(Updated Feb. 2021)
Click on the links below to read detailed descriptions for ALL courses offered at LHSS for the current school year. These descriptions can help you make more informed course selections for next year. Make note of course prerequisites when choosing courses.
CANADIAN & WORLD STUDIES – GEOGRAPHY
CANADIAN & WORLD STUDIES – HISTORY
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES (STUDENT LEADERSHIP)
SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES – FAMILY STUDIES
SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES – HISTORY
ACADEMIC PATHWAYS IN ONTARIO HIGH SCHOOLS12
As you begin to consider which courses to choose for grade 9, make sure you give some careful thought to the academic level you plan to pursue. Your grade 8 teachers will provide recommendations as you complete your course selections. Pay close attention to these recommendations, as your current teachers have developed a strong sense of your learning style and what may be most appropriate in grade 9. Be aware that attempting to switch academic levels after a semester has started can be extremely difficult due to timetable and/or curriculum restrictions.
The academic level you choose will help lead to certain pathways through high school and beyond into post-secondary. Laurel Heights’ guidance staff will assist throughout high school with goal setting, planning and redirection.
GRADE 9 MATH & SCIENCE DESTREAMING/ACADEMIC ONLY CORE SUBJECTS
In the summer of 2020, the Ministry of Education announced a new Grade 9 math course which will be the compulsory Grade 9 math course in all Ontario schools effective September 2021. As details become available, we will share with our community, including the implications for our school designated programs and magnet programs. This new curriculum will be a continuation of the grade 8 curriculum.
DESTREAMED GRADE 9 LEVEL (ex. MTH1WI)
- De-streaming means that schools will no longer be offering most grade 9 core courses in the Academic or Applied levels (includes English, math & science)
- Research shows that de-streaming results in better outcomes for all students and particularly for those who are from marginalized communities
- Destreamed grade 9 courses allow students to select appropriate grade 10 courses (academic or applied) depending on pathway planning
ACADEMIC LEVEL (ex. ENG2DI)
- Grade 9 and 10 academic courses can lead to University/Mixed or College level courses in gr. 11/12
- Pathway to University or College as possible post-secondary destination
- These courses are for the learner who:
- Is self-motivated
- Enjoys reading
- Perseveres when challenged
- Benefits from independence
- Likes to explore beyond related learning
- Recognizes the need for daily homework and review
- Good time management skills
PRE-AP/ADVANCED PLACEMENT
- NEW FOR 2021-2022 – based on recommendations from the review of the AP program during the 2019/2020 academic year and due to the Ministry of Education’s directive to reorient Grade 9 programming for September 2021, changes to Laurel Heights’ pre-AP/AP program are as follows:
- MATH – will commence in grade 10
- SCIENCE – will commence in grade 11 for Physics and Chemistry
- This will allow teachers, as subject specialists, to better support the student’s application and their opportunity for success.
- Advanced Placement (AP) program offers students the opportunity to pursue university-level studies while still in high school.
- Students can earn credits for many universities and colleges in Canada and the USA.
- Enrolling in Pre-AP courses prepares students for success in senior (grade 12) Advanced Placement courses (Calculus, Chemistry & Physics)
- Pre-AP extends the current curriculum and enriches specific learning outcomes.
- NOTE – we also offers Enriched French in grade 9-12 for students coming from French Immersion programs.
- Although Pre-AP extends the curriculum, evaluation is based on the regular academic Ontario curriculum.
- Visit our Pre-AP/AP page for more information.
APPLIED LEVEL (ex. ENG2PI)
- Applied level grade 9 courses are no longer offered in Ontario schools (starting in 2021)
- Can lead to College/Mixed level courses in gr. 11/12
- NOTE – as of September 2023, we will only offer grade 10 science (SNC2PI) at the applied level – applied English, Math and Canadian History will no longer be available
- Pathway to College diploma as possible post-secondary destination
- These courses are for the learner who:
- Enjoys learning by doing
- Likes to learn and master essential skills and knowledge
- Benefits from more structure, smaller class sizes
- Reads for a specific purpose
- Completes tasks in a directed environment
ESSENTIAL LEVEL – FAST FORWARD (ex. ENG1LB)
- Can lead to Workplace level courses in gr. 11/12
- Pathway designed to prepare students to directly enter the world of work
- These courses are for the learner who:
- Benefit from more structure and reinforcement of concepts
- Benefits from a variety of different activities to learn and master essential skills and knowledge
- Enjoys learning by doing
- Smaller class sizes & in-class support
OPEN LEVEL (ex. AVI1OI)
- “O” level courses offered in grades 9 & 10
- Elective courses (ex. Phys-ed, Art, Business, Tech)
- Appropriate for all students, regardless of level
- Electives become Open, College or Mixed level in grades 11/12 depending on subject area
Categories: Guidance
