This article is a brief guide on how to find and utilize the various opportunities that our school provides with certain personal experiences as well. If you are in Grade 9, read this for a few tips and information. Or, if you're not, consider getting a bit nostalgic.
I’ll start by introducing some of the school’s clubs. Then, I’ll give an overview of class structure as the years progress and new subjects come into the picture. Finally, we’ll talk about a vital skill required for high school: time management and the balance of academics, clubs, extracurriculars, and personal time.
Clubs
Grade 9 is when students are able to experiment, experience, and decide what is best in terms of interests and future goals. Why not join some extracurriculars that pertain to your interests? Central Peel has clubs for everyone, whether you're looking for volunteer opportunities, want to explore a potential career path, or simply want to meet people who share similarhobbies. Plus, we have sports teams that are enjoyable and competitive (and boost our school’s reputation). Below is a list of a few of the clubs Grade 9 “novices” can join.
MUN - Model UN is a simulation of the UN General Assembly and its other multilateral bodies. Students act as ambassadors of a country (or characters like Darth Vader) and debate everything from the protection of minority languages to the protection of the Infinity Stones.
DECA - Through conferences and competitions, DECA instills professionalism and prepares youth to respond to authentic business cases and market demands. At the core of DECA are our competitive events sorted by clusters.
Programming Club - Allows students to discover programming languages and develop skills to move forward in their coding journey throughout and after high school. Learn and code with people who can help.
Griffin’s Nest - The Griffin's Nest is Central Peel Secondary School's student newspaper. We publish batches of new articles each month. You probably know this one, why not become a writer or photographer for us today!
Film Club - This is a great club to learn about filming techniques and cameras, especially if you’re interested in this industry. If not, it is still a great learning experience with numerous activities and projects.
*Unfortunately many novice teams have already completed tryouts, but stay tuned for winter and spring sports*
These are just a few of the countless clubs in Central Peel, so make sure to check with the office or any teachers about clubs to join… or create!
Class Structures
In Grade 9, there are six mandatory courses with 2 electives. Before graduating, all students must complete 30 credits, of which 18 are obtained from compulsory classes and the other 12 are optional electives (more info at Ontario.ca). 40 hours of community involvement (signed volunteer hours) are also a requirement, but over 4 years these hours are easily acquired. So, pay more attention to what you’re learning from each volunteering experience. All information mentioned in this section can be kept track of in MyBlueprint, which also has resources such as a resume maker.
How Do Credits Work? Credits are a way of calculating how many courses/classes (Maths, English, Art, etc.) are completed in one semester. The first semester lasts from September to the end of January. Once the semester is over, there is a week-or-so of turnaround time before the second semester begins, and you get a new set of four courses. Getting a credit requires getting at least 50% in a course, though teachers have the option to round up marks that are a few percentage points below that threshold.
How Course Codes Work? An example of a course code is MTH1D0 (Mainstream math). A breakdown of the code is as follows:
MTH1D0 - Each course has a three letter acronym, for example MTH is a code for a math class
MTH1D0 - This simply indicates which grade the course is meant for (1 for Grade 9, 2 for Grade 10, and so on…)
MTH1D0 - The last letter indicates is the course is Academic (D), Applied (P), Open (O) *AP students have certain courses replaced with a “W” (“W” is also used for some ESL courses). In Grade 11 and 12, these letters change: a “U” is used for university-pathway courses, an “M” means a mixed course, a “C” means a college-pathway course, and an “E” is used for workplace-pathway courses.
MTH1D0 - The final number indicates whether the course is mainstream (0), part of the AP program (9), part of the regional strings program (2-7), or part of the AP Capstone program (also 7).
Grade 9 is only the beginning of high school, but it is still a very important time to plan for the future. It will soon be time for you to pick your courses for Grade 10. Before you submit them, try to plan out your courses for Grade 11 and 12 as well. You can always make changes, but this will help you ensure you do not miss any prerequisites.
As you plan your courses, be aware that you might not get all of them. In Grade 10, there are still a lot of required courses that you will definitely get a spot in; however, course conflicts might force you to change some of your electives. Plan for the best but don’t be shocked if it doesn’t go perfectly. Push comes to shove, you can always take something in summer school.
Speaking of which, it is pretty common for students going into Grade 10 to take one of their easier courses (usually Civics and Careers) in summer school to give themselves another elective in Grade 10 and another spare in Grade 11 or 12. This is far from mandatory, but it is definitely an option to consider.
To help, here is a resource and brief overview of the course pathways for all mandatory courses in Grade 9.
Prerequisite Charts
Physical Education (Open)
Mathematics (Academic or Applied)
Science (Academic or Applied)
Geography (Academic, Applied, and Open*)
*Open courses in Grade 11
English (Academic, Applied, and Open)
French (Academic, Applied, Open)
Note that some of these charts are out of date, so please make sure to find more information in the Ontario curriculum and do some personal research to find what path is right for you and your goals. Reminder to also ask and check courses specifically offered at CPSS.
Balance, Productivity, and Time Management
This is a brief section to provide some personal tips as a fellow ninth grader.
First, I have never properly followed through with using a to-do app or strategy, but high school has made me actually start a to-do list. Modern day technology makes it so simple to organize your daily tasks.
Google Calendar is perfect since almost everything else you’re most likely using is a Google service, thus this time management system will be easy to learn and use. Apple Reminders is a substandard but simple alternative.
Third Party Apps will take more time to get used to, but once they are a part of your daily routine, they offer many scheduling, task handling, and productivity methods. Always remember to keep notifications on, or losing touch with the app is much easier. Top options: Todoist, TickTick, ClickUp, Evernote, and Toggl.
Notebooks and planners are also a very useful tool. Planners can be found almost anywhere within affordable prices and they will help you with formatting.
I hope this article taught you something that will help you have a successful time here at Central Peel. Thanks for reading!
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