Program and Course Information - Lambton Kent District School Board

Transfer Policy Choice of Schools

It is the policy of the Lambton Kent District School Board that students may apply to a secondary school, other than their home school, by requesting from their home Principal a Request for Transfer Form for presentation to the Principal of their requested school. The Principal of the receiving school will rule on the application according to the transfer policy of the Board which is printed on the Request for Transfer Form. School transfers may affect athletic eligibility.

The Board will not accept responsibility for transportation outside a school attendance area except for medically authorized need, confirmed by the Superintendent of Schools.

Costs to Anticipate

ACTIVITY FEE
Each school will charge a student activity fee, which covers many student activities planned throughout the school year. Some courses may include a fee to offer enhancements or supplementary learning materials beyond the core curriculum.

ATHLETIC FEE
Some secondary schools charge an athletic fee for participation on school teams. Contact your secondary school for details.

INDIVIDUAL SUBJECTS
For all subjects, essential course materials are provided. Students will also be given the opportunity to purchase optional materials, which would enhance the student's educational experience in any given course. Workbooks in some business or language courses would be available for purchase. Supplemental materials in some art, technology, health & physical education, computer studies and family studies courses are available for purchase. Other departments may offer opportunities for students to purchase supplemental supplies as a convenience.

LOCKER RENTAL $5.00

GRADUATION FEE
For potential graduates; up to $40.00; to cover graduation attire.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION UNIFORMS
Some secondary schools require students participating in a physical education course to purchase a short and shirt combination.

SCHOOL PICTURES AND YEARBOOKS
These are optional purchases, with a range of picture combinations and yearbooks costing $40.00 - $55.00.
Each school will provide a summary of such costs upon request.

Equal Education Opportunity

The Lambton Kent District School Board strives to extend equal education opportunities to its students. This philosophy permeates not only the schools’ curricula, policies, teaching methods and materials, and assessment procedures, but also attitudes and expectations of its staff and their interaction with students, parents, and the community.

Code of Conduct and Safe Schools

The Lambton Kent District School Board believes that each student must have the opportunity to achieve the goals of education as established in the Ministry of Education document, Ontario Secondary Schools Grades 9 to 12, Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999.
Fundamental to this policy is the premise that every student not only has the expectation of an education without disruption, but also has the responsibility not to deny this right to others.

The Lambton Kent District School Board policy and regulations on providing a Safe Learning Environment may be viewed at www.lkdsb.net. Adhering to Board policy, each public secondary school has an established Code of Student Behaviour. Codes are reviewed annually and may be amended. The Code of Student Behaviour outlines specific expectations for students as they relate to their particular school. The Code is published and made available to each student.

Graduation Requirements

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) Requirements

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate

The Certificate of Accomplishment

Access to Outlines of Courses of Study

School principals retain, on file, up-to-date copies of the outlines of courses of study for all courses offered at the school. These outlines of the courses of study must be available at the school for parents and students to examine. Information regarding access to these outlines may be obtained by contacting the school. Curriculum policy documents may be accessed through the Ministry of Education website at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca.

Course Codes

All courses in secondary school are identified by a course code which consists of six characters. Course codes appear before the course title. The sixth character is used by the individual school board to further define the course.

The first character represents the subject group:

A	Arts
B	Business Studies
C	Canadian and World Studies
L	Languages (such as Native Languages, German, Spanish)
I	Computer Studies
E	English
F	French
G	Guidance and Career Education
P	Health and Physical Education
M	Mathematics
N	First Nations, Métis and Inuit Cultures
S	Science
H	Social Sciences and the Humanities
T	Technological Education

The next two characters indicate the specific course:
e.g. AMI  Music-Instrumental
       BBI  Introduction to Business
       CGC Canadian Geography

The fourth character refers to the grade of the course:
1 Grade 9        2   Grade 10
3   Grade 11    4 Grade 12

The fifth character refers to the course type:

C – College
E – Workplace
M – University/College
P – Applied

D – Academic
L – Locally Developed
O – Open
U – University

e.g. ENG 1 D
English Grade 9 Academic

Unless otherwise indicated in the course descriptions, the sixth digit will designate the credit value of the course.

Types of Courses

Grade 9 and 10 courses are streamed into:

Academic (D)
Applied (P)
Destreamed (W)
Locally Developed (L)
Open (O)

Academic (D)
In an Academic course, the student will learn the essential concepts of a subject and explore related material as well. Emphasis will be on theory and abstract thinking as a base for future learning and problem solving.

Applied (P)
In an Applied course, the student will learn the essential concepts of a subject. Knowledge and skills will be developed through both theory and practical applications, but the focus will be on practical applications.

Destreamed (W)

Students benefit from learning in groups of varied abilities and interests in which teachers have high and appropriate expectations for all students and a clear understanding that all students can be successful.

Locally Developed Courses (L)
These courses are designed locally to meet the unique needs of some students in the Lambton Kent District School Board. The Ministry of Education approves each course.

The LKDSB offers six Locally Developed Courses for the workplace pathway. These Grade 9 and 10 compulsory credit courses are offered in English, Mathematics and Science to help prepare students for the Grade 11 workplace destination courses.

Open (O)
Courses that are not specific to any post-secondary destination and are appropriate for all students, which students may take to meet compulsory or optional requirements and/or for personal growth and interest are labeled Open.

Grade 11 and 12 Courses are streamed into destination courses:

College Preparation (C)
Open (O)
University / College Preparation (M)
University Preparation (U)
Workplace Preparation (E)

College Preparation Courses (C)
College preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the entrance requirements for college programs.

Open Courses (O)
Courses that are not specific to any post-secondary destination and are appropriate for all students, which students may take to meet compulsory or elective requirements and/or for personal growth and interest are labeled Open.

University / College Preparation Courses (M)
University / College preparation courses include content that is relevant for both university and college programs. They are designed to equip the students with the knowledge and skills needed to meet the entrance requirements for specific university and college programs.

University Preparation Courses (U)
University preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to meet the entrance requirements for university programs.

Workplace Preparation Courses (E)
Workplace preparation courses are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need for direct entry into the workplace or for admission to apprenticeship programs and other training programs offered in the community.

Interdisciplinary Studies (IDC)
The Ministry of Education allows schools, under a Principal’s authorization, to develop and deliver curricula that go beyond the traditional subject areas. These Interdisciplinary Studies can be delivered as single credit courses or packages of courses and are restricted to Grades 11 and 12. Please contact the Principal’s office for further information.

Changing Course Types

Students enrolled in one type of course may enroll in a different type of course in a subsequent year. Changing course-streams becomes more difficult as students advance through the system, or in situations involving courses that have prerequisites. Nevertheless, a variety of options exists to enable students to make the transition.

A student wishing to change course-stream types between Grades 10 and 11, and/or Grades 11 and 12 may, for example:

take a course of another type (e.g. academic) that will satisfy the prerequisites for a course in a higher grade (e.g., a university preparation course) that the student wishes to take.
any student changing course type needs to have a discussion with their Student Services counsellor.

Course Prerequisites

Some courses extend or build upon knowledge and skills developed in other courses. The Ministry of Education designates the courses for which prerequisites are required.

Assessment and Evaluation

Course statements (first day handout) in secondary schools will be provided to students at the start of the course. It will include, but is not limited to items such as overall curriculum expectations, strategies for assessment and evaluation, expectations of students (ie. learning skills, attendance, academic honesty, etc.). Teachers will obtain assessment information through a variety of means, like formal and informal observations, discussions, learning conversations, questioning, conferences, homework, tasks done in groups, self and peer assessments, self-reflections, portfolios; evaluation may include rich performance tasks, demonstrations, projects and/or tests, exams and essays. Procedures for assessing and evaluating student progress will vary to meet the requirements of different individuals and groups of students, the needs of special education students, different courses, and a variety of learning environments. There is an obvious direct relationship between students’ success in a course and their attendance.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

Prior learning includes the knowledge and skills that students have acquired, in both formal and informal ways, outside secondary school. Where such learning has occurred outside Ontario classrooms, students enrolled in Ontario secondary schools may have their skills and knowledge evaluated against the expectations outlined in provincial curriculum policy documents in order to earn credits towards the secondary school diploma. This formal evaluation and accreditation process is known as Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). PLAR procedures are carried out under the direction of the Principal, who grants credits. Contact the Principal for more information.

Ontario Student Record (OSR)

Every student who attends an Ontario school has a cumulative record folder called the Ontario Student Record (OSR). Contained within the OSR are elementary school achievement forms, secondary school achievement forms, a Documentation File listing any special services received by the student, the Record of Accumulated Instruction in French as a Second Language or Native as a Second Language, and the Ontario Student Transcript. Students and their parents/guardians have the right to examine the contents of the OSR by appointment. No records may be released without the written permission of a parent/guardian of the student who is under the age of 18. Students 18 years and over must provide written approval for anyone other than school officials to have access to their records.

Ontario Student Transcript (OST)

The transcript is part of the OSR and will include information on:

the student’s courses successfully completed in Grades 9 and 10 with percentage grades earned and credits gained;
a list of all Grade 11 and 12 courses taken or attempted by the student, with the percentage grades earned and the credits gained; Full Disclosure Note: Course withdrawal after five instructional days following the issue of the first provincial report card will be recorded on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST) for any Grade 11 or 12 course;
diploma requirements earned to date.

Request a transcript

Experiential Learning

Work Experience

Cooperative Education

Take Our Kids to Work Day

Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP)

Industry/Education Partnerships: Partnerships involving an individual school and a particular business/industry exist in many of our schools. These partnerships provide a vehicle to allow community groups, business, industry and labour to cooperate with educators in preparing students for their future role in society.

Special Education

Academic Enrichment Program: Academic enrichment opportunities are available to students who demonstrate abilities beyond curriculum expectations. With direction from the enrichment resource teacher, students are encouraged to participate in the organization, design and implementation of activities that are based on interest and aptitude. Secondary enrichment students may participate in numerous programs and competitions at local, regional and national levels. Enrichment opportunities allow students to acquire a broad knowledge base from which to choose future career and/or areas of academic study. Students also benefit from interaction with peers who share similar interests and abilities.

IPRC: Identification, Placement and Review Committee

Committees are appointed by the Board to identify the learning needs of exceptional pupils and to recommend program placement. The committees work in close co-operation with parents and staff to determine the most appropriate placement. Contact your Principal for more information.

Programs For Students With Developmental Disabilities: Programs at AMSS, BDHS, CKSS, JMSS, LCCVI, NCIVS, NLSS, SCITS, SCSS, and WDSS offer a variety of activities designed to develop the potential of each student. Subject areas and activities are based on the knowledge and skills that an individual needs to acquire to function as independently as possible in the community.

Program For The Medically Fragile And Students With Multiple Exceptionalities: AMSS, JMSS, LCCVI and WDSS offer this program which is designed to maximize the potential of each student. It often includes support from medical professionals. The course encompasses life management skills including many phases of self-help, modified physical education and recreation, and opportunities for peer interaction.

Academics Based On Life Experience (ABLE) Program: The ABLE Program is available at AMSS, JMSS and WDSS for those identified students who require opportunities to access alternative curriculum expectations to enhance existing communication, academic and personal life management skills. This program also provides students with opportunities to develop life and leisure skills while transitioning into other learning, community and work settings.

Essential Program: Essential courses offer part-time special education programs and services for students who possess the ability to profit educationally within a regular class, with the aid of curriculum modification and support services. This program is designed to provide students with the skills necessary to enter the workplace, and still receive opportunities to achieve an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. This program is available only at AMSS, JMSS and WDSS.

Learning Resource Centre: The school’s Learning Resource Centre staff assist students experiencing academic difficulties. Resource staff support the classroom teacher in meeting the needs of exceptional students. Individual and small group instruction is available, where appropriate.

Psychology Department: The Psychology Department offers confidential specialized assessment, and counselling services that are directed toward understanding the social, emotional, behavioural, and academic difficulties of individual students referred to the department. These services are available to students upon request by parents, teachers, or students.

Library Services

Library Resource Centre (LRC)
Each Lambton Kent District School Board secondary school has a professionally staffed LRC. Library staff, in cooperation with classroom teachers, help students develop research skills for independent study, the ability to use traditional and electronic sources of information, and an appreciation of the different media of communication.

Guidance & Career Education

Each secondary school provides a range of information and counselling programs to its community.
Student Services counsellors perform many functions; among those offered are:

providing information and programs on careers and post-secondary education;
counselling students regarding educational planning, career awareness and personal concerns;
facilitating applications to universities, colleges, and other educational institutions;
making available information on scholarships, bursaries and student awards;
assisting students to achieve their academic potential and to determine interests in, and aptitudes for, certain careers;
referring appropriate students to the Board’s Psychology Department or to an appropriate community agency.

Strict confidentiality is maintained. Interviews with counsellors may be arranged through each school’s Student Services office.

Both parents and students may contact Student Services as needs arise throughout the school year.

Additional Education Programs

Pathways to Success Program: A Pathways to Success Program has been instituted in all the schools of the Lambton Kent District School Board. A curriculum continuum from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 assists students with identifying their interests, and skills and how they relate to the five destinations of Apprenticeship, College, Community Living, University and Work. Students explore various occupations of interest and research educational programs that will take them there. The Pathways to Success website been created for students and parents to support education planning and the course selection process. Student Services staff provide support for this process as well.

English As A Second Language (ESL): Permanent residents of Canada who are of secondary school age and whose first language is not English may attain up to five credits in English as a Second Language.

A maximum of three credits in English as a Second Language (ESL) or English Literacy Development (ELD) may be counted towards the four compulsory credits in English, but the fourth must be a credit earned for a Grade 12 compulsory English course. A maximum of two credits in Co-operative Education can count as compulsory credits. Up to four credits may be achieved through approved Dual Credit courses.

Students are assessed upon arrival and are placed at an appropriate level of study. Beginners spend full-time in ESL and gradually integrate with their English speaking peers as ESL support is reduced. The program is offered at CKSS, NCIVS and SCSS and school bussing is arranged where feasible. Contact Student Services staff for further information.

Learning to 18: Student Success Programs

Dual Credit Program

Specialist High Skills Major Program

eLearning

Summer Semester

Alternative and Continuing Education

Adult Education: The Adult Education Program is primarily for use by adults, over the age of 18, who wish to upgrade their academic credentials or complete their secondary education.

Alternative Education: A variety of programs are available to assist students who have experienced difficulty in a traditional secondary school environment and who are in need of an alternative program delivery model. Students are referred to these alternative programs by their home school principal. For more information on the various alternative programs available please contact the Student Services Department.

Credit Courses: Secondary school credit courses can be attained in two ways: independent study or teacher-directed. Teacher-directed classes have a minimum student enrollment requirement. Course offerings and registration dates will be advertised.
Literacy and Basic Skills: This program is available to students not currently enrolled in regular day school. An individualized program tailored to the student’s needs allows for continuous intake. Each student’s program is supervised by qualified instructors. Programs are available in several locations throughout the District.

International Language: Ministry of Education funding is available for community groups who would like to initiate after school Heritage Language programs for elementary school-aged children. Contact either Alternative and Continuing Education Centres listed above for more information.

How Do I Get Started?: Students who are over 18 or have been referred for this program by a Principal may register at either of the centres. A transcript must be provided at the time of registration. Equivalent education documentation should also be made available. A nominal fee may be required.