website for more information: www.ibo.org

For success: IB students must be well rounded, balanced and above all MOTIVATED! Please note: If a student a focused on sports or the arts at a competitive level, IB may not be the best program of choice! IB students must not be afraid of hard work Grade 9 and 10 (which is pre IB), has the same workload of non-IB classes except for Math. Extra-curricular involvement is a requirement of the IB diploma, embedded in the Creativity, Activity and Service core requirement of the diploma.

All universities in North America take IB into consideration in a student’s application This is true of many in Europe, Asia and Oceania as well It is the preparation the program provides students that helps them gain admission to many universities IB students will sometimes get university credit because the universities recognize IB courses as equivalent to first year content in many subject areas SFU gives 30 first credit to students who complete the IB diploma UBC gives credit on a course by course basis based on IB scores

French immersion: A success story since its’ introduction in the 1970’s Immersion students are recognized for: divergent thinking, pattern recognition and problem solving, have greater cognitive flexibility More respectful to other culture, differences Better communicators and at time management/organization Able to communicate with a much wider range of people from many different linguistic and cultural background Enriches travel experiences Have access to foreign media, literature and the arts Has an expanded way of conceptualizing (self and others) Expands an individual’s worldview so that the student not only know more but know differently

For success: immersion student must be well balanced, rounded and above all MOTIVATED! A continuation of the program from middle school Math/Science courses are taught in English French courses decrease in number but increase in intensity Must not be afraid of hard work Has the added advantage of receiving a dual or bilingual Dogwood diploma at the end of grade 12

Bilingual or Dual Dogwood Diploma is attained when graduating in immersion Immersion graduates receive a bilingual or dual Dogwood diploma at the end of grade 12 Immersion graduates achieve intermediate or higher proficiency levels on Public Service tests Dual Dogwood allows entry into a greater number of post secondary institutions because the holder is able to continue studies in French

More options after graduation: Post Secondary Studies and Careers Able to attend French speaking university, colleges or other post secondary institution both in Canada and overseas Some universities offer specific courses to immersion graduates to continue their studies in French (SFU, University of Ottawa, Moncton, York, etc.) Studies show that immersion graduates have no trouble making the transition to university or college level courses in French Global economy offers a wider range of national and international jobs that require employees with second-language skills and cultural sensitivity Government of Canada alone has about 67,000 bilingual jobs

Some pros and cons to consider: IMMERSION PROGRAM I.B. PROGRAM Continues learning in French Advanced Placement choices are available in upper grades Will accept online Grade 9 Math prior to enrolling in Grade 9 Drop out rate (attrition) is the same as IB IB only taught in English Drop out rate (attrition) is the same as French Immersion Will NOT accept online Grade 9 Math prior to enrolling 1st year university credit can be achieved

Both programs are great! Which one you choose will depend on your goals, hopes and dreams! There are no wrong choices!