Planning Tools
Annual Education Plan Download
Goal setting and planning are the skills that enable us to get where we want to go in life.
If you want to get higher marks or learn a new skill or open the door to the career of your choice, you have to have a plan.
Choosing courses for high school is an important decision and should be considered very carefully by students and their parents.
Please see the webpage – Course Types and Pathways – to determine what level of course is required for your post-secondary pathway.
Grade 9 Program
Please note: Some of our grade 9 courses have been destreamed. You can review this information in the section “Grade 9 Course Selection Recommendations”
Students who have completed grade 9 applied or destreamed level courses do have the option to take academic level courses in grade 10. The grade 10 course descriptions list all of the acceptable prerequisites.
Choosing Academic or Applied Science and Math in grade 10
When deciding if you should take grade 10 English at the applied or academic level, consider your work habits, reflect on how you did in grade 9. If you are planning on going to university, you must take the academic level English in grade 10 (ENG2D). If you are planning on going to college or into the workplace, you can take either the applied level (ENG2P) or academic level (ENG2D) in grade 10. It’s important to think about how you did in grade 9. If you are unsure of your pathway plan and you enjoy English and did well in the course, then you should consider taking the academic level (ENG2D) for grade 10.
Your current English teacher can make recommendations. You can also email guidance if you need help with your course selection.
Health and Physical Education credit
Health for Life (PPZ3C) satisfies the compulsory Health and Physical Education credit. Students should take this in their grade 11/12 year. Students can also take Introductory Kinesiology (PSK4U) in grade 12 to meet this requirement.
Civics and Careers
Students will be scheduled to take Civics (CHV2O) and Careers (GLC2O) in the same semester, as they are half credit courses.
Timetables
With full year registration, semesters will be balanced with compulsory and elective courses as best we can. For example:
Grade 9 could be scheduled as follows:
- Semester 1: Geography (CGC1D), English (ENG1W), Learning Strategies (GLS1O), Exploring Family Studies (HIF2O).
- Semester 2: Science (SNC1W), Math (MTH1W), French (FSF1O//D), Introduction to Business Technology (BTT2O).
Grade 10 could be scheduled as follows:
- History (CHC2P/D), Science (SNC2P/D), Civics (CHV2O) and Careers (GLC2O), Visual Arts (AVI2O).
- Semester 2: Math (MFM2P or MPM2D), English (ENG2P/D), Business (BBI2O), Green Industries (THJ2O).
Students in grade 11 and 12 have more elective courses to choose from so there are no applicable examples.
PLEASE NOTE: these are examples. They do NOT necessarily show the semesters these courses are being offered and how a student will be timetabled.
Planning and Selecting Courses
Students should try and plan out their core high school courses (English, Math and Science) to allow for age-appropriate levels each year. For example, English should be taken once a year over four years if your schedule permits. Grade 9 students that completed English in semester 1 should not rush into taking grade 10 English in semester 2.
Please read over the course descriptions carefully and abide by the grade level restrictions. If you select a course out of grade level then you will be placed on a waitlist and we will add you in one of your alternate courses. This is why it is important to select alternate courses. If space becomes available then you will be placed in the course you originally requested. You will be notified of any changes via email.
Open Level Courses
Open level courses do allow for students in earlier grades to take these courses as electives if their schedule permits. For example taking ASM2O, AVI2O, AMV2O, AMI2O, AMK2O, AMG2O, BTT2O, BBI2O, HIF2O, ICD2O, NAC2O, THJ2O, and/or TGJ2O in grade 9 is permitted.
General Recommendations
Be sure to sign up for courses that align to your intended career, certificate, diploma, or degree, but also take courses that have been a positive outlet for you and try new ones whose content you’ve already loved exploring from personal experience.
To improve your overall success and your well being, students should balance out courses with extra-curricular activities, part-time jobs or volunteer work, all of which could influence what career they end up choosing.
The ultimate goal is for each student to be happy and feel confident for whatever academics or careers lie ahead.
The Ontario grade 9 program started transitioning to a destreamed program in the 2020/21 school year. Over the next several years all courses in grade 9 will be destreamed.
Why Destreaming?
The research on streaming too early is clear: Black, Indigenous, racialized, low income and special needs students are significantly more likely to be streamed into applied or locally developed classes which leads to poor learning outcomes and fewer postsecondary options than those of their academic peers.
Background in Destreaming
Prior to the upcoming school year, Ontario was the only province in Canada that separates students into different pathways as early as grade 9. Academic streaming means separating students into Applied, Academic, and Locally Developed courses. Destreaming means schools will no longer offer courses in the Applied stream.
Current Grade 9 Program
All grade 9 students will An effort to ensure all students can reach their full potential started with a new math course in September of 2021, and will continue with changes to Science, English, French, and Geography in September of 2022.
A destreamed grade 9 program will create the conditions for all students to be successful, to be prepared for the senior program in secondary school, and to pursue any post-seconow take MTH1W – Mathematics, Grade 9. They will then choose grade 10 applied math (MFM2P) or grade 10 academic math (MPM2D) based on recommendations from their teacher and what their selected pathway requires.
In the 2023/24 school year, students will now take ENL1W, grade 9 destreamed English. They will then choose grade 10 applied English (ENG2P) or grade 10 academic English (ENG2D) based on recommendations from their teacher and what their selected pathway requires.
Students will also choose SNC1W – Science, Grade 9. They will then choose grade 10 applied science (SNC2P) or grade 10 academic science (SNC2D) based on recommendations from their teacher and what their selected pathway requires.
Other items to note: grade 9 Geography (CGC1D) will only be available at the academic level. This is a province wide change and students who are struggling will be supported in the program.
French will be offered at the open level (FSF1O) for students who have little to no prior Ontario French curriculum experience. Students who have completed the 600 hours of French curriculum at the elementary level, or the equivalent (evidence will be requested), can select the academic level (FSF1D).
Put careful thought into your optional courses and select courses that appeal to your personal interests. Many grade 9 optional courses provide the starting point for similar courses at other grades. Grade 9 students are able to take the following Grade 10 optional courses in Grade 9: ASM2O, AVI2O, AMV2O, AMI2O, AMK2O, AMG2O, BTT2O, BBI2O, HIF2O, ICD2O, NAC2O, THJ2O, and/or TGJ2O.
Grade 9 compulsory courses: English, math, science, Canadian geography, French. Students need 1 compulsory Arts course and can take any of the Arts courses to meet this requirement. The Arts compulsory can be taken in future grades instead of grade 9. Group 1, 2 and 3 courses can also be met in grade 9.
*All OSSD requirements can be found at this website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/high-school-graduation-requirements
Think about the learning that has taken place so far. Take a good look at your marks, attendance and work habits. Select the pathway/level for grade 10 based on your past performance and future goals.
You have a bit more choice this year – put careful thought into your optional courses. You may want to continue in an area of interest from grade 9 or try something new.
Grade 10 compulsory courses: English, math, science, Canadian history, Civics and Careers. Group 1, 2 and 3 courses can also be met in grade 10.
*All OSSD requirements can be found at this website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/high-school-graduation-requirements
Assess your marks, work habits, attendance, and overall learning in previous grades so far. Now that you are in your senior years of high school, you want to be on the pathway that best fits your needs and goals.
It’s time to start thinking about post-secondary plans if you haven’t already done so. Start researching apprenticeship, college and university entry requirements so that you can be sure to take the appropriate courses to prepare for grade 12. Many grade 12 courses have prerequisites (courses which must be taken before being eligible).
You have more choices this year than ever before. Once you’ve planned for your post-secondary requirements, choose courses that are of personal interest and/or related to your career plans.
Check out the resources at the bottom of the page as you plan ahead.
Grade 11 compulsory courses: English, math, health and physical education (PPZ3C). Group 1, 2 and 3 courses can also be met in grade 11.
*All OSSD requirements can be found at this website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/high-school-graduation-requirements
This year takes some serious planning. You need to research your post-secondary plans and select the courses that will prepare you for those post-secondary destinations. Select the proper courses now and avoid the problem of trying to change into a course later only to find out it is already full.
Grade 12 compulsory course: English and any group requirements or compulsory courses you did not meet in the previous grades.
All grade 12 students should make sure that Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) requirements are being met in order to graduate – 30 credits including 18 compulsory credits, the OSSLT and your 40 hours of community service, if that is your goal.
*All OSSD requirements can be found at this website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/high-school-graduation-requirements
Students planning to apply to an Ontario university need six 4U/4M credits including ENG4U. Open level (‘O’) and college level (‘C’) courses can not count towards these six. Typically only two courses can be counted from at the 4M level. Review prerequisites for the program(s) you’re interested in when applying for grade 11 and grade 12 courses.
Students planning to apply to an Ontario college will need ENG4C. Review prerequisites for the program(s) you’re interested in when applying for grade 11 and grade 12 courses.
Students planning to apply to programs outside of Ontario will have to review the program prerequisites and make sure you are selecting the necessary courses in high school.
Check out the resources at the bottom of the page as you plan ahead.
Students considering an apprenticeship should look at www.skillsontario.com and www.ontario.ca/yourfuture to start their research.
Students planning to apply to college can explore programs through www.ontariocolleges.ca and select grade 11 and 12 courses based on common entry requirements for programs of interest.
Students planning to apply to university can check https://www.ontariouniversitiesinfo.ca/ for entry requirements for specific programs and choose grade 11 and 12 courses accordingly.
Talk to a Guidance Counsellor for more information about planning ahead.
Our courses use a 5 character code for identification, which are set out by the Ministry of Education.
Example: SNC 1W
These letters, SNC1W, identify the subject. The first letter tells you the department area.
A = Arts
B = Business
C = Canadian & World Studies
E = English
F = French
G = Guidance & Career Education
H = Humanities & Social Sciences
I = Interdisciplinary Studies
L = International Languages
M = Mathematics
N = First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Studies
P = Physical & Health Education
S = Sciences
T = Technology
The number, SNC1W, indicates the grade level.
1 = grade 9 2 = grade 10 3 = grade 11 4 = grade 12
The letter, SNC1W, identifies the type of course.
Grades 9 & 10
W = De-streamed
D = Academic
P = Applied
O = Open
L = Locally Developed
Grades 11 & 12
U = University Preparation
C = College Preparation
M = University/College Preparation
E = Workplace Pathway
O = Open
| Grades 9 and 10 | Grades 11 and 12 | Typical Destination(s) |
Destreamed – W These courses encourage student success within a de-streamed classroom environment where classroom educators employ a variety of culturally responsive instructional strategies and collaborate with colleagues to create an engaging and relevant experience for students. University, College, Apprenticeship, Workplace | University, College, Apprenticeship, Workplace | |
Academic – D Develop students’ knowledge and skills through study of theory and abstract problems. These courses focus on the essential concepts of a subject and explore related concepts as well. They incorporate practical applications where appropriate. | University Preparation – U Designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the entrance requirements for university programs. | University |
University/College Preparation –M Designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet entrance requirements for specific college and university programs. | University College Apprenticeship | |
Applied – P Focus on essential concepts, knowledge and skills through practical applications , concrete examples and hands-on experience. | College Preparation – C Designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the entrance requirements for college programs. | College Apprenticeship |
Workplace Preparation – E Designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the expectations of employers or the requirements for admission to certain apprenticeship or training programs. | Workplace Apprenticeship | |
Open – O Designed to generally enrich and broaden the student’s education, are not designed with specific post-secondary programs in mind, have expectations appropriate for all students. | University College Apprenticeship Workplace | |
