Academics

John Paul II Graduation Diploma

Upon graduation, students at John Paul receive two diplomas, the OSSD and the John Paul II Diploma.  The OSSD recognizes completion of 30 credits as designated by the Ontario Ministry of Education.  The John Paul Diploma acknowledges the completion of the OSSD as well as successful completion of the program of Religious Education. 

 

Ontario Secondary Schools (OSS) Graduation Requirements

In order to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), a student must earn a minimum of 30 credits.  In addition, students must complete 40 hours of community involvement and successfully complete the Ontario Secondary Schools Literacy Test (OSSLT).

Students must take the following compulsory credits:

• 4 Religious Education (one per grade)
• 4 English (1 credit per grade)
• 1 French as a Second Language
• 3 Mathematics (at least one in Grade 11 or 12)
• 2 Science
• 1 Canadian History
• 1 Canadian Geography
• 1 Civics (.5 credit) and Career Studies (.5 credit)
• 1 Arts
• 1 Physical and Health Education
• 1 of English, French as a second language, a third language, Social Sciences, Canadian and World Studies, Guidance and Career education or cooperative education.  The Grade 11 World Religion Course can meet this credit requirement.
• 1 of Physical Education, The Arts, Business, French as a second language or Cooperative Education.
• 1 of Grade 11 or 12 Science, Technological education, French as a second language, Computer Studies or Cooperative Education.

Note to students and parents

• It is the responsibility of the student to track progress toward graduation, including mandatory and optional credits. 
• Students who repeat a course must remember that only the best effort can count toward graduation. 
• Students and parents are encouraged to work with the individual Guidance Counselor  from grade nine to graduation at JPII.

 

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT)

In order to graduate, Ontario students are required to demonstrate basic literacy through the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) or the Ontario Literacy Course (OLC).  Students generally write the OSSLT in late March or early April of the grade ten year.  If unsuccessful, students can make future attempts or, in consultation with Guidance and Learning Services, enroll in the Literacy Course. 

 

40 Hours of community service

This graduation requirement is completed by the student outside of school time but is documented through the school.  In order to graduate students must have completed a minimum of 40 hours of community service with an appropriate community organization.  Details for appropriate and acceptable community service are outlined on the Community Service Reporting Form (powder blue card) and is available through the Guidance office of the school.  These hours must be verified by the community agency and submitted to Guidance for documentation and approval by the Principal. 

 

Textbooks and Learning Materials

Most courses at JPII continue to rely on a textbook to provide students with information and study questions.  Students will be issued with a textbook at the beginning of a course where applicable and it is the responsibility of the student to keep the book in good order while in their possession.  In English classes, for example, students may require the use of several works of literature and these are to be returned in good condition and in a timely fashion as they are often circulated through several classes.  All school-issued classroom resources are to be returned in the condition they were given.  Students and families may be required to pay the replacement cost for lost, damaged or defaced learning materials.

 

Course Outlines

Course outlines provide students and parents or guardians with an overview of course content, assessment and evaluations and general expectations for success in the course.  These documents will be posted conveniently on D2L or provided in hard copy to the students.    

 

Tests and Assignments

These form a regular part of assessment and evaluation for students and should be viewed by students as opportunities to demonstrate what they know or can do in a class.  Here are some general suggestions to help achieve success on tests and assignments

• Keep up with the work of all classes through regular attendance
• Complete all homework as assigned
• Speak with your teacher if you are having trouble with work as it is assigned
• Set aside time to prepare for assessments and evaluations
• Keep copies of all tests and assignments when they are returned as they can be helpful in preparing for future evaluations
• Consult Guidance or Learning Services if you need help developing successful study habits

Culminating Activities / Final Performance Tasks

These are in-class activities that take place at or near the end of a course and represent a portion of the final mark as outlined in the Course Outline.  It is very important that students are in attendance for these important evaluation exercises as they must be done during class and cannot be done at home. 

 

Examinations

Final examinations are held in January for Semester I and in June for Semester II and, depending on the course, make up a significant portion of the final mark.  The following apply to the writing of final exams at JPII

• The last four days of the semester are devoted to exam review.
• Students are strongly encouraged to prepare adequately for all exams.
• Examinations must be written on the scheduled dates
• Exam days are school days and students are to be in school uniform
• During exams, absence due to illness must be supported by a medical note.
• Failure to attend a scheduled exam may result in a mark of 0 being assigned
• Exams may be postponed during inclement weather and the change in schedule will be communicated to students and the community at the time of the disruption. 
• Exam days are scheduled instructional days and should not be considered by students or families as holidays.  Vacation planning during exam days cannot be supported by the school. 

 

Field Trips and Excursions

Field trips are activities that are planned by teachers and the school, approved by system administration and intended to enhance classroom learning.  Excursions are activities, usually extended trips and often trips abroad that are intended as extra-curricular experiences and open to students.  Funding for these trips is entirely the responsibility of the participating student and family and fund-raising initiatives are often available to aid in offsetting trip costs. 

• Field trips are only approved if they benefit student learning in a particular course.
• It is expected that all students will participate in a field trip if approved.
• Parents or guardians must sign consent forms for a student to attend a field trip.
• Students are not permitted to drive to field trip destinations.  
• No student will be denied access to a field trip due to financial reasons.
• Excursions are to be funded by the student as they are optional