THE DUNCAN ACADEMY COURSE  CALENDER(2016)

 

Our School Philosophy

 

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Requirement

 

• All students who want to obtain an OSSD must successfully complete the provincial secondary school literacy test or literacy course in order to earn a secondary school diploma.

 

• International students entering the Ontario secondary school system for the first time in with no previous Ontario credits are OSS students working towards OSS diploma
       requirements. Grade 12 OSS students must meet the literacy graduation requirement.

 

• The literacy test will be based on the Ontario curriculum expectations for language and communication - particularly reading and writing - up to and including Grade 9.

 

• The Duncan Academy will provide remedial assistance for students who do not complete the test successfully. This assistance is designed to help students improve their skills so that they are better prepared to retake the literacy test.

 

• Students not successful on their first attempt may rewrite the test. There is no limit to the number of attempts that a student may make. Once students have successfully completed the literacy test, they may not retake the test.

 

• Students eligible to write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test at least twice and have been unsuccessful at least once, qualify to take The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OSSLC), Grade 12. Successful completion of this course will provide an alternative means of demonstrating the required literacy skills and meet the literacy requirement. Mature students may enroll in the OSSLC course without having attempted and failed the OSSLT. A mature student is described as:

 

       at least eighteen years of age on or before December 31 of the school year in which he or she registers in an Ontario secondary school program;

      was not enrolled as a regular day school student for a period of at least one school year immediately preceding his or her registration in a secondary program;

      is enrolled in a secondary program for the purpose of obtaining an OSSD.

 

• Only the indication of the successful completion of the literacy requirement will be entered on the student's Ontario Student Transcript. If the student completed the Ontario Secondary Literacy Course, the mark and credit earned will also be included.

Deferrals

• English As A Second Language and English Literacy Development students will take the test when they have reached an appropriate level of proficiency in English. The parents or staff may request deferral for eligible students, and the school Principal may grant permission.

 

 

 

Community Involvement Requirement

 

As stated in Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999 (OSS), every student who begins secondary school during or after the 1999–2000 school year must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as part of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The purpose of the community involvement requirement is to encourage students to develop awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and of the role they can play and the contributions they can make in supporting and strengthening their communities.

Community involvement activities are part of the school's program.

 

 

 

TDA Staff will discuss appropriate types of community involvement activities and projects with students and may offer suggestions. However, the selection and management of the involvement is to be directed by the student.

 

Community involvement activities may take place in a variety of settings, including  not-for-profit organizations, public sector institutions (including hospitals), and informal settings. Students may not fulfill the requirement through activities that are counted towards a credit (cooperative education and work experience, for example), through paid work, or by assuming duties normally performed by a paid employee. Students must fulfill their requirement outside of school hours.

 

Students must maintain and provide a record of their community involvement activities. The organizations or persons supervising the activities must confirm completion of the required 40 hours. The student must submit documentation attesting to the completion of each activity to the Principal. This documentation must include for each activity the name of the person or organization receiving the service, the activity performed, the dates and hours, the signatures of the student and her or his parents, and a signed acknowledgement by the person (or a representative of the organization) involved.  The Principal will decide whether the student has met the requirements of both the Ministry and TDA for these activities.

 

 

 

Ineligible Activities

The ministry has developed a list of activities that may not be chosen as community involvement activities. These are referred to as ineligible activities. An ineligible activity is an activity that:

 

Ÿ is a requirement of a class or course in which the student is enrolled (e.g., cooperative education portion of a course, job shadowing, work experience);

Ÿ takes place during the time allotted for the instructional program on a school day. However, an activity that takes place during the student’s lunch breaks or “spare” period is permissible;

Ÿ takes place in a logging or mining environment, if the student is under sixteen years of age;

Ÿ takes place in a factory, if the student is under fifteen years of age;

Ÿ takes place in a workplace other than a factory, if the student is under fourteen years of age and is not accompanied by an adult;

Ÿ would normally be performed for wages by a person in the workplace;

Ÿ involves the operation of a vehicle, power tools, or scaffolding;

Ÿ involves the administration of any type or form of medication or medical procedure to other persons;

Ÿ involves handling of substances classed as “designated substances” under the Occupational Health and Safety Act;

Ÿ requires the knowledge of a tradesperson whose trade is regulated by the provincial government;

Ÿ involves banking or the handling of securities, or the handling of jewellery, works of arts, antiques, or other valuables;

Ÿconsists of duties normally performed in the home (i.e., daily chores) or personal recreational activities;

Ÿinvolves activities for a court-ordered program (e.g., community-service program for young offenders, probationary program).

 

 

School Policies

ASSESSMENT and EVALUATION

 

 

The primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning. Information gathered

through assessment and evaluation helps teachers to identify students’ difficulties as well as their strengths.

 

Assessment is the process of gathering information from a variety of sources (including assignments, demonstrations, projects, performances, and tests) that accurately reflects how well students are achieving the curriculum expectations. As part of assessment, teachers provide students with descriptive feedback that guides their efforts towards improvement.

 

Evaluation is a part of the learning process for both the student and the teacher. Formative evaluation

occurs during the process of learning. Formative evaluation is a tool designed to keep both students and teachers aware of the objectives to be achieved, and to periodically inform them of intellectual and emotional progress. Summative evaluation takes place at the end of a unit of study, or of a period of time.

The purpose of summative evaluation is to determine the quality of a students work on the basis of

established achievement criteria, and assigning a value to represent that quality.  The final percentage grade for Grade 9 - 12 courses will be derived as follows:

 

70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations undertaken throughout the course. This portion of the grade should represent the student’s most consistent level of achievement, with special consideration given to the more recent evidence of achievement.

 

30% of the grade will be based upon a final evaluation in the form of one or a combination of the

following: an examination, a performance, an essay, or another method of evaluation suitable to the course content and expectations. The final evaluation should be administered at or towards the end of the course. There will be no exemptions from the final evaluation.

 

Assessment and evaluation will be based upon the provincial curriculum expectations (content standards)

and the achievement levels (performance standards).  Assessment and evaluation must be based upon the categories of knowledge and skills and on the achievement level descriptions given in the Achievement Chart. Two separate aspects of student achievement must be reported: achievement of curriculum expectations and learning skills. The percentage grade represents the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations for the course and the corresponding level of achievement as described in the Achievement Chart.

 

Evaluation will be based on the provincial curriculum expectations, and on the achievement levels

outlined in the secondary curriculum policy documents. These levels of achievement are associated with

percentage grades, and are defined as follows:

 

80-100%        Level 4: a very high to outstanding level of achievement.

Achievement is above the provincial standard.

 

70-79%            Level 3: a high level of achievement.

Achievement is at the provincial standard. A student achieving at this level is well prepared for work in the next grade or the next course.

 

60-69%           Level 2: a moderate level of achievement.

Achievement is below, but approaching, the provincial standard.

 

50-59%            Level 1: a passable level of achievement.

Achievement is below the provincial standard.

 

Below 50%      Insufficient achievement of the curriculum expectations.

The student will not receive a credit for the course.

Level 3 (70–79%) is the provincial standard. Teachers and parents can be confident that students who are achieving at level 3 are well prepared for work in the next grade or the next course. According to the ministry document Growing Success

Evidence of student achievement for evaluation is collected over time from three different sources –

observations, conversations, and student products. Using multiple sources of evidence increases the

reliability and validity of the evaluation of student learning.

“Student products” may be in the form of tests or exams and/or assignments for evaluation.

Assignments for evaluation may include rich performance tasks, demonstrations, projects, and/or

essays. To ensure equity for all students, assignments for evaluation and tests or exams are to be

completed, whenever possible, under the supervision of a teacher. Assignments for evaluation must

not include ongoing homework that students do in order to consolidate their knowledge and skills

or to prepare for the next class. Assignments for evaluation may involve group projects as long as

each student’s work within the group project is evaluated independently and assigned an individual

mark, as opposed to a common group mark.

Further, assessment must involve the co-construction of learning goals (student friendly linguistic understanding of the expectations) and success criteria which as an example would be student friendly language for rubrics and other marking devices.

 

Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty includes practices such as plagiarism, cheating on tests, examinations and assignments. Academic dishonesty may result in receiving a mark of zero in the assignment.

Plagiarism
When you borrow another writer's words and/ or ideas and include them in your work, you must acknowledge this whether it is a direct quotation or a restatement of an idea. Failure to do so is a form of academic dishonesty known as plagiarism and will result in a mark of zero for the work submitted.

 

       REPORT CARDS AND MARKS

 

A report card will be completed and filed in the Ontario Student Record for each student who has been

enrolled at TDA . As required by law, a student’s record of courses and credits gained towards the requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma is maintained on the Ontario Student Transcript (OST), which is the official record of a student’s academic achievement in high school.

The report card provides a record of the student’s achievement of the curriculum expectations in the form of a           percentage grade, which reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A final grade is recorded for every course, and a credit is granted and recorded for every course in which the student’s grade is 50% or higher. The final grade for each course in Grades 9–12 will be determined as follows: 70% of the grade will be based on evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration should be given to more recent evidence of achievement. 30% of the grade will be based on a final evaluation in the form of an examination and or performance essay and/or other method of evaluation suitable to the course content and administered towards the end of the course.

 

Transfer, Change, or Withdrawal

Students wishing to transfer to The Duncan Academy from another school in Ontario during the semester may do so, only if the courses selected at the school have been started at the previous school.
The transfer must be approved by the Principal after consultation with the previous school’s Principal and will be allowed only if we believe that the student will be able to successfully complete the course at the school.

 

 

Attendance

Regular attendance is crucial to success in The Duncan Academy programs. The guidelines of the Ministry of Education require that students receive at least 110 hours of instruction for each credit course. TDA expects all students to attend all classes. Valid documentation must be presented to the teacher and the office for missed classes. Persistent absences will result in the following actions:

 

1st notice upon 5 HOURS absence:              2nd notice upon 9HOURS absence:               3rd notice upon 15 HOURSs absence:

 

Warning  to student and the                       Warning sent to parents or                             Interview with the Principal/Vice

development of a plan by student               guardians with an interview required          Principal.

and staff to improve attendance.                   with the Principal/Vice Principal.

Loss of Credit.

 

Lates: Lates will be recorded on the attendance and the amount of time late will be indicated. Should total minutes of lates exceed 15 hours then the principal may not grant the credit.

 

Leave of Absence

In order to maintain eligibility for Student Authorization from the Canadian Government, students must follow certain guidelines before taking a Leave of Absence outside Canada. They must:

• Have attended a minimum of 2 semesters

• Have a tuition fee balance for 4 courses (or the number required for graduation)

• Have a signed letter from parents or guardian approving the application

• Have a round-trip air ticket

 

 

A Leave of Absence must be requested at least two weeks prior to the intended departure date. Leave of absence should coincide with scheduled holidays or times when the student's absence does not have an impact upon the completion of their courses. Students

 

will not be granted a Leave of Absence if it will negatively impact upon their ability to successfully complete their program, unless the Leave of Absence is for compassionate reasons. The Principal will make the final decision.

 

External Credits

In the event that course(s) critical to the graduation of a student are not available at The Duncan Academy, we will assist our students in obtaining credit(s) through other agencies such as the Independent Learning Centre or Continuing Education Programs.

Equal Education Opportunity

The Duncan Academy is committed to the principles of gender, faith, race and ethno-cultural equity in the curricula, policies and practices of the School.                                                                                        

 

 

Student Services

 

Student Counseling and Services

Our staff assists and advises students in a variety of areas during their stay with The Duncan Academy. Services include:

 

Academic

• Course and academic counseling

• University and college information

 • Applications to universities and colleges
 • Computer Lab

 

Personal:

• Opening bank accounts

• Application for transit cards

• Welcome to New Students

• Counseling for Personal Problems

 

Housing:

• Student Residence

• Home Stay Opportunities

 

Visa Renewal:

The Office of the school will facilitate renewal of the Canadian Student Authorization, provided that the student is proceeding towards an OSSD or 30 credits at The Duncan Academy.

 

a) For students who have four or less courses to complete for the OSSD, a request for renewal will be issued upon confirmation of the full payment of the remainder of the tuition fees.

 

b) For students who have more than four courses to complete for the OSSD, the confirmation will be issued only if the student has a tuition fee balance for four courses for the coming semester.

 

 

 

 

Guidance and Career Assistance

 

 

 This program will be delivered in various ways, including orientation and exit programs, career exploration activities, and individual assistance and counseling.

 

The program is organized into three areas of learning:

• student development (the skills and habits necessary for learning)

• interpersonal development (the skills and knowledge necessary to get along with others)

• career development.

 

All students are required to complete a half-credit course in career studies as part of the new diploma requirements.

 

 

 

Code of Behaviour

Goals

The Code of Behaviour has been established by The Duncan Academy to ensure:
• that all members of this school community are treated with respect, courtesy and dignity. • that teachers will have the opportunity to teach and that students will have the opportunity to learn. • that all students will have the opportunity to participate fully and safely in school, whether it be in the classroom, the school yard, special events, sports, extracurricular activities or school trips.

• that the expectations for appropriate behavior are identified and taught.
• that the process for ensuring that these expectations are followed is consistent and familiar.

• that everyone will develop an appreciation of the impact of their behavior, both positive and  negative, on others.

•that students learn that rules, policies and procedures provide guidelines for behaviour, but  that control of behaviour will be internalized as self control.

Responsibilities

Everyone has responsibility for ensuring the success of TDA’s Code of Conduct. The general expectations are outlined below:

 

Students:

• Treat everyone with courtesy, respect and dignity.

• Learn the rules.

• Complete assigned work.
• Act in a safe manner.

• Accept and follow the rules and regulations of the school.

• Accept responsibility for their actions.

• Use acceptable strategies to resolve conflict. If necessary, students will be taught appropriate alternatives to resolving conflict.

• Promptly respond to the instructions of supervising staff.

 

Staff:

• Treat everyone with courtesy, respect and dignity.

• Ensure that students and parents are aware of the policies and expectations of the school.

• Communicate with parents.

• Design strategies that focus on and acknowledge positive behaviours.

• Ensure that they address inappropriate behaviours.

• Maintain a consistent approach and expectations, acknowledging positive behaviours and addressing negative behaviours.

• Teach the students alternatives to negative behaviours.

 

Parent(s):

• Treat everyone with courtesy, respect and dignity.

• Ensure that students and parents are aware of the policies and expectations of the school.

• Discuss and reinforce the expectations with their son/daughter

 

Process

A key component in the success of a Code of Behaviour is a clearly defined process for dealing with inappropriate behaviour. The steps are outlined below:

• Staff will be responsible for identifying and addressing inappropriate behaviour.

• In a conflict situation:

• Supervising staff will intervene and issue instructions designed to terminate the conflict.

• Students are responsible for responding immediately to those instructions.

• Staff will determine a time and location to provide an opportunity for resolution of the conflict or to deal with inappropriate behaviour.

 

The process for resolving the conflict is designed to:

•provide an opportunity for the students involved to present their viewpoints.

•assist students to identify:

•the degree of their responsibility in the conflict situation.

• the positive and negative components of their actions.

•teach alternative behaviours with the clear expectations that students will accept responsibility for using the more appropriate behaviours in the future.

•give the students ownership of the problem, actively involve them in determining a solution,
and through this process, teach self discipline.

• assist staff in assigning the most appropriate consequence(s).

Consequences

In general, a progression of possible consequences for persistent inappropriate behaviour is outlined below.

• A consequence determined by student participation in the conflict resolution process.

• Parental contact.

• Contact with the Principal
• Removal of privileges.

• Unable to participate in events off of school property.

• In-School Suspension.

• School Suspension.
• School Expulsion.

 

 

The above list of consequences is not definitive, nor would the consequences necessarily follow the steps in the order that they appear. For example, a student who deliberately injures someone could be suspended without having proceeded through the various steps. While it is the goal of the school to teach appropriate behaviours, the safety of everyone must be given priority.

 

PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE AN AUTOMATIC SUSPENSION FOR BRINGING A WEAPON (GUN, KNIFE OR REPLICA OF A GUN/KNIFE) ON TO SCHOOL PROPERTY LASER POINTERS ARE INCLUDED UNDER THIS POLICY SCHOOL PROPERTY INCLUDES ANY LOCATION OR TIME WHERE STUDENTS ARE PARTICIPATING IN A SCHOOL SANCTIONED ACTIVITY