REVIEW OF Ontario Virtual School BY student, Ashley Shen

(5) Student Experience

I had a very positive experience with OVS: the video lessons were clear, organized, and easy to follow, which made learning at my own pace very easy and not stressful at all. I liked how in-depth the videos were, because they broadened my understanding of the topic in a way that was simple to understand. The textbooks and workbooks were helpful for reviewing important concepts and staying organized. I appreciated the student support available whenever I needed guidance, and the free 1:1 live tutoring for math and science was a great extra resource when I needed some additional help. My teacher was also responsive, and my assignments were all marked quickly, with useful feedback where needed.

The Best Part

The best part is flexible learning with supportive teachers, engaging lessons, helpful tutoring, and being able to learn at your own comfortable pace.

Suggested Improvements

One thing that I think could be improved is adding more opportunities for students to interact and connect with each other, because it would make online learning feel more social (especially for full-time students).

Hidden Details

A new student might be surprised by how flexible the school is. One of the things that surprised me the most was the included tutoring, because it really helped me when studying for tests and the lessons weren't enough.

(3.5) School Leadership

I respect the school leaders and teachers, although I didn’t interact with them very often. They were pretty helpful when needed, but I would have liked more regular communication and involvement with students. Also, sometimes the administrators weren't the fastest at replying to emails, and I had to follow up and call a few times in order to get my matters sorted out. However, my course teacher had a fast reply time whenever I had any questions, which was helpful.

(3.5) Teaching

Because this was an online school, I didn't directly interact with my teacher too often. I think the teachers generally ask a fair number of students. The workload is very manageable if you stay organized and keep up with assignments. Most of the time, I understood what was expected because instructions and course requirements were clearly explained. If I was unsure, I could always review the lesson materials or ask for help. When teachers talk about success, I think they mean more than just getting high marks. They seem to want students to understand the material, complete their work responsibly, and become more independent learners. I think that success at OVS means making steady progress and finishing the course with a better understanding of the subject and confidence in my abilities.

(4.5) Academics

I do not think the work was too hard for me. Some of the concepts were challenging, but only because of the subject itself. I took Chemistry 12, and I think what I learned will definitely be useful later because I plan to major in a field where I’ll need chemistry. Learning these concepts now gives me a strong foundation and will make it easier to understand more advanced chemistry courses in the future.

(2.5) School Life

Since this was an online school, I did not explore an in-person campus at all. However, I would suggest that they look through their dashboard for all of the features that the website has for them. The student planner helped me a lot because I wanted to finish the course in a short amount of time, and it automatically plans your schedule nicely.

(2.5) Admissions

There was no admissions process. Ontario Virtual School doesn't have a major application process; I believe that it is open to everyone who would like to take a new course.