Ontario Secondary School Diploma Requirements:

∗ English (4 credits – one credit per grade)

∗ Mathematics (3 credits, with at least one in Grade 11 or 12)

∗ Science (2 credits)

∗ French as a second language (1 credit)

∗ Canadian geography (Grade 9, 1 credit)

∗ Canadian history (Grade 10, 1 credit)

∗ The arts (1 credit)

∗ Health and physical education (1 credit)

∗ Civics (0.5 credit, Grade 10) Careers (0.5 credit, Grade 10)

You must also complete:

∗ 4 religion credits

∗ 8 optional credits

∗ Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (Grade 10)

∗ 40 hours of community service over four years

Ontario Secondary School Certificate

The Ontario Secondary School Certificate will be granted on request to students who leave school before earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, provided that they have earned a minimum of 14 credits distributed as follows:

Compulsory credits (total of 7)

∗ 2 credits in English

∗ 1 credit in Canadian geography or Canadian history

∗ 1 credit in mathematics

∗ 1 credit in science

∗ 1 credit in health and physical education

∗ 1 credit in the arts or technological education Optional credits (total of 7)

Elective Credits (total of 7)

Seven credits selected by the student from available courses, including one religious education credit per year.

Certificate of Accomplishment

Students who leave school before fulfilling the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or the Ontario Secondary School Certificate may be granted a Certificate of Accomplishment. This Certificate of Accomplishment may be a useful means of recognizing achievement for students who plan to take certain vocational programs or other kinds of further training, or who plan to find employment after leaving school.

Community Involvement

As part of the diploma requirements, students are required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities. These activities may be completed after completion of grade 8 or at any time during their years in the secondary program. The community involvement requirement is designed to provide an opportunity for students to meet the Catholic Graduate Expectations, to encourage students to develop awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and of the role they can play in supporting and strengthening their communities. The requirement is to be completed outside students’ normal school instructional hours. Students will maintain and provide a record of their community involvement activities. The principal will decide whether the student has met the requirements for both the Ministry and the Board for these activities.

Literacy Requirement

During the Grade 10 year, students will be given the opportunity to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Students must pass this test (or the OSSL course) in order to graduate. Students who have been eligible to write the OSSLT at least twice, and who have been unsuccessful at least once are eligible to take the Grade 12 Ontario School Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC). When these students successfully complete the OSSLC, they will have met the provincial literacy requirements for graduation.

Stay up-to-date with all things Graduation on the Grad 2022 Google Classroom!

ATTENTION GRADE 12 STUDENTS:

Planning for September 2022 starts NOW!

It is important that you frequently check the Grad Google Classroom. During the next few months representatives from numerous colleges and universities will be presenting VIRTUALLY to tell you about their campuses, programs, application and entrance procedures and will answer any questions you may have.

This is a great opportunity for you to start getting an idea of what you want to do and where you want to go. For each of these sessions, there will be an announcement and a link to the virtual presentation in the Grad Google Classroom.

ONTARIO OPEN HOUSES

Visiting College and University Campuses

Each college or university campus is notably different. Post-secondary education extends beyond the classroom into other aspects of campus life. These include places like the library, the cafeterias and coffee shops, the residences and off-campus housing settings, the recreational facilities, as well as cultural events, student governments and clubs, varsity, and intramural and recreational sports. Visit as many campuses as you can. This will help you get a “feel” for the life of the institution. Ask yourself, “Will this college or university meet my needs and expectations? Will I feel comfortable here?”

Many Canadian schools provide special VIRTUAL information days for secondary school students. Some of these events are designed for students who are interested in specific programs, such as engineering, environmental sciences or physiotherapy. Other special events, like VIRTUAL open houses, will provide an overview of the range of undergraduate and graduate programs available at that college or university.

VIRTUAL campus tours are available at most Canadian colleges or universities in the Fall and especially during March Break. Check individual school websites for more information.

TRANSCRIPTS

The Ontario Student Transcript is an official document which shows all credits successfully earned in grades 9 and 10, plus all courses continued past the full-disclosure date, each semester in grades 11 and 12.

If you have accepted or intend to accept an offer of admission to a university outside of Ontario, you will most likely need to send a final transcript directly to the university. McGill, UNB, Concordia, Bishop’s, UVic, and UBC receive final grades through the OUAC application. All other universities outside of Ontario will require a transcript issued by SJHS with your final marks on it. Please see the Guidance secretary to order your Official Transcript. Please give proper notice for the Guidance secretary to handle your request. This is YOUR responsibility!