Course Selections for Current Grade 8's

What to take? What to take?

Course selection time is here and eight serious decisions are ahead of you. Your course selections will become your High School Transcript and your résumé for University, College and Workplace applications, so put some thought into it. Here is some advice for everyone currently in Grade 8.

Academic or Applied:

This is a big decision for students. Step #1 is to talk to your parents and Grade 8 teachers and take their advice into account. You may have a Grade 9 friend that tells you to take one or the other, but they are not you and don’t understand your interests or learning style like you do.

You chose a stream - but this does not mean that you have to take every course at the Applied level; you could still take just your strengths at the Academic level. Also this is the beginning of assessing where you might be headed down the road because what you take dictates what you will be allowed to take in Grade 11, when Academic and Applied are gone and the levels become University, College or Workplace. Just because you try Academic in Grade 9 also does not mean you are committed to that level for the rest of High School. There are summer courses to upgrade to a higher level, or many students go to College first after High School and then assess if they want to go to University. Keep in mind that the students that have the most difficulty finding success are just in the wrong course.

Electives:

You have English, Math, Science, Geography, and French. Also you have to take Physical Education before you graduate so you might as well take it in Grade 9.

You only have TWO electives this year! You may want to think about what you want in Grade 10 and beyond before you just pick anything and make sure that you are on track for where YOU will want to be when you finish these 8 courses and start Grade 10. Here is a helpful planner if you want to sit down with a pencil and think it out.

Some of the course descriptions may contain too much educational jargon for the average person and not tell the real story of what a course is about, so here are a few quotes from current Sandwich Students to tell you a bit about their experiences with some of the electives that you might be considering:

Grade 9 Introduction to Business Information and Technology (BTT1O):

Introduction to Business Information and Technology, BTT1O, introduces important concepts that have been very beneficial to me in my first semester of high school and will continue to be beneficial in my future. This course teaches the skills and tools necessary to help in future careers by learning how to effectively and efficiently utilize technology. There are many topics we learn about in business, including the use of different programs and how to apply them to our everyday lives. I think this class is a great option to take in grade nine because you will find that what you learn will be very important and useful as you get older. You will learn how to use programs such as Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Excel and many more. Learning these programs will allow you to use Microsoft Word to effectively type notes in class, create business cards in Microsoft Publisher when finding a summer job or use Microsoft Excel to keep track of your finances at home. You will find that this course will be useful, not only in your high school career, but also in your day to day life.

~ Nicole Hartley-Spoiala, Grade 9

Grade 9 Integrated Technology (TIJ1O):

Grade 9 Integrated Technology has been by far the best class of my first year at Sandwich. You spend about a month in each of the school shop classes which include: Transportation, Manufacturing, Construction, Communications, and Tech Design. You get to design, draw, plan, budget, build and finish a variety of really fun, hand-on projects. We’ve cut projects out of both metal and wood, learned PhotoShop and AutoCad, and launched rockets that flew over the Vollmer Complex. It is the best optional course you can take in grade 9, and I loved every rotation. We even got to learn about the Sandwich First Robotics Team and I plan on joining next year. Do yourself a favour and sign up for TIJ1O; you’ll be glad you did.

~Preston, Grade 9

Grade 9 Exploring Family Studies (HIF1O):

We liked Exploring Family Studies as an elective course that we took in Grade 9 for a variety of reasons. Firstly, we learned many essential skills that will help us in our everyday life. Some of the skills we learned include; stain removal, cooking, ironing and money management. Another reason why we enjoyed Exploring Family Studies is because it allowed us the chance to use our creative ideas without talking a specific art course. It was a chance to express ourselves in various ways in which we chose. Exploring Family Studies also helped to improve our communication skills through group work activities and presentations. All of the reasons here and many more made this course a very enjoyable class and one that everyone should take if they have the chance.

~Karly Masse & Sarah Henderson, Grade 10

Grade 9 Visual Art (AVI1O)

The Art course is very fun! In this course you use a variety of materials and techniques and styles that you will enjoy. The teachers are very nice and helpful! You can make lots of new friends in this course. The students will understand the elements and principles of design, and be able to apply these in their artwork. You will learn the history of the artwork and enhance your creativity. The projects are very enjoyable and fun. You use creative and critical analysis to interpret art in personal, contemporary, and historical contexts. And you don’t need to be good at art in order to take it, this course is just to teach you how to be the artist you want to be!

~Sallma Majthoub, Grade 10

Grade 9 Music (AMI1O)

I loved taking music as an elective course in Grade 9. Grade 9 music was an enriching experience that helped me further develop my skills, gain new ones, and expand my overall knowledge. Grade 9 music helped me improve my abilities by teaching me basic theory knowledge, music history, and technical skills. Aside from this, Grade 9 music is a perfect place for creative freedom and a course I will never regret taking!

~Addie Burrows, Grade 10

If I had to choose a favourite class, it would be music by a landslide. I find it impossible to recall an occasion in which I left the music room feeling even the slightest bit of negativity. Between the relaxed atmosphere and the relationships therein--and the fact that one gets to be surrounded with music for over an hour each day, it is unlikely I could ever picture someone not benefiting from music class.

~Damara Gagnier, Grade 9

Good Luck with all of your decisions!