Student Success

In the spirit of student success, GDHS provides students multiple opportunities to ensure their success throughout high school. Programs and initiatives include:

• Credit Recovery: A student who fails a course works with a teacher to retake the units where they did not initially meet expectations. This provides the student with another chance to demonstrate their understanding of specific topics, rather than retaking the entire course. To enroll in the credit recovery program, a student must meet with their Guidance counsellor to discuss enrollment in the program.  Credit Recovery typically takes place during a student’s lunch period and lasts only long enough for the student to demonstrate enough learning to earn the credit.

• Credit Rescue: Teachers offer an opportunity for a student to complete missed or incomplete evaluations in order to “rescue” a credit that may be at risk. This may include Zap the Zero held on P.D. days or select school days near to 5th week, mid-term, or 15th week reporting, and/or credit rescue during the exam block.

• Dual Credits: Partnership programs between school boards and colleges provide an opportunity for senior students to earn secondary school and college credits at the same time. These credits are applied to their OSSD and college diploma or Level 1 apprenticeship training.  College credits are generally transferable to other colleges should the student want to pursue education at a different college once they graduate from high school.

• Self-Paced Learning:  Students requiring a self-paced self-directed learning environment may meet with their Guidance counsellor to discuss opportunities to enroll in the Self-Paced Learning (SPL) Program. SPL courses may start and finish at any point in the semester and allow more flexible timetabling for students.

School Skills Support: Students may connect with the Student Success Teacher to work on school skills such as time management, organization, note taking, and test taking.  Sessions to support students with these skills are run during the school year for students with periods 3 and 4 lunch and can be offered individually or in small groups for students with a different lunch period. 

Jillian Howarth
Student Success Lead Teacher
(howarthj) - mail directed to @hdsb.ca