Page 16 - Choices into Action

While most students will make a successful transition from one school to another, some will require additional assistance adjusting to new situations. To integrate successfully into a new school, those students who are recent arrivals to Ontario may require specialized, planned, ongo- ing orientation programs. Students who have been identified as exceptional and those who are entering school in midyear or mid-semester may require extra help in making an effective transi- tion to a new school and regaining their focus on academic achievement.
Exit Programs
Students leave school for a variety of reasons – they may move to a different town, transfer to a new school, graduate, or choose to pursue goals outside of school. The goal of an exit program is to help all these students make a successful transition to the next stage of their lives. Principals are encouraged to prepare exit pro- grams that include a review of students’ annual education plans and future goals.
The exit programs for graduates should include the following:
– a review of each student’s plans for postsec- ondary education, training, apprenticeship, independent living, or work
– information on university and college pro- grams, application and admission procedures, visits to campuses, and so on
– information on apprenticeship programs
– information on procedures for applying for employment
– financial planning information
ORIENTATION AND EXIT PROGRAMS
Orientation Programs
To help students who are new to a school to adjust and to provide them with information about the programs and services available, the principal of each school is responsible for devel- oping an orientation program. Such programs will be designed to help students adjust to school at key transition points, such as entry into a new school and the move from elemen- tary to secondary school. Students who change schools in midyear, as well as students enrolled for the first time in schools operated by Ontario school boards, also need such programs.
Both the student and his or her parents will require information about the programs and services offered by the school and the local board and the name of the teacher who will be the student’s main contact. In Grades 1 to 6, this will be a classroom teacher; in Grades 7 to 11, the teacher-adviser; and in Grade 12, the guid- ance counsellor. A tour of the school facility would also benefit all new students.
Students’ introduction to the school’s programs must include the school’s code of student behav- iour and information about relevant school serv- ices and programs, including the academic pro- gram, the library resource centre, the special education program, the availability of remedial support, the guidance and career education pro- gram, peer helpers, the student council, and opportunities for extracurricular activities. In secondary schools, information about diploma requirements, work experience, cooperative education, and community involvement must also be provided. Each secondary school stu- dent and his or her parents will receive a copy of the secondary school’s course calendar and a copy of the student’s timetable.
PROGRAM DELIVERY COMPONENTS
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