REVIEW OF Ontario Virtual School BY student, Jaskaran Matharu

(5) Student Experience

I have loved the Ontario Virtual School student experience. I have always been able to ask the teacher questions, and they have sent me an email within 1–2 days. I have also liked the layout of the website, as it was very easy to use. There does not seem to be anything that I would want to change because this school is AMAZING! A lot of my friends have also been attending this school because our day school is not the best at teaching, and it has been a wonderful experience for them as well. I feel like Ontario Virtual School is a better school than my actual day school. For example, I actually feel accepted, and I do not feel nervous or scared whenever I ask any questions. OVS has inspired me to become a better learner, and this OVS experience has been EXCELLENT! My mark was also in the high 90s, and because of this, I was able to get into my dream university—Waterloo!

(5) School Leadership

Yes, I believe that the guidance counselors and the teachers have done their best. My teacher, Ms. Chevalier, was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had in school. She would always mark my tests within a couple of hours, and the latest she ever took was about one day. This school has the best leadership, and they truly care about the success of the students. I also sent emails to guidance counselors online, and they have always helped solve any of my educational—or even personal—problems.

(5) Teaching

I feel like the teachers ask enough of me to give a fair grade that reflects my work. For example, I have put all of my effort into all of the assignments and tests, and the teachers have given me high grades as a result. They also give valuable feedback, which encourages me to do better on upcoming assignments. I also feel like they want me to learn better. On the other hand, at OVS, they have videos of teachers teaching. This was the best idea for me because I could always pause the video and go back to parts where I didn’t understand the information. I have no complaints about the teachers at all and am really proud to have these teachers at OVS.

(5) Academics

Some of the work might feel hard at first, but it’s worth it because it helps me build the necessary skills to learn and definitely prepares me for university. For example, the organic chemistry unit seemed like a lot, but OVS taught it in a step-by-step manner, which helped me do better in chemistry than other students at my current day school. Some of the concepts will also be useful later in life. For instance, it has made me think about how specific molecules are developed in medicines, using everything I learned in the chemistry course. The labs also give me an idea of what I might be doing in the future. There are amazing labs that can be done online, too. They’re very fun, and it feels like I’m playing a video game while learning at the same time! Personally, I had no complaints.

(5) School Life

I would take a group of visitors or a school to the homepage of the course, then show them the demo. This way, they would get an understanding of what the course is and what they can do. I would also introduce how they can contact their teachers, and that teachers must respond within 1–3 business days (mine responded way before, and this is why I love OVS!). Then, I would show them the interesting and interactive labs they can do. After that, I would show the fun lessons; they are immersive, and you would never get bored with them. They’re always so interesting to learn. I would also show them the marking tools on the slides. Finally, I would show them the fun challenges where students can compete with others and learn at the same time. It’s like playing a video game while learning.

(5) Admissions

The admissions process was very straightforward. I remember paying the tuition fee of $574. I feel that the cost of OVS was worth every single dollar. After paying, I immediately received an email from my teacher with a warm welcome. I could start the course right away after my prerequisite was approved, which happened within a day. If anyone is stressed about whether they will get admission, I think it is guaranteed, and OVS would be glad to have a student like you. Also, after completing the course, my mark was submitted to OUAC, the university page, within two days. THIS WAS MUCH FASTER THAN MY DAY SCHOOL! Overall, I had no complaints about OVS, and I enjoyed the course so much that I wish I could do it again.