GUIDANCE

We are pleased to welcome you to the Guidance and Career Education webpage. We hope that this page acts as an informative guide for both students and their families as they navigate their way through the high school experience and beyond. 

The Guidance Department provides a caring, compassionate environment that is inviting to all who enter.

Counsellors are responsible for on-going academic, career-related, social/emotional and pathway planning supports to students of St. Mary. Through academic counselling, consultation with parent(s)/guardian(s) and working with community organizations, the staff in Guidance, Student Success and Co-operative Education Departments are committed to helping students work toward their graduation requirements.

Counselling is given in the following areas:

St. Mary Catholic Secondary School Guidance Department will help students become aware of the need to:

Students at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School will have the opportunity to participate in:

Students are encouraged to speak to the Guidance and Co-operative Education staff annually so they are informed of the opportunities offered.

MEET OUR TEAM

Our office hours are:
 Monday to Friday from 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
Phone: 905-372-4339

Guidance Office Staff:

Co-operative Education Staff:

Guidance Appointments

Google Form Link: Appointment Booking Link

NEW RegistraTIONS

To register visit the Registration page for more information.

Ontario Student Transcripts (OST) and ONTARIO STUDENT Records (OSR)

Ontario Student Transcripts (OST)

An Ontario Student Transcript (OST) is an official and legal record of a student’s achievement at the secondary school level in Ontario. It includes diploma and/or certificate information, as applicable. All credits accumulated at secondary schools in Ontario will appear on one OST.  The OST is retained by the last secondary school (or its board) that you attended.  



Accessing/requesting a diploma 

Only one official OSSD/Certificate is issued by the Ministry. If a student did not pick up their diploma at their school’s graduation commencement, speak to Mrs. Burke in the front office. Misplaced diplomas cannot be replaced but the diploma achieved is noted on the bottom of the Ontario Student Transcript, which is the legal record of a student’s achievement at the secondary school level in Ontario. 


Ontario Student Records (OSR)

The Ontario Student Record (OSR) is the record of a student's educational progress through schools in Ontario. Section 265(d) of the Education Act requires a principal of a school “to collect information for the inclusion in a record in respect of each pupil enrolled in the school and to establish, maintain, retain, transfer and dispose of the record”.

By law and according to Regulation 38/73 of the Ministry of Education, Ontario Student Records (OSR) are maintained at the school for 5 years, then purged and sent to the Records Department at the Board Office for storage.

2024-25 Course Selection PROCESS

Students select their courses for the following school year in February using myBlueprint. 

During that time students will have a presentation from their Guidance Counsellor to help determine which pathway is best for them using the
2024-25 Prerequisite Flow Chart, 2024-25 Course Descriptions booklet and grade appropriate planner (below).

Students are also encouraged to research post-secondary programs early in high school to ensure their pathway meets their desired post-secondary goals.

2024-25 Course Selection Planners

Students are encouraged to print and use these planners to help when selecting courses. 


2024-25 Courses

myBlueprint Education Planner is comprehensive education and career/life planning program with the tools students need to make the most informed decisions about their future.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

The Ontario Ministry of Education determines our Catholic secondary school curriculum expectations by grade or subject/course. You can view Ontario curriculum expectations for grades 9 to 12 by visiting the
Ontario Ministry of Education.

Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)

The following are the requirements for obtaining an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). 


Students are required to complete 30 credits.


NOTE: All students who choose to attend St. Mary Catholic Secondary School are required to take a minimum of one credit in Religious Studies per year from grade 9 to 12, in order to qualify for formal graduation. The courses of study for these credits are adapted from guidelines for our Catholic school community and listed in course selections. The completed courses appear on the Ontario Student Transcript as credits.

40 Hours of Community Involvement

As stated in Ontario Secondary Schools, Grade 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements all students in Ontario secondary schools must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as part of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). As of July 1, 2011, students will be able to start accumulating community involvement hours in the summer before they enter grade 9. The purpose of the community involvement requirement is to encourage students to develop an awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and of the role they can play in supporting and strengthening their communities.


PLAN Students under the age of eighteen should plan an activity in consultation with their parent(s)/guardian(s). The activity must fall within the guiding principles the Board has established (see list of examples on the back of the Community Service Form).


GET APPROVAL If the activity is not on the Board’s list of examples, the student must get approval from their principal or school designate (Guidance Counsellor) prior to the completion of the hours. If completed without permission and permission is subsequently denied, the activity or event will not be counted toward the student’s community involvement requirement. 


DOCUMENT Upon completion of the planned activity, students should have the supervisor of the activity print their name and sign in the designated area of the form. Students must make sure the form is completely filled in including a parent/ guardian signature. 


SUBMIT TO GUIDANCE Students must bring completed form to Guidance. Hours will then be added to their graduation requirements. If a student completes their 40 hours before the end of June in their grade 10 year, they will receive a Certificate of Recognition at the beginning of grade 11 recognizing their efforts. The principal may request your form at any time.


The Community Involvement form must be completed and submitted to Guidance by April of the year a student plans to graduate.

Please visit the Community Involvement page for more detailed information.

Grade 10 Literacy Test

In Grade 10, students take the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test, which measures whether or not they are meeting the minimum standard for literacy across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9.


Successful completion of the literacy test is one of the requirements students must meet to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The secondary school literacy requirement is described in the Ministry of Education’s Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements, 2011.

2 On-Line Learning Credits

Please note: The Ministry of Education has released new graduation requirements for students related to E-learning.

 

Beginning with students who entered Grade 9 in the 2020-21 school year, all students must earn at least two online learning credits as part of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).  


Online learning, also known as e-learning, offers secondary students an opportunity to take courses that are delivered entirely using the internet and do not require students to be physically present in the classroom. Students may be required to go into school to take a final exam or if they need to use the internet, devices and other school supports (for example, guidance, mental health and well-being supports).


This is different from remote learning where classes are taught virtually when in-person learning is not possible (for example, on snow days or during other interruptions or emergencies). Read our definition of remote learning.


Students in Grades 9 to 12 can use online courses to gain experience with online learning and help prepare for life after secondary school, where learning and working online is becoming the norm in many sectors.


Benefits for students


By expanding access to teacher-led online learning, students will have the opportunity to:


get credits in subjects they find interesting but that may not be available at their school

learn in engaging ways, such as through interactive features, simulations and collaboration with others across the province

gain important transferable skills, including digital literacy, to support lifelong learning and employment opportunities


Any students who choose to opt-out of the E-learning requirements, may do so when selecting their courses in myBlueprint prior to 

submitting classes in March 2024.

pOST-SECONDARY

All students considering applying to college or university for their post-secondary destination are encouraged to consult with a Guidance Counsellor through their Grade 11 and Grade 12 year. This is important to ensure the courses they are taking are prerequisite courses or courses required for admissions to the post-secondary program of their choice.  

Apprenticeship/Trades

Students considering the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program are encouraged to speak with Mr. McDonell during the course selection process in their Grade 11 year. OYAP is an application and interview based process. Students selected for this program will participate in the OYAP program during semester 2 of their Grade 12 year.

The following sites are used to research Ontario Youth Apprenticeship information and apprenticeship opportunities:


CTAO - Construction Training and Apprenticeship Ontario

What is CTAO?

Ctaontario.com is an easy-to-navigate website that provides educational tools and materials for visitors to explore the Unionized Construction Skilled trades available in Ontario. Each trade has a designated landing page that outlines the entrance requirements and average wage. 


How can it benefit you

CTAOntario.com is a guide for those interested in entering the skilled construction trades, and is useful for anyone looking to learn more about them. CTAO provides an easy to use site for someone looking to enter a construction trade. Working with  Apprenticeship Coordinators and Training Delivery Agents across the province, we have gathered Ontario-specific information that is current and up to date with the sector. CTAO features 30 construction trades and is a premier starting point for future tradespeople and the general public to learn about the construction skilled trades.

 

Here is a link to a quick video showing how to take advantage of this industry tool.

https://vimeo.com/635571900


CTAO is a useful tool for  parents, educators, and employment Ontario service providers. We invite you to visit https://ctaontario.com/ to learn more and build your profile today. 


Ontario College Admission Requirements

To be eligible to apply to college, a student must successfully complete the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, OSSD.  These requirements include; the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Requirement and 40 hours of Community Involvement. Students are encouraged to have both requirements completed prior to their Grade 12 year.  All students applying to college must complete ENG4C including the majority of their Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits at the College, College/University or University level.  

 *It is the responsibility of student applying to college to regularly check admission requirements (both academic and non-academic) and grade requirements for their post-secondary program of choice.*

Grade 12 students will participate in an information session to help them begin the application process. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the student, along with parent(s)/guardian(s) to select program choices and pay for the application prior to the deadline.

The following sites are used to research and apply to college programs:

Ontario University Admission Requirements

To be eligible to apply to university, a student must successfully complete the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, OSSD.  These requirements include; the Ontario Secondary School Literacy requirement and 40 hours of Community Involvement. Students are encouraged to have both requirements completed prior to their Grade 12 year.  All students applying to university are required to have completed 6 Grade 12 U or M level credits including ENG4U.  

*It is the responsibility of the student applying to university to regularly check admission requirements (both academic and non-academic) and grade requirements for their post-secondary program of choice.*

Grade 12 students will participate in an information session to help them begin the application process.  Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the student, along with parent(s)/guardian(s) to select program choices and pay for the application prior to the deadline.

The following sites are used to research and apply to university programs:

FINANCIAL AID

FINANCING YOUR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION:

Students applying to post-secondary education opportunities should consider all scholarships, bursaries and/or awards for which they are qualified. Students are encouraged to use the following sites to review all scholarship and bursary opportunities available to them.  

Resources:

DUAL CREDITS

Through the Student Success initiative, Ontario secondary schools are offering expanded programs to help meet students’ individual learning styles and interests. These programs allow students to customize their high school experience through a variety of new and enhanced learning options. These options include Dual Credits, Specialist High Skills Majors and Cooperative Education. These programs help to meet the needs, interests and strengths of all students, engaging them in learning and better preparing them for graduation and beyond. 

Dual credit programs are Ministry-approved programs that allow students, while they are still in secondary school, to take college or apprenticeship courses that count towards both the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and a postsecondary certificate, diploma, degree or a Certificate of Apprenticeship. 

St. Mary offers several courses in partnership with Durham, Fleming and Loyalist Colleges.
These courses are listed on the 2023-24 Pre-requisite Flow-Chart.

For more information contact Guidance.

Dual Credit Ministry of Education Information Document

Student Success

The transition from elementary to secondary school is among the most challenging periods of adolescence. Effective transition planning to secondary school begins for all students in Grade 7 and continues into and sometimes beyond Grade 9. A smooth transition contributes to a strong foundation for success in secondary school and beyond.


Elementary and secondary schools work collaboratively to develop strategies that support student planning for successful transitions from elementary to secondary school. Secondary Student Success teachers visit Grade 7 and 8 classrooms to provide students with information about the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) requirements, specialized programs, extracurricular activities, strategies for completing the community involvement requirement, post secondary opportunities, and the education and career/life planning process.


Additional resources and supports are provided to students who face additional challenges as they embark on the Grade 8 - 9 transition process. At transition interviews held at the elementary school, a Student Success Transition Interview Form is completed for students considered "at risk"; this form outlines the supports required as the student moves from elementary to secondary school. When the student reaches secondary school, the Student Success team provides the support required.


For more information, please contact Mrs. Lowry, Student Success Teacher.