Starting at a new school is an intimidating experience for anyone, but the transition to high school comes with a unique set of challenges – and opportunities. This new school comes with new classmates, new teachers, and a whole new structure. Picking your own courses! Controlling your own schedule! Exciting new freedom, but also daunting new responsibility. Luckily, Ontario Virtual School offers free high school transition courses to make sure that students are well prepared for the road ahead. Best of all? Any one of our courses can be taken any time, any where – including from your bed while still in PJs!
OVS1O: Preparing for Grade 9 Math
“Math anxiety” is a well documented phenomenon. For various reasons, students tend to be more anxious about math than they are other classes. To help ease these anxieties, OVS offers a free course to help students feel more prepared for their transition to high school level math. In this course, students are given the opportunity to refresh their existing math skills and eliminate any skill gaps between their elementary school math education and what they will need to succeed in high school math. This course is designed to deepen students’ understanding of foundational math concepts, strengthen their critical thinking skills, and increase their confidence when it comes to math in general. This course will also help students feel properly prepared for the Grade 9 EQAO math assessment!
OVS2O: Developing Effective Learning Skills
This course is designed to help students build effective learning skills and habits that will ensure success in high school and beyond. This includes general life skills such as long-term planning and effective reading and writing strategies, as well as academic skills like note-taking, effective study habits, and test taking skills. Students who take this course will not only increase their confidence and be more prepared for high school, but for learning new things in general!
OVS3O: Fostering Digital Literacy
As technology continues to advance, it is increasingly important that we understand how to navigate today’s digital landscape. This course is designed to help students prepare for success not just in online coursework, but in digital communication in general. Students will learn everything from appropriate academic and professional netiquette to how to conduct proper internet research. Students will also learn general academic skills, such as plagiarism prevention and effective writing strategies.
OVS4O: Supporting Mental Health
As our societal awareness of mental health increases, a growing body of literature indicates that today’s teens are affected by a unique set of mental health challenges. This course is designed to help students understand what mental health is and how they can develop and maintain positive mental health outlook so that they can be successful both in high school and in life in general. Students will learn important life skills, including self-management and crisis prevention. This course will also focus on building strategies for dealing with issues such as social media protection and digital bullying.
With these free online courses, students and their families can work towards eliminating the anxiety that comes with the transition to high school. And like all of the courses offered by Ontario Virtual School, they can be taken on your schedule from the comfort of your own home! So, if you or someone you know will be making this transition in the near future, visit Ontario Virtual School for more information!
