Grad Program

Additional Resources & Learning Supports

Subscriptions

We have plenty of online subscriptions you can access to in order to find your subscription login information, go to your parent homepage in Encom and click on “Curriculum Resources”:

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Then scroll down to find the links and passwords to the subscription(s) you are interested in.

Learning Camps/Community Connections

You may sign up for our learning camp e-alerts here. By visiting the former website you may also find more info on our Learning Camps and Community Connections programs for the Grad Program.

Learning Commons

Be sure to visit our Learning Commons (library) and check out all the fabulous resources there. An excellent source of help is Pippa Davies who is our Learning Commons Librarian. She can help you with both physical and virtual resources to cover most, if not all, of your curricular needs.

Advanced Placement Courses

What are they?

The Advanced Placement (AP) program makes college and university level courses available for students to take while they’re still in secondary school. For students who are interested in extending their learning beyond the grade 12 level, while still in high school, these courses can be a great option. Students can earn additional credits at the high school level by completing these courses and may also be granted first year college or university credits, depending on the post-secondary institution, when the AP exam is taken. 

AP courses are overseen by the College Board which is recognized for advanced credit or placement in many Canadian and American universities and colleges. Schools are permitted to offer AP courses from a set list, and are responsible for ensuring that any courses they offer meet College Board standards. Students complete the course work and are then required to write a formal ‘AP’ exam administered by the College board to earn the additional AP credits. 

HCOS offers a select number of AP courses, based on the in-house expertise of our instructors and course developers. The list of AP courses offered each year can be found on the HCOS course description webpage and AP exams are written in May of each school year. 

How do they work? 

In general, if a student enrolls in an AP course and completes all the required components, they will earn 4 external credits for the high school level course. Generally, the additional AP material extends or expands on the concepts and content addressed in the grade 12 level course. In addition, if a student successfully completes the AP exam, university credit may also be granted (see section below)

What about the AP Exam?

AP Exams are administered at authorized schools and test centers each school year in the month of May. AP course work is arranged so students have ample time to complete the necessary AP work prior to writing the exam in May. This may mean students have some coursework remaining to complete after the AP exam is written, depending on how the course is laid out. 

HCOS staff will help students arrange for a proctored exam location with an email going out to students in the beginning of the year to gather interest and information to help set sessions up.

The exams are marked and scored on a scale of 1 to 5 by college and university professors and experienced AP teachers (not the HCOS AP course teacher). Many post secondary institutions offer credit for AP Exam scores of 3 or higher.

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Advanced Placement FAQs

1. Do I have to take 2 final exams (the school’s final exam and the Collegeboard’s AP exam in May)? 

Most AP courses require an online proctored final exam for you to receive your high school course credit. This exam must be written to receive this credit. 

If you want to attempt to receive university credit through the College Board that exam takes place in May. Please note that the AP and school exams are separate from each other. Some course teachers will accept the AP Exam in lieu of the final exam for the course. This is a teacher by teacher decision and once enrolled, you should discuss your options with your course teacher. 

2. Do I have to create an AP student account? 

If you plan to write the AP exam in May, you will need to create an AP student account. This will allow for our school to order and book your AP exam. By creating this account, it will also give you access to additional material that your teacher may require as a part of your course. 

3. What if I don’t live close to an AP exam location? 

We have two exam locations, one in Kelowna and the other in the Greater Vancouver area. If a student lives outside of one of these locations we will arrange for you to write at a facility near you. Please note that there will be additional fees associated with writing an exam outside of our school locations. 

4. Can I take the AP Exam at my own school (school of record)? 

Yes, you may write your AP Exam at your school of record if they offer AP exams.  You will need to connect with the AP Coordinator at your school as they will need to provide you with an exam only join code. You will also need to inform our offices so that we can adjust your registration with our school.

5. How much does it cost to take the AP Exam?

The cost to write each AP exam is $200. If you live outside of our exam writing locations there will be additional fees to accommodate a special setting.

6. How do I register for the AP Exam?

After creating an account on the College Board website you will want to login at myap.collegeboard.org.

Click the Join a Course or Exam button. Before you do this, make sure you have the six-Character join code from your teacher. You’ll need it to join a class section.   

Enter the join code your teacher gave you and click Submit.

Make sure the information that comes up is for the course you’re taking. If it is, click Yes

If you need to make any adjustments to your exam registration, such as in you no longer want to write the exam or yes you would like to write, please email Johanna Martz at:  johanna.martz@bconlineschool.ca 

7. What is the AP Exam registration deadline?

There are two AP Exam registration deadlines in a year. The first one is in the middle of November for students who enrolled in the course before this time. The second deadline is in the middle of March. Information will be sent by course teachers and our office informing of upcoming deadlines.

Career Life Education & Career Life Connections Courses

This page is designed to outline the differences in the Career Life Education (CLE) and Career Life Connections (CLC) offerings at HCOS. 

Career Life Education should be taken before Career Life Connections. 

The Ministry of Education has outline the rationale and goals for the new K-12 Career Education offerings:

Rationale

Today’s graduates must be able to adapt to ongoing change in many aspects of their lives. For most people, career life planning will not be a matter of making one major decision and living with it for a lifetime. Instead, purposeful career-life development, where students learn how to set personally meaningful goals, recognize and cultivate relevant opportunities and supportive relationships, and continually re-evaluate and revise their plans, is a requirement for educated citizens in an ever-changing world.

Educated citizens are lifelong learners who continually build on their self-awareness about evolving interests and strengths, and who are able to use this personal knowledge to inform their career-life choices with flexibility as opportunities and challenges arise. Career Education fosters development of the confidence, knowledge, and competencies necessary to succeed in personal, educational, and workplace contexts throughout life.

From Kindergarten to graduation, the Career Education curriculum offers students many opportunities to explore and develop personal interests, strengths, and competencies while making connections with experiential learning, career life possibilities, and preferred post-graduation opportunities. Under the guidance of their teachers, students discover that career life development with intent is not simply figuring out what they want to be when they grow up, but a lifelong journey of being and becoming who they want to be in the world and how they can make meaningful contributions in their communities.

Career Education includes reflection on learning experiences both in school and out of school, and facilitates connections with communities and networks to support personal career-life interests and goals. The Career Education curriculum aligns with the First Peoples Principles of Learning, highlighting a holistic view of students placed at the centre of their learning, and recognizing the importance of experiential learning, guidance from mentors, and community involvement.

Goals

The Career Education curriculum contributes to students’ development as educated citizens through the achievement of the following goals. Students are expected to:

Flex Academy Grad Program Offerings

In Encom you will see Career Life Education and Career Life Connections offered at all three grade levels (10, 11 and 12). This is because we want to work flexibly with our students to have them complete the courses when it is best for them in their educational journey. 

Requirements:

Flex offers both Career Life courses as Hybrid courses. Please connect with your Grad Advisor to plan the best time for you to take these as well as which course option is best for you! 

Comparative Civilizations Program (with Overseas Travel)

Flex Academy Grad students can cross-enroll with HCOS if they would like to participate in the Comparative Civilizations Program (in years it is running). See this page for more information on this opportunity.

Course Options

Flex Academy offers the flexibility to design a unique High School experience with a variety of different learning options. All courses provide credit towards the BC Dogwood Diploma.

Hybrid Courses

Flex Academy offers Blended courses at the grad level in Math, Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts, Career Education, Career Life Connections, and Spanish where course content and unit lessons are hosted in Bright Space for students to complete on a flexible schedule throughout their week. Students then participate in weekly learning labs where they engage in high-engagement hands-on activities to support the subject area's learning. Flex Hybrid courses run the length of the school year with the support of a Flex Academy subject specialist teacher.

Online Courses

Flex Academy offers Grad Students the ability to cross-enroll with HCOS to access an impressive online course catalogue that provides engaging online learning.

HCOS offers two flexible pacing options:

  1. Asynchronous: work at your own pace to complete the course within twelve months from activation date.
  2. Synchronous cohorts: work at the same pace as your peers, meeting regularly on Zoom with your online teacher. 

If available, Flex Students should take the Flex Academy Blended course instead of the same HCOS synchronous online course. Please talk to your Grad advisor or the Director of Flex Academy if you have any questions.

Course Withdrawals or Changes

Students and parents can request course withdrawals or changes during the year, however, there are some implications that need to be acknowledged when changes are made to courses that are in progress.

  1. If you withdraw from a course you were activated in (in progress), you may need to wait until the following school year to take it again.
  2. If you are dropping a hybrid course, you may choose an alternative course.
  3. Core Courses that are required for graduation, such as Science 10-11, Math 10-11, Language Arts 10-12, Career Education 10, and Career Life Connections 12 should not be dropped. Please speak to your grad advisor or school administrator for more information.

To proceed with a course withdrawal or change, please reach out to your grad advisor or school administrator.

Dual Credits

The Ministry of Education and Child Care has provided an option for students to be involved in dual credit programs where they enrol in and complete post-secondary courses or training and also earn secondary (high school) credits at the same time. These dual-credit programs are stand-alone agreements set up between a specific secondary school and a specific post-secondary institution, usually within the same school district. 

Flex Academy does not currently offer dual credit course offerings for our Grade 10-12 students. Students interested in dual-credit courses are encouraged to explore options for cross-enrolment with a local secondary school, and your grad advisor is happy to help you create a schedule and plan for graduation that includes any information on local dual-credit options you bring to them.

For more information on Dual Credits please visit the Ministry of Education website.


Exams

Flex Academy grad teachers will walk students through the process for scheduling exams for any Flex Blended courses that have an exam component.

Flex Academy Graduation Certificate

This page outlines the requirements needed to receive a Flex Graduation Certificate on top of a student's BC Dogwood Diploma. 

Students who complete the BC Graduation requirements receive a BC Dogwood Diploma. HCOS students who complete a minimum of 8 credits in Christian Studies programming also receive an HCOS Graduation Certificate. These 8 credits can be earned through:

These 8 credits also satisfy elective requirements for a student's BC Dogwood.

Why a Flex Academy Graduation Certificate?

Often we are asked what is the purpose to working towards this certificate? There are a few beneficial reasons we suggest to all students to take Christian Studies courses with us. 

  1. Faith Development - We are a Christian school and as such believe that our students should continue to be learning and growing in their personal faith journey. 
  2. Our Christian Studies courses help equip students for their future by ensuring they have a strong foundation and can clearly articulate their beliefs.
  3. Courses are designed to encourage personal development for students as articulated in the HCOS Learner Profile.  
  4. The certificate has been helpful to students applying to Post Secondary studies at Bible Colleges, YWAM programs and universities such as Trinity Western. Showing completion of some under graduate studies in the field they are pursuing can help with entrance requirements. 

Grad Planner - FAQ

What is the purpose of the Grad Planner? 

As students complete Grades 10-12 in British Columbia, they begin building their transcript and accumulating credits towards a diploma. The Grad Planner module in Encom is used for planning and tracking student progress through the various graduation requirements in BC. 

The Grad Planner seen in Encom reflects the graduation program a student is currently enrolled in, either Dogwood, Adult Graduation or School Completion Certificate. It is meant to be a simple tool used to understand graduation requirements and a student’s current standing at any point in time. 

Who sets up the Grad Planner? 

When a student first connects with their Grad Advisor (GA) and prepares to enter the grad program at Flex, the GA will initiate the set-up of the Grad Planner. If you think your Grad Planner still needs to be set up, please contact your GA.

When a GA initially sets up a Grad Planner, they will:

As the GA continues to support a student through grades 10-12, further updates to the Grad Planner may include: 

Who can view the Grad Planner? 

The grad planner in a student’s Encom profile is viewable and printable by the student, the parents, course teachers, Grad Advisors, IE case managers, and administrators. 

Grad Advisors and Grad Program administrators are the only ones who have the ability to update, edit or alter the Grad Planner.

How is the Planner updated? 

Once created, the Grad Planner will automatically update when HCOS course information changes. This includes updates when:

Grad Advisors will manually update Grad Planners when: 

What if I change Graduation programs at some point? 

The Grad Planner module is designed to automatically update whenever a Grad Advisor or Grad Program administrator changes the graduation program that a student is enrolled in. 

For example, if a student decides at 18 to pursue an Adult Graduation Program, the GA would make that change in Encom and the Grad Planner module will automatically update to reflect the requirements for that program. It will also automatically pull any relevant course information from the previous version of the planner. 

What do the different icons within the planner mean?

There is a legend at the top of the Grad Planner that explains what each colour and symbol mean.

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Additionally, see the Grad Planner for Families page here for more detailed explanation of the most commonly seen icons and colours.  

Can I print a copy of my Grad Planner?

Yes! To generate a print or pdf copy of your Grad Planner, navigate to the top of your Grad Planner, where you will see a Download PDF button. Click on that button and it will save a PDF of the Grad Planner which you can print.

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Please note, your electronic grad planner will automatically update when courses are completed, so be sure you are working with the most recent version of your grad planner when planning future courses. 

Who do I contact if I have questions about the Grad Planner? 

Please contact your Grad Advisor if you have any questions.

Math Course Options and Streams

This page provides information regarding the various courses and streams a student can take at HCOS for Math

 

 

Students in Grade 10 will have to make a decision regarding what Math courses to take

Things to consider when choosing a Math Stream:

If you’d like to find out the content that is covered in a particular course please view the Course Description Website

 

Monitoring Progress & Official Reporting

Your Student's Schedule

Each of our dedicated Course Specialist teachers are there to support your student in their learning journey. Teachers can help set up course schedules, but it is best that you as the parent collaborate with your student to decide on the best schedule. 

At the Grad Program level, each courses roughly takes 100-120 hours of work. Be sure that the schedule takes this into account. Generally, students should be dedicating 25-30 hours per week for specific course work, with additional time required for reading and research. This time allotment is standard for completing four courses per semester (an 18 week period). 

Course Progress

Be sure you know your student’s Bright Space User Name and Password (this can be set up in Encom). Until you are sure your student is on pace, please log in every week to monitor your student’s progress.

You or your student should always contact the teacher if they need assistance, or would like to reset their schedule. They are there to help!

Proctored Exams

For some core courses, students will need to write a supervised Proctored Exam. This is at the teacher’s discretion and the student and parent will be notified by the teacher. At that time, the teacher will also inform the parent and student about the process of proctoring and how that exam mark is weighed.

Official Report Cards

If your student has an Active Date (having completed 5-10% or more of a course) they will receive a term report card until they are done. Term report cards are posted in Encom in January and the end of June. Interim reports may also be sent home at any time to update parents and students on their course progress or areas of concern.

In Encom, there is the option to print out the report if you would like a paper copy.

If you do not see a report for a course your student is active in, please get in touch with Bri Dyck, Director of Flex Academy

Ministry of Education Official Transcripts

We regularly submit final grades to the Ministry of Education and they post them onto the student transcript usually about four weeks after the school has submitted. Students can check on their transcript here. If you have any questions about your transcript, please contact your Grad Advisor or the Director of Flex Academy. 

Grade 12 students can also request a copy of their final transcript at the same web-page above. 

Note: you will need your PEN (Personal Education Number) in order to order your transcript. This can be found in Encom. If you need assistance, please contact your Grad Advisor. 

Provincial Assessments - Literacy and Numeracy

What is a Provincial Assessment?

There are three provincial assessments that Grad program students need to take.

Grade 10 Graduation Numeracy Assessment 

The Graduation Numeracy Assessment (GNA) is a provincial assessment written in Grade 10. It is a graduation requirement. The GNA is based on mathematical concepts learned across multiple subjects from kindergarten to Grade 10, with an emphasis on K–9. It requires students to solve problems by using the five numeracy processes (different ways of thinking and working): interpret, apply, solve, analyze and communicate.

HCOS has written a free resource for grad program students to access to help prepare for the Numeracy 10 assessment. To access the resource, click on this link: https://lms.onlineschool.ca/course/view.php?id=2741. Students can self-enrol in this online module, and simply need to contact their GA for the enrolment key to complete the enrolment steps.

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Ministry Resources for Numeracy 10 Assessment

Grade 10 Graduation Literacy Assessment

The Grade 10 Graduation Literacy Assessment (GLA 10) assesses students' ability to use critical thinking and analysis to make meaning from a diverse array of texts. It also assesses the ability of students to communicate their ideas. GLA 10 is not based on a particular course but on learning across multiple subjects, from kindergarten to Grade 10.

Ministry Resources for Literacy 10 Assessment

Grade 12 Graduation Literacy Assessment

The Grade 12 Graduation Literacy Assessment (GLA 12) is currently under development by the ministry and more information will be provided as released.

Ministry Resources for Literacy 12 Assessment 

Who needs to take a Provincial Assessment?

Students Graduating with a Dogwood Diploma Adult Students Graduating with the Adult Dogwood Diploma

Students must complete:

  • Grade 10 Graduation Numeracy Assessment
  • Grade 10 Graduation Literacy Assessment
  • Grade 12 Graduation Literacy Assessment

Students graduating with an Adult Dogwood are not required to complete any of the provincial assessments.


They can however, choose to complete an assessment.

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Students on a School Completion path are not required to write any provincial assessments in the Grad program. 

Why do students need to take a Provincial Assessment? 

The three provincial assessments are a required part of the graduation program in BC. Students who wish to graduate with a BC Dogwood Diploma must write the provincial assessments. Students who are not yet declared Adult Graduation Program students (AGP) are also required to take the assessments. Once declared, the assessments are no longer required to earn an AGP however, they may be required by post-secondary institutions.  Students should verify the admission requirements for any post-secondary institution they plan on applying to.

For more information, or if you have any further questions, please contact your Grad Advisor. 

General Information

The Role of the Grad Advisor

In the grad program at Flex Academy, students are connected with a Grad Advisor. The Grad Advisor works alongside students and families throughout their time in the grad program to help plan, support and guide students to successfully complete grade 12.

Grad Advisors are typically available during regular school hours to connect with students and families. They are willing and able to communicate in a variety of ways, including email, phone calls, in-person meetings or Zoom chats. Below is a brief outline of what your Grad Advisor can help you with, and what things are outside of their responsibilities. 

Grad Advisors are Responsible for: 

Knowing Students

GA’s want to get to know students in order to understand a student's strengths and challenges. This helps them tailor a specific path to graduation for each student.

  • In some cases this may also include connecting students with supports through Learning Services or Inclusive Education departments when appropriate

Academic Advising and Course Selection

This is the the main job of our Grad Advisors and it includes: 

  • Monitoring overall student progress
  • Reporting of external credits
  • Changing and withdrawing courses throughout the year
  • Matching course selection with post secondary goals

Grad Planner

GA’s update and maintain the grad planner tool in Encom. This represents a student’s current plan and path to graduation. 

Share Relevant Community Information

GA’s will communicate general information as it is made available. Throughout the year this may include: 

  • Scholarship information communicated to Flex Academy
  • Graduation event information
  • Local Flex community events

Student Record Transfers

Ga’s will facilitate the transfer of student records and information to new schools when students leave Flex Academy. 

  • This includes submitting requests to deactivate student accounts or instructing families on how to finish courses in progress

Grad Advisors may also:

Give advice, share ideas, brainstorm options

GA’s may give advice on or suggest potential careers or areas of study that line up with student interests and abilities. This will vary among GA’s as each of them have different life experiences and areas of expertise. 

Discuss Provincial Assessment preparation

GA’s can provide guidance to help plan, register, and prepare for Provincial Assessments 

  • Session registration is completed through the Provincial Assessment Coordinator. 
  • GA’s are not involved in Provincial Assessments beyond discussing recommended sessions for students to write assessments in, alerting students to the registration windows,  and providing resources students can use to prepare for assessments. 

Write Reference Letters

With enough time and information provided, GA’s are willing to write reference letters for scholarships and post secondary applications. 

  • If you GA feels there is another individual better suited to write the reference letter, they may suggest you contact that person for a stronger reference. 

Grad Advisors do not:

Act on behalf of a course instructor or teacher

GA’s will not respond to or interpret course specific questions or instructions (interpret teacher emails etc). 

  • If you have questions about a specific course, they will direct you to contact the course teacher for more information.

Complete application forms for students

Post Secondary Applications 

  • Grad Advisors will work with families to help students plan for the appropriate course or program prerequisites IF families bring that information to their Grad Advisor. 
  • Grad Advisors do not research post secondary programs or institutions to determine entrance requirements, course prerequisites, application deadlines, etc for students. This is the responsibility of the student/family.

Scholarship Applications

  • Grad Advisors do not research scholarship information and/or apply for scholarships for students. This is the responsibility of the student/family.

Provide regular, daily support for students

GA’s do not monitor student work, activity, or engagement of students in their courses (or with teachers) on a daily basis to report to parents. It is the responsibility of the parent to maintain the ongoing, regular oversight of their student as they work through their grade 10-12 courses. 

  • Students may access the Student Success Centre at any time if they need extra help with specific assignments, planning, or time management.

Set up LS/IE Assessments or Services

This is the responsibility of the Flex Academy IE Coordinator. They will contact you directly once the referral process is completed. 

Transferring to Flex Academy from within HCOS

The Ministry of Education expects that when a student is enrolled in courses in more than one school, the school that holds the majority of courses is designated as the school of record (SOR). Flex Academy is both a division of HCOS, and a separate school entity from HCOS. So, this presents a few quirks that needs to be navigated.

Families of students cross-enrolling wth Flex Academy will need to be aware of a few aspects of cross-enrollment. This page gives helpful information on the subject.


Transitioning from Grade 9

Welcome to the Grad Program!

This page is to help you understand some of the ins and outs and changes as you move from Grade 9 to Grade 10. At any time, if the information is confusing please feel free to reach out to your Grad Advisor (GA). They are your sidekick through your grad years! 

Student Support

There are lots of resources and people to support your student's learning journey:

Prerequisite Courses

Although the ministry does not mandate prerequisite courses - having taken a specific course before being able to take another - it is highly recommended that in core subject areas you have completed the prior grade level.

Core Courses: Mathematics, Sciences, English Language Arts and Social Studies

For example, to take Foundations and PreCalculus Math 10, it is expected that a student has successfully demonstrated completion of a Math 9 course. 

Course Types 

The Flex Academy grad program currently has three different types of course offerings, all with subject specialist teachers:

  1. Flex Academy Hybrid Courses
    Flex Hybrid courses are a creative blend of online and in-person learning. These courses use Bright Space as a platform to structure the learning journey and are teacher-directed. Teachers post material for students to follow along with in a synchronized fashion. Teachers host learning labs for students where they engage in hands-on learning related to the course material.
  2. Flex Academy Traditional in-person courses. Flex Academy offers a variety of in-person elective courses in Physical Education, the Sciences and the Arts.
  3. HCOS Online Courses
    These courses are hosted in Bright Space, and all the of the learning activities and resources are provided for the students to complete. Curriculum is designed by the HCOS team and directed by an HCOS teacher. Parent involvement is encouraged, though not required.

All courses follow the modernized curriculum and the content outcomes, curricular competencies, core competencies, big ideas as well as biblical worldview integrations.

Please feel free to check out the ministry curriculum here. 

Starting in 2023, during your Grade 9 year at Flex, you will have been able to try several online courses. Middle school students at Flex Academy will also complete several hybrid courses during their middle school years. This will greatly support students in their most flexible years at the Academy during the grad program, where they will have opportunities to schedule their course loads in a way that fits their needs.

While in middle school, students should participate in their learning by understanding what is expected from their teachers and communicating regularly to ask questions, seek clarification and let teachers know what works and doesn't work for them as learners. When students do this at younger ages with the support of their families, the transition to those discussions with the grad program teachers will be smoother.

For more tips and tricks about getting ready for the Grad Program, please click here. 

Viewing Graduation Assessment Results and Your Transcript

This page provides information for students that would like to view their unofficial transcript or see the results of a Graduation Assessment Results. 

Step 1: Create BCeID

To access your StudentTranscripts Services, you will need to sign up for a BCeID. If you already have a BCeID please go down to step 2. 

  1. Complete the registration form for a Basic BCeID on the Ministry of Education's website
    1. Register for a Basic BCeID by entering your personal information. Use a personal email account that you will have for a number of years. When done, click continue.
    2. The next page will ask you to Register for StudentTranscripts. You will need information used by your School of Record (ex. Personal Education Number).
  2.  You will receive a confirmation email indicating that you have registered for the BC Ministry of Education StudentTranscripts services. To complete the registration process you will need to activate your StudentTranscript Registration.

Be sure to keep your userID and password on file as you will need both for future use.

Step 2: Register for StudentTranscript Services

  1. Log in to StudentTranscript Services using your BCeID information (userID and password).
  2. Once logged in you will have access to:
    1. Transcripts & Certificates
    2. Account Information
    3. Marks & Scholarships 
    4. System Notice(s)

Video Tutorial for setting up BCeID and StudentTranscripts Services