A Note about Course Requests

Quite a few students have come in to ask me about course requests for the 2011 - 2012 school year. Here are the answers to a few of your more common questions:

• Can I change a course request right now? - Yes, you may! Please discuss with your parents/guardians, and if an agreement is reached that you should choose a different course from what you have initially requested, come by to see me, and I will change the course request for you.
• I have heard about a course that seems interesting, can I learn more about it? - Absolutely! You can come by to ask me and I will do my best to answer your questions on a specific course. Alternately, you can ask the teacher(s) who teach the course you are interested in to find out what a course has to offer.
  
• Can I change my mind about a course in September? - Generally speaking, the first week of school is reserved for students with incomplete timetables. Switching courses for students who are given a full timetable would not occur until all students are given a complete timetable. If you know you want to sign up for a different course, it's best to notify me now rather than September.
  
• I want to be in the same class as my friend, can you arrange that? - Unfortunately, I cannot do that. The student information system, BCeSIS, generates the timetables of students to ensure every student would be placed in courses they have requested for. The system does not attempt to place students in the same class as their friends.
• What about summer school classes? Can I take summer school classes to "get ahead?" - Yes, you may. To allow timetable builders to build the most workable timetable for staff and students, counsellors would appreciate if you can tell us ahead of time what course(s) you are planning to take in the summer.
• If I fail a course this year, does that affect my course request for next year? - If the course you fail is a pre-requisite for a course you have requested, it will obviously affect your course requests. At the end of the school year, counsellors would review the list for course failures, and your course requests would be adjusted accordingly.
  
• What if I fail a course right now, but pass the remedial course during summer school? - In the final week of the summer break, counsellors will be in their office changing students' timetables based on summer school results. When you have passed a remedial course in the summer, bring your report card into the counsellors' office, and we will change your timetable.

Please come by to see me if you have any further questions.