1. PREPARING FOR HIGH SCHOOL
COURSE SELECTION PRESENTATION
AJAX HIGH SCHOOL
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT

2. AGENDA 1. The Guidance Dept. - A Short Introduction
2. Ajax High School - Overview
3. Ontario Secondary School Diploma
4. Choosing the appropriate course types:
- Open, Academic, Applied, Essential
- Learning Strategies (referred by SERT)
5. The Individual Pathways Plan (IPP)
6. The Grade 9 Program - Course Selections
7. Questions

3. HOW CAN GUIDANCE HELP?
What role does Guidance play at Ajax High School?
Transition from grade 8 to grade 9
Course selection information
Short term counseling and referrals
Post-secondary research and applications
Career planning
Timetabling and alternative education (summer school/night school/learn-at-home)
Student records and awards
Awards Assembly/Commencement

4. AJAX HIGH SCHOOL AT A GLANCE
School Structure – Our school year is divided into two semesters:
Semester 1 (September – January)
Semester 2 (February – June)
You will take FOUR courses per semester
- 75 minute classes
- School start time – 9:05 am
- End time - 3:05 pm
- Lunch :45 to 12:30 (45 minutes)

5. AJAX HIGH SCHOOL CLUBS Get Involved! Ajax Food and Toy Drive Committee
PRIDE Club
Arts Council
PROM
Battle of the Books
Read-A-Thon
Breakfast Club
SAC
Breaking Barriers 
Ski Club
Concert Band
Spanish Club
Concert Choir
Squash Club
DECA Club
Student Council
French Club
Tech Crew
Improv Club
Therapy Dogs
Impact Club
Trivia Club
Literacy Test Prep (OSSLT)
University of Waterloo Math Contest
Me to We
Victory in Europe 2020
Multicultural Club
White Pine Reading Club
Murder Mystery
Get Involved!
Poetry Slam Team

6. AJAX HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
Badminton
Rugby – Boys
Basketball - Boys
Ski Club
Basketball - Girls
Soccer - Boys
Cross Country Team
Soccer - Girls
Curling Team
Softball Girls - Senior
Fastball - Girls
Squash Club
Field Hockey - Girls
Swim Team
Golf Hockey Boys - Junior
Track and Field
Hockey - Boys
Volleyball - Boys
Hockey - Girls
Volleyball - Girls
Rugby - Girls

7. ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL DIPLOMA (OSSD) REQUIREMENTS
30 credits (110 hours each)
18 compulsory credits
12 optional credits
40 hours of community involvement;
(Students may begin community involvement hours during the summer after grade 8)
Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
(Grade 10)

8. ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL DIPLOMA (OSSD) REQUIREMENTS
4 credits English (1 credit per grade)
1 credit French as a second language
3 credits Mathematics
(at least 1 credit in grade 11 or 12)
2 credits Science
1 credit Canadian History
1 credit Canadian Geography
1 credit Arts
1 credit Physical & Health Education
1 credit Civics and Career Education
Plus the following 3 additional courses....

9. ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL DIPLOMA (OSSD) REQUIREMENTS
1 additional credit selected from this group:
English, or French as a second language*, or Spanish, or Social Sciences and Humanities, or Canadian and World Studies, or Native Studies, or Guidance and Career Education, or Co-operative education**
1 additional credit selected from this group :
Health & Physical Education, or The Arts (visual art, drama, music), or Business, or French as a second language*, or Co- operative education**
Science (Grade 11 or 12), or Technological Education, or Computer Studies, or French as a second language*, or Co-operative education**
* a maximum of 2 French credits can count towards these additional credits (one from group 1 and one from either group 2 or 3)
** a maximum of 2 Co-op credits can count towards these credits.

10. SELECTING COURSES AND TYPES
Before selecting courses and/or course types, students must consider their:
Career goals
EQAO results
Report card marks & learning skills
Academic rigour & homework completion
Talk to parents / teachers / pathway counsellor / course planning tool
Complete your Individual Pathways Plan (IPP)
Read the Ajax High School Course Calendar on-line
Examine career goals, personal interests
Examine academic strengths and possible destinations (university, college, apprenticeship, or work destination)

11. Choosing the Appropriate Course Type
Academic (D)
Focus on essential concepts, plus additional related concepts
Emphasis on theoretical, abstract applications with some practical application
Academic courses allow students to pursue post-secondary at UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE, APPRENTICESHIP, WORLD OF WORK
Depending on the University program, other academic courses may be required (such as science and mathematics)
Consult Grade 8 teacher, pathway counsellor, SERT, administration, course planning tool

12. Choosing the Appropriate Course Type
Applied (P)
Focus on essential concepts
Emphasis on practical, concrete applications, with some theoretical application
Applied courses allow students to pursue post-secondary at COLLEGE, APPRENTICESHIP, WORLD OF WORK
Consult Grade 8 teacher, pathway counsellor, SERT, administration, course planning tool
Students are able to change course levels as they move between grades 9 and 10,
Mathematics requires an additional course in the summer to switch from applied to academic.

13. Choosing the Appropriate Course Type
Essential - Locally Developed (L)
Intended for students who require support and flexibility to meet credit requirements
Reinforce elementary curriculum while providing the skills necessary for further study at the secondary level
Students are traditionally identified and reviewed into these courses
Open (O)
One set of expectations
Designed to prepare students for further study in certain subjects and enrich their education
Not a requirement for post-secondary destinations
Note: All subjects DO NOT have to be taken as the same course type

14. Choosing the Appropriate Course Type
Complete your “Choosing my Success – Course Planning Tool”
Which course types are appropriate for you?
Use the following concrete data to help decide:
your grade 7/8 marks
EQAO reading, writing and math achievement
learning skills in grade 7/8

15. On-Line Course Selection/IPP Process
Log on to:
If you have been on CareerCruising this school year use the password you created at that time

16. Completing your Individual Pathways Plan
You will be taken to your
“Dashboard”
Click on
“My Progress”
to complete your IPP

17. “Individual Pathways Plan.”
Completing your IPP
Follow the instructions in your handout to complete the required components of your
“Individual Pathways Plan.”

18. Completing your IPP “Career Matchmaker”
Answer a series of questions in order to create a list of careers that may be of interest to you based on your likes and dislikes.

19. “Learning Styles Inventory”
Completing your IPP
“Learning Styles Inventory”
Answer a series of questions in order to learn about your specific learning style.

20. “Career and Life Goals”
Completing your IPP
“Career and Life Goals”
Record your future goals and save it to your portfolio.

21. Completing your IPP “Skills and Abilities” Identify your: Attributes
Language skills
Computer skills

22. Completing your IPP
After completing each section you need to click on each section once more and check off the following:

23. Completing your IPP Your IPP helps you to understand more fully:
your academic skills
your personal attributes
future education goals
possible careers.
Upon completion of your IPP you are ready to choose courses for Grade 9 at Ajax High School.

24. On-Line Course Selection Process
Click on “Course Plan: Grade 9”

25. On-Line Course Selection Process
The Course Calendar, is available by clicking the blue book icon at the top right of your screen.

26. Compulsory Courses English Math Science Geography Physical Education
In Grade 9 there are six compulsory courses:
English
Math
Science
Geography
Physical Education
French

27. Compulsory Courses Geography French
These two courses are only offered at the Academic level:
Geography
French

28. Compulsory Courses: French Immersion Students
If you are in the French Immersion stream there are three classes that you must take as French Immersion classes:
Science (SNC1DF)
Geography (CGC1DF)
French (FIF1DF)

29. Choosing Compulsory Courses
Click on the subject box to see the options for that course

30. Choosing Compulsory Courses
Click on the course type that you wish to take.

31. Choosing Compulsory Courses
Click on “Add Courses” to select this course.

32. Choosing Compulsory Courses
Click on the other compulsory subject boxes to see the options for each of these courses.
If you are French exempt choose French - FSF1D1 .
At your IPRC meeting a different course will be added to your course selections.

33. Choosing Elective Courses
Click on an “Elective” box to choose one of your two elective courses

34. Choosing Elective Courses
You will be able to choose courses under “9th Grade Elective Courses” from the Discipline drop-down menu

35. Choosing Elective Courses
Once you click on your course you will get a description of this course
Select this course by clicking on “Add Courses”

36. Choosing Elective Courses
All students should choose at least one Arts credit as an “Elective”

37. Choosing Elective Courses
Students may then decide to choose an additional Arts credit, or one of the following courses for their second Elective:

38. Choosing Your Alternate
Students must now select an alternate course.
This course will be used if one of your two chosen elective courses is unable to be scheduled.

39. Course Notes
Read important notes about the course(s) that you selected by hovering your curser over the blue circle.

40. Submitting Your Courses
Click on the “Submit” button at the bottom of your course selections once you have completed all of your selections (with your parents’/guardians’ approval).
Once you “submit” your courses you cannot go back in to change courses on this site.

41. Submitting Your Courses
Course selections must be completed and submitted on-line by: Tuesday, February 19

42. Submitting Your Courses
Print and submit the “Course Request Sign-off Sheet,” along with your “Course Planning Tool” to your teacher.

43. Questions?