Graduation Transitions Common Files

Several of you have asked about the GT files. While the school website is the best place to download and print these files, I'm posting them here as well for you to download.

Click on the link here. In total, there are 9 files for you to download:

• Graduation Transitions 2013 - 2014.pdf - this is the outline that introduces you to the different GT assignments. It also contains some useful links, deadlines, etc.
• Physical Activity Log 2013-2014 Term 1.pdf - due November 29, 2013
• Physical Activity Log 2013-2014 Term 2.pdf - due March 7, 2014
• Physical Activity Log 2013-2014 Term 3.pdf - due June 6, 2014
• Transition Plan Presentation.pdf - this document explains to you the requirements for your exit interview, which you will be doing in April/May of 2014
• Transition Plan Checklist Section 1.pdf - The "Who am I?" GT assignment - due October 24
• Transition Plan Checklist Section 2.pdf - The "What will I do?" GT assignment - due December 18
• Transition Plan Checklist Section 3.pdf - The "Hours and Health" GT assignment - due February 20
• Work or Volunteer Hours Form.pdf - This form was first given to you last year, and some of you have completed it already. You need to complete this form with your 30 hours of volunteer and/or work signed by your supervisor. 

If you have any questions on any of these, please come to see me. Please also make sure to attend the GT assembly next Wednesday after the announcements.

Graduation Transitions Assembly

Attention all grade 12 students:

There will be a brief assembly held next Wednesday, October 2, at the start of period 2 (after the announcements) in the auditorium. In this assembly, we will talk exclusively about the graduation transition "course" that all grade 12s need to complete to receive the four GT credits required for graduation. Whether you have a class or not, it is CRUCIAL that you make the time to attend.

Meanwhile, all GT assignments and documents have been uploaded onto the school's website. You can find these assignments and documents under the "students" tab on the school's website. Choose "grad" in the sub menu, and you will see all the documents (see screen shot below). Click each item to print or view, and please take note of the due dates for the three transition plan assignments.

UBC's New Policy on Distributed Learning Courses

UBC has some new policies when it comes to distributed learning courses (which includes courses you are taking online with any online school). The new policy is a lot stricter than the past, and may impact your choice of taking or continuing with an online course if you plan to go to UBC.

The policy affects students who are planning to use one/more of their online courses to calculate their admission averages. Instead of requiring you to complete 50% or more of the course by a set deadline, you now have to complete THE ENTIRE COURSE BY FEBRUARY 1, 2014 for UBC to accept the mark your online school reports. For individual courses, your online teacher may require you to finish the course even sooner, in order for them to have your marks ready to be submitted.

The actual wording from UBC on this policy reads like this:

If you are currently taking, or plan to take Distributed Learning courses (e.g., online courses, distance learning, or courses at another school) to meet your admission requirements, include these courses in the list of courses you will complete this year in the ‘academic profile’ section of the UBC application, and do not provide an in-progress grade.
Completion dates for Distributed Learning courses:

• If you wish to use your Distributed Learning course in the calculation of your competitive admission average, the course must be 100% complete by February 1, 2014 and your Distributed Learning provider/school must submit the final grade to the Ministry of Education so that it appears on your Ministry of Education Student Secure Web in time for you to self-report these grades in March/April.
• Distributed learning courses completed by June 30, 2014 can be used to meet pre-requisites but will not be used in the calculation of your competitive admission average.

(taken from UBC's Undergraduate Program and Admissions Page, click this link for details)

UBC Enrollment Report (2012)

For students who are interested in applying to UBC next fall, this document contains some very relevant and important information. One of the most important pieces of info is the mean admission averages for first year direct entry undergraduate students. The trend of increasing admission requirements appear to be continuing, with the overall average at 89.7%.

Specific faculties' mean admission averages are as follows:

• Applied Science: 91.0%
• Arts: 87.5%
• Commerce: 91.7%
• Kinesiology: 88.2%
• Forestry: 83.1%
• LFS: 88.9%
• Science: 92.3%

The full report can be viewed at UBC's website (click here)

Exam Schedule: In-School and Provincial Exams

It is that time of the year! The last day of instructions for the 2012 - 2013 year will be Friday, June 14. Cross-grade and provincial exams will take place from June 17 to June 25. Below is the revised schedule for exams that may be related to you:

Monday, June 17 a.m. (9:00 - 11:30 a.m.)

• French 8, 9, 11
• Spanish 10, 11
• Mandarin 10, 11, 12, Beginners' Mandarin 11

Monday, June 17 p.m. (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• History 12
• Pre-Calculus 11

Tuesday, June 18 a.m. (9:00 - 11:00 a.m.)

• Physics 11, 12

Tuesday, June 18 p.m. (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• Chemistry 11, 12

Wednesday, June 19 a.m. (9:00 - 11:00 a.m.)

• Biology 11
• Geography 12
• Calculus 12

Wednesday, June 19 p.m. (1:00 - 3:00 p.m.)

• Pre-Calculus 12
• Mock exams for Foundations of Math and Apprenticeship Math 10

Thursday, June 20 - no grade 11 exams

Friday, June 21 a.m. (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.)

• Social Studies 11 Provincial Exam

Friday, June 21 p.m. (1:00 - 4:00 p.m.)

• English 10 Provincial Exam

Monday, June 24 (9:00 - 12:00; 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.)

• Foundations of Math and Pre-Calculus 10 Provincial exams (check with your teacher to find out your actual exam time)

Tuesday, June 25 (9:00 - 12:00)

• Apprenticeship and Workplace Math 10 Provincial Exam 

The full exam schedule can be viewed from the new Templeton school's website: (click here)

Approved Grade 12 Courses

Many of you have asked me about what grade 12 courses are considered the "approved grade 12 courses" at a university. As I have said during my course planning presentation, every school's list of approved grade 12 courses are different. Most colleges do not have a specific list of approved grade 12 courses; while most universities do have such a list (there are, however, exceptions).

As universities may change their list of approved grade 12 courses, it is best to check with the post secondary schools' websites directly for the most up-to-date information. Below are links to the major universities in B.C. and their list of approved grade 12 courses, where applicable:

Capilano University: does have a list of approved grade 12 courses: click here

Kwantlen University: no listed approved grade 12 courses; see admission info page here for details

Simon Fraser University (SFU): approved grade 12 courses vary by the faculty. For details, click here

Trinity Western University (TWU): has a list of accepted grade 12 academic subjects. Click here for details

University of British Columbia (UBC): has a list of approved grade 12 courses. Click here for details

University of Victoria (UVic): has a list of approved grade 11 and 12 courses. Click here for details

When selecting courses for next year, it is important for you to find out from the post-secondary institution and the program(s) you are interested in the courses you need to take. Remember: admission requirements are the courses you need to have for a post-secondary school to look at your application, and program-specific requirements are pre-requisites the schools would use in calculating whether or not you will be accepted into the program of your choice. The two are DIFFERENT in most cases.

Course Planning Schedule

For those of you who are wondering about when exactly would I be coming to your class to discuss course planning for your grade 12 year, please take a look at the schedule below:

A big "thank you" goes out to the English department for allowing me to come in to your English class to discuss what probably will be the most important year of your high school career!

Feb 18 (Mon )	1.1 (A)	English 11 – Vadacchino
Feb 18 (Mon)	1.4 (D)	English 11 – Grant
Feb 19 (Tue)	2.4 (H)	English 11 – Smith
Feb 19 (Tue)	2.3 (G)	English 11 – Smith
Feb 20 (Wed)	1.1 (A)	English 11 Enriched – Wong
Feb 20 (Wed)	1.3 (C)	Communications 11 – Burt
Feb 22 (Fri)	1.1 (A)	English 11 – Soderlund
Feb 22 (Fri)	1.4 (D)	English 11 Mini – Vadacchino

If, for whatever reason, you know you would not be able to attend the scheduled class, and will miss the course planning "lecture" I will be doing, please come to see me during one of the times when I am not presenting course planning info to a class. Important forms and information would be shared during these sessions, so it is EXTREMELY important that you don't miss anything.

Course request forms will be distributed during the course planning session, and they will be collected one week after.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to come in and see me.