Senior School Electives Handbook

Table of Contents

Rationale:

Guidelines for Course Selection:

External Courses Policy:

Homework Club:

Flex Programme:

Equivalency Policy:

Challenge Policy:

Resource Department:

Academic Assistance Programme

BC Graduation Requirements ~ Dogwood Diploma

Aberdeen Hall Graduation Requirements ~ Gryphon Diploma

Course Descriptions & Codes:

Music

Fine Arts

Applied Skills & Technology

Finance

Senior Sciences

AP Courses

Social Science Electives

Outside timetable

Appendix A

Study Block Application Form

Extraordinary Study Block Request

Academic Strategies Request Form

Course Change Form

External Course Intent Form

Rationale:

It is our intention that students who graduate from Aberdeen Hall will have undertaken a journey that challenges and excites as well as prepares them for their future. Faculty support students through this journey as they are encouraged to meet academic challenges, investigate new interests, explore areas of passion and extend their range of experiences.

The Grade 7 to 9 Experience includes a breadth of programming designed to introduce students to a wide range of skills and curriculum areas. All students will participate in programming in the Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Digital Competencies and Citizenship, Engineering Designand Character Development. Explorations will be driven by inquiry and will allow for personalized growth with a goal of teaching the skills and knowledge necessary to be a leader in the 21st century: content knowledge; learning and innovation skills; information, media and technology skills; and life and career skills.

The Grade 10 to 12 Experience allows students to gain depth in their programming as they prepare for entry into post-secondary institutions. With a focus on the Sciences, courses offered to this cohort are rigorous and are intended to provide transferable skills that will support their success as they transition from high school. Courses are offered in a combination of linear and semester styles, which allow students to gain the different benefits offered in both delivery styles. In order to offer our students the widest range of choice, some of our courses run on alternate years. In these cases, the course will be labelled as “odd” (course will run in 2015/2016) or “even” (course is scheduled to run in 2016/2017).

Guidelines for Course Selection:

When you select courses for your academic year, please consult the graduation requirements on Page 8 of this document.

Course offerings are subject to sufficient enrollment and maximum class sizes. Not all courses are offered every year. If a course is over-populated, the process for admittance to the course is as follows:
The most senior students are admitted first
The next round of students are admitted based on merit (previous marks may be taken into account)
The remaining seats (if any) are awarded in a lottery

After registration, all proposed course changes must be accompanied by a completed “Request to Add/Drop Course” and are subject to approval by Senior School Administration. Please note that the master schedule is built based on student requests from original registration; therefore not all change requests can be accommodated.

All documents pertaining to elective selection must be signed/approved by parents or guardians.

Grade 11 & 12 students must take a minimum of 7 courses per year, except in extraordinary circumstances (see Application for Study Block in Appendix A).

External Courses Policy:

From time to time, students may wish to take a course that is external to Aberdeen Hall. Prior to enrolling in an external course, students complete the External Course Intent Form (see Appendix A) and submit it to Senior School Administration. All responsibilities associated with taking external courses will be assumed by the student.

Enrollment in external courses will not be exchanged for independent study blocks. Students who take course external to the school should not expect to have a study block either in its place or in order to complete the work in the course.

External courses will only be placed on student transcripts when the full course is completed and reported to Senior School Administration by the student. Courses that are in progress will not be placed on a student’s transcript.Please note that external courses will not be counted towards awards calculations.If the course is available at Aberdeen Hall, it is preferred that the student take the course at Aberdeen Hall. Earning prerequisite courses or courses that you plan on pursuing at a post-secondary level via distance learning is discouraged.

Homework Club:

Homework Club runs Monday to Thursday from 3:30 - 4:30pm. Homework Club provides a place and time for students to study, complete homework independently, to receive assistance with assigned work and support for academic classes. Students may also receive assistance in time management and maintaining effective organization systems.Attendance at Homework Club may be student or teacher initiated.Teachers may require attendance at Homework Club if a student has incomplete assignments.

Flex Programme:

We recognize that some students have aspirations to pursue high levels in arts and athletics. As such, we have designed the Flex Programme. This programme is intended to help students blend their high performance passion with the academic rigors of Aberdeen Hall.

Students may enroll in the school Flex Programme if they are involved in high level artistic or athletic pursuits. Students are eligible for this programme if they are participating at the national or provincial level in their chosen field. Typically, individuals in our Flex Programme make a major commitment to ongoing training, competition or shows. Our hope is that students involved in this programme hope to compete at the international level, or aspire towards a professional career in their chosen field. Please note: although we recognize that students have a variety of interests and pursuits, not all programmes are eligible for Flex.

Students applying for this programme should meet with school administration prior to the start of the academic year. At this time we will consider the programme in question, and discuss options with the family.

If the athletic or artistic programme is recognized and approved by the school, the following guidelines should be adhered to:

All schedules for practice, games or performances should be submitted to the appropriate school administrator as soon as they are available.
Timetables for students in the flex programme may be adapted to ensure that core academic courses are delivered. As such, students may be asked to complete missed assignments, projects, receive tutoring or work independently in lieu of participating in pre-determined elective, applied skills classes.
Students in the flex programme must maintain a minimum B average.
Students may be asked to adjust their non-academic pursuits to complete testing, or to prepare for exams or other high stakes assessments.
Tutorials for students in the flex programme may be scheduled during the academic timetable, and after school.

All students in the flex programme will work with an assigned advisor. The advisor will help coordinate tutorials, assist with time management and will be the primary communication contact.
Students in this programme will receive a blend of tutoring, guidance and both direct and indirect supervision. To be successful in this programme, students must have strong independent work habits, and strong levels of commitment.
It is essential for students in this programme to have excellent attendance and a willingness to work during assigned study and tutorial blocks.
During absences, students may be asked to utilize school websites, emails, wikis and blogs to stay current with their class work.
Grade 7 - 10 PE must be attended at least twice per two-week cycle and all assessments must be completed.

As noted, to excel in the Flex Programme students need to possess strong independent work habits. Our faculty will work with the student to personalize their education. In a case where classroom instruction has been missed, students may be asked to work independently, or to schedule tutorials with an appropriate teacher to learn missed course material. It is essential for all Flex students to communicate openly with their advisor to ensure they stay current in their studies.

Equivalency Policy:

The school requests official copies of all student records and transcripts (when available). School administration then does appropriate research to determine the content of listed courses. To award credit, the content must exceed 80% of the BC learning outcomes for a particular course. In some cases, students may be asked to complete assessments or exams in addition to determine their level of mastery. Credits awarded via equivalency are noted on the student’s file. When awarding marks, students will receive the grade earned on the original document. In situations where the original grade is deemed inaccurate, Transfer Standing (TS) will be reported.

Challenge Policy:

Students wishing to challenge a course must demonstrate evidence that they will be successful in fulfilling the prescribed learning outcomes for the course in question. Once this has taken place, school administration will review any documentation available to determine if credits can be awarded via equivalency. Students will be required to complete a final exam or alternative assessment based on the content for the course in question. In some circumstances, final exams may be designed by an Aberdeen Hall school instructor, or from a teacher in another school. An external teacher may be contracted to design and assess the student’s challenge. Credits awarded via challenge are noted on the student’s file.

Credits awarded via the Equivalency and Challenge process will be done in accordance to the Ministry Handbook of Procedures (pages 50 and 55 respectively.)

Resource Department:

Our Resource Department has been designed to meet the needs of students who have School Based Learning Plans or Individual Education Plans. These students may receive in-class assistance from a designated teacher or assistant. Students may also utilize the Resource Room during scheduled tutorials.

Academic Assistance Programme

It is our hope that all students experience academic success at Aberdeen Hall. However, should a student exhibit difficulties in meeting their personal best due to lack of effort, academic dishonesty, or due diligence they may be placed on Academic Assistance. In these situations, parents will be contacted and together, we will determine a plan of action to assist the student in meeting their academic goals. Strategies employed for students on Academic Assistance may include:

Specific locations to spend non-academic times
Scheduling of after school tutorials or extra help sessions
Use of the homework club
Restricted participation in extra-curricular teams or clubs
Denied enrollment in special courses or programmes
Enrollment in an Academic Strategies course
Support from the Resource Department

Grade 7 Programme

There are 50 class sessions in a typical two week cycle. All full-time students are enrolled in nine courses. Each day is divided into five 68 minute classes. In Grade 7, eight of the nine courses are linear (running from September to June). The ninth course is divided into three terms. These term courses include two required classes: Design Studio Arts and Dramatic Arts. The third term course is an elective: Visual Art, Information Technology, Theatre Performance.

Grade 7 students all have an assigned homeroom advisor. Scheduled advisory times take place every morning and afternoon, and during Block 2 each Monday.

Grade 7

English 7

Math 7

Science 7

Social Studies 7

French

Music Choice

Strings, Guitar, or Percussion

Term Courses

Design Studio Arts, Dramatic Arts and one of: Visual Arts, Theatre Performance, Information Technology

Cornerstones

Health, Career, and interpersonal skills

In addition, students in Grade 7 take part in our Wednesday Choice clubs. These activities take place from 2-3 every Wednesday afternoon. Students may select from a variety of activities ranging from sports and outdoor games to film study and artistic pursuits. Wednesday Choice clubs generally change every 5 weeks.

Students in Grade 7 also take part in the first Project Based learning Seminar experience in Term 2. In addition to meeting the outcomes for their core courses, this learning event is aimed at helping students develop their inquiry, critical thinking and communication skills.

Grade 8 Programme

There are 50 class sessions in a typical two week cycle. All full-time students are enrolled in nine courses. Each day is divided into five 68 minute classes. In Grade 8, seven of the nine courses are linear (running from September to June). The eighth course is divided into two semesters. These semester courses run from September to Jan, and February to June respectively. These courses are selected from our Fine Arts and Applied Skills offerings. The ninth course rotates students through three transferable skills classes. These courses change each term.

Grade 8 students all have an assigned homeroom advisor. Scheduled advisory times take place every morning and afternoon, and during Block 2 each Monday.

Grade 8

English 8

Math 8

Math 8/9 Accelerated

Science 8

Social Studies 8

French

Music Choice

Strings, Guitar, or Percussion

Semester Courses

Robotics, Enterprise, Visual Arts, Dramatic Arts

Transferable Skills

Cornerstones, Design Studio Arts, Digital Literacy

In addition, students in Grade 8 take part in our Wednesday Choice clubs. These activities take place from 2-3 every Wednesday afternoon. Students may select from a variety of activities ranging from sports and outdoor games to film study and artistic pursuits. Wednesday Choice clubs generally change every 5 weeks.

Students in Grade 8 also take part in their second Project Based learning Seminar experience in Term 3. In addition to meeting the outcomes for their core courses, this learning event is aimed at helping students develop their inquiry, critical thinking and communication skills.

Grade 9 Programme

There are 50 class sessions in a typical two week cycle. All full-time students are enrolled in nine courses. Each day is divided into five 68 minute classes. In Grade 9, eight of the nine courses are linear (running from September to June). The ninth course rotates students through three transferable skills classes. These courses change each term.

Grade 9 students all have an assigned homeroom advisor. Advisory times take place every morning, afternoon, and during Block 2 each Monday.

Students in Grade 9 also attend a Mastery Class. In this class students produce an inquiry project in an area of personal interest. These projects are presented in Term 3.The Mastery Class is intended to help students develop their problem solving, personal resiliency and time management skills.

Grade 9

English 9

Math

Math 10 Accelerated

Science 9

Social Studies 9

/ Elective 1
Guitar, Page Design, Visual Arts, PE

Elective 2

Drama, Robotics, PE, Commercial Music

/ Elective 3
French 10 or Spanish 10

/ Mastery Class

Transferable Skills

Cornerstones, Design Studio arts Arts, Digital Literacy

BC Graduation Requirements ~ Dogwood Diploma

Required Courses:

Please note: The required courses listed above are the minimum requirements to achieve the BC Dogwood Diploma. Elective programming must be chosen to ensure the requirements for university entrance are met.

Aberdeen Hall Graduation Requirements ~ Gryphon Diploma

The goal for the Gryphon Diploma programme is to provide clear benchmarks for character and leadership development. The Diploma recognizes student demonstration of the qualities of Excellence, Respect, Perseverance, Integrity, Fairness and Responsibility. Orange, Blue, and Gold awards may be earned by those who demonstrate the following qualities consistently:

The Process: Students who wish to pursue the Gryphon Diploma should enroll in the school Duke of Edinburgh group, and indicate their intentions to the faculty sponsor. At this point, each student can begin to compile the components for their Gryphon Diploma portfolio. Upon completion, the portfolio should be submitted to the faculty sponsor (no later the May 30 of each academic year).

Completed portfolios will be reviewed by the Gryphon Diploma Committee during early June, and awards will be handed out at the school closing ceremonies.

Please note: in addition to fulfilling the requirements for each level, applicants must reflect the spirit of the Gryphon Diploma. Final approvals will be determined by the Gryphon Diploma Committee.

To earn orange, blue or gold awards, students must submit a portfolio indicating successful completion of the required benchmarks by May 30 of each year.

Gryphon Diploma

Award / Orange / Blue / Gold
Complete Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award / Complete Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award / Complete Silver or Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award
Leadership /

Help facilitate a minimum of 1 Student Council event.
Participate in a student social spirit event

Organize and facilitate at least 1 Student Council event.
Organize and facilitate a student social spirit activity
Complete 5 hours of school-based mentorship

Organize and facilitate multiple day activities for students
Organize and facilitate a student social spirit activity
Complete 10 hours of school-based mentorship

Character
note: family members cannot serve as sponsors /

Participate in at least one school based altruistic activity

Seek and submit a character reference from a faculty sponsor

Participate in at least one school based altruistic activity
Participate in at least on local community altruistic activity

Seek and submit a character reference from a faculty and community sponsor.

Serve as an organizer for at least one school based altruistic activity
Participate in at least one local community altruistic activity
Participate in at least one global outreach activity

Seek and submit a character reference from a 2 faculty and 1 community sponsors

Academics
note: personal bests are submitted by the student in the form of a letter, with faculty signatures for appropriate courses /

80% average in 4 courses or personal best all core courses

95% (or higher)attendance

95% homework completion

85% average in 4 courses or personal best in all courses

95% (or higher)attendance

95% homework completion

85% average or personal best in all courses. Must include 4 Gr.12 approved courses.

95% (or higher) attendance

95% homework completion

Arts and Athletics / 1. Participate in 1 interscholastic team or arts production / Participate in 2 interscholastic teams or arts productions / Participate in 2 interscholastic teams or arts productions

Course Descriptions & Codes: