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:

• The Office - office@onlineschool.caoffice@flex.academy
• Your Grad Advisor - check Encom under your Home information:
  
  Your Grad Advisor is the one to answer any questions you have about the grad program, requirements, course selection - the list goes on!  
• Your Student's Teachers - each course, online or individualized, has a course specialist teacher at the grad program level. Please feel welcome to reach out at anytime to have discussions, or check in to see where you student is at. 
• Director of GradFlex ProgramAcademy - ChelseaBri Bitgood,Dyck, chelsea.bitgood@onlineschool.cabri.dyck@flex.academy 
• Inclusive Education (IE) Department - Learning Services (LS) and Inclusive Education teachers.Education. If this is something you feel your student could benefit from, please bring it up in discussion with your Grad Advisor who can connect you to the right person on the team!

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:

(Moodle will be for students who are finishing courses in 2023; otherwise, we have transitioned to Brightspace). 

1. IndividualizedFlex Academy Hybrid Courses
   TheseFlex Hybrid courses are designed using a Studentcreative Learningblend Planof template (SLP). The parent/student works together with the teacher to buildonline and structure their learning goals, resources and materials. The modernized curriculum provides many opportunities for these courses to be unique, and tailored to a learner's passions and interests. Some individualized courses are hosted in Moodle where students can log in to submit assignments and work samples to their teachers as well as accessing additional resources forin-person learning. These courses requireuse parentBright participationSpace as a platform to help facilitatestructure the learning.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 Moodle,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,team withand biblicaldirected integration,by inan orderHCOS to provide a robust learning experience for every student.teacher. Parent involvement is encouraged, though not required. 
4. Hybrid Courses
   Hybrid courses are a mix between the two options. These courses use Moodle as a platform to structure the learning journey and are a teacher directed course. In some courses, students will choose their resource, and then based on their resource choice are given instructions on how to complete it. In others, teachers post material for students to follow along with in a more synchronized fashion. 

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

Please feel free to check out the ministry curriculum here. 

HopefullyStarting in 2023, during your Grade 9 year at Flex, you werewill have been able to try anseveral online course.courses. WeMiddle recommendschool thatstudents at Flex Academy will also complete several hybrid courses during their middle school years,years. This will greatly support students tryin their most flexible years at the Academy during the grad program, where they will have opportunities to takeschedule 1 or 2 online courses. When the content starts to get heavier as the grades progress, often families are not sure how to support some of the core subjects - this is where an onlinetheir course isloads in a fantasticway optionthat tofits continuetheir your academic journey. needs.

While in middle school, students should participate in the planning of their SLP's.learning Ifby they can attempt to help make suggestions and understandunderstanding what is expected withfrom 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 teacher,of their families, the transition to those discussions with the grad program teachers will be smoother. 

Grad Assessments

The provincial government has mandated that all students must write two required exams before graduating, the Numeracy Assessment and the Literacy Assessment.

The Numeracy Assessment 10 can be written anytime after completing Grade 9 Math, and can be written up to three different times before graduation. Students should take their first attempt in their grade 10 year. 

The Literacy Assessment 10 and 12 are to be written in the corresponding grade years. Students have up to three attempts on each to improve their scores. 

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