Student Services

Student Services - Guidance Department

At St. Jean de Brébeuf, our Guidance Counsellors are assigned to specific grade levels and support students throughout their journey to graduation.

Our primary responsibilities include academic tracking, career counselling, and post-secondary preparation for all pathways. We take a collaborative, team-based approach, working closely with Administration, Student Success Teachers, Special Education staff, and support groups such as the School Social Worker, ESL staff, School Nurse, Chaplain, Christian Service Animator, and all school staff. Together, we promote the values of “BE READY, BE PRESENT, BE BRAVE”, fostering lifelong learning and personal growth.

Preparation for Registration, Course Selection, and Transition

Transitions Team: Our Transitions Team, comprised of Administration, Guidance Counsellors, Special Education Resource Teachers, and Student Success Teachers, organizes Orientation and Transition activities for Grades 7 to 10. This team ensures a smooth and successful transition to high school for all students.
Catholic Feeder Schools: Grade 8 students from our Catholic Feeder Schools will receive all necessary registration information throughout the school year.
Public Elementary Schools: If your child is currently attending a public elementary school and plans to enroll at SJB, please contact the school office as soon as possible at 905-388-7020.
Course Recommendations and Selection: Grade 8 teachers will provide course level recommendations based on student achievement. Parents/guardians will then select courses, taking into account these recommendations and their child’s individual needs.
Grade 9 Course Selection Guide: This guide contains diploma requirements, course descriptions, and registration details. It includes a sample Grade 9 option sheet and a planning guide. These tools can assist in course planning, with the option sheet serving as a preliminary draft. In January, Grade 8 students will submit the finalized pink option sheet, completed in collaboration with their teacher and parent/guardian.
Christian Service Hours: A requirement for graduation is the completion of 40 Christian Service Hours. Grade 8 students may begin accumulating these hours starting in July before their Grade 9 year.
Passport to Grade 9: This two-day orientation program, held at the end of August, is designed to ease the transition into high school. Students will practice opening lockers, navigating the school, and finding classrooms. During these two days, Grade 8s will have the school to themselves, providing a stress-free introduction to high school life.
Stay Connected: Follow us on Instagram at @sjbguidance for the latest updates and important information.

Student Success

What is Student Success in Ontario?

In Ontario, Student Success is a key provincial initiative aimed at supporting students in achieving their full potential and preparing them for life beyond high school, whether that’s in post-secondary education, apprenticeships, or the workforce. It involves programs, policies, and strategies designed to improve academic achievement, foster engagement, and ensure equitable opportunities for all students.

Key Components of the Student Success Strategy

Student Success Teams
Every secondary school in Ontario has a Student Success Team, which typically includes:
- A Student Success Teacher
- Guidance Counsellors
- Administrators (Vice Principals or Principals)
- Special Education staff, as needed
  This team collaborates to identify and support students at risk of underachieving or dropping out.
Student Success Teachers
These teachers focus on providing extra support to students, monitoring their progress, and developing personalized strategies to help them stay on track.
Credit Recovery and Credit Rescue
- Credit Recovery: Allows students who have failed a course to earn the credit by focusing on the specific areas where they struggled.
- Credit Rescue: Provides timely intervention during a course to prevent students from failing in the first place.
Specialized Programs
- Dual Credit Programs: Allow students to earn both high school and college credits simultaneously.
- Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM): A program where students focus their learning on a specific sector (e.g., health care, technology, business) while earning certifications.
- Cooperative Education (Co-op): Provides students with real-world work experience, helping them develop practical skills.
- Alternative Education Programs: Designed for students who may not thrive in a traditional school setting.
Individual Pathways Plan (IPP)
Students from Grades 7 to 12 develop and revise an Individual Pathways Plan, where they set goals, explore opportunities, and track their personal and academic progress toward future pathways.

Success Strategies

Click here for more resources

Math Support

Literacy Support

Kids Help Phone

A Resource on Youth Development

http://myblueprint.ca/

10 Ways to Manage High School Stress.pdf

Helping Your Teen Adjust to High School.pdf

Homework How Can Parents Help.pdf

Homework Tips for Students.pdf

Ten Top Tips for Academic Sudy.pdf

Test Taking Made Comfortable.pdf

Tips for Classroom Success.pdf

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)

The Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) is a ministry approved specialized program. The SHSM program allows students to focus on knowledge and skills that are of particular importance and to obtain certifications recognized in this SHSM sector as they work towards meeting the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. Students who graduate with this SHSM designation on their diploma are prepared for success in this SHSM sector and in the postsecondary destination of their choice, whether it apprenticeship training, a college or university program, or the workplace.

SHSM Sector Guide Components Here

The following components, which are outlined in detail in the ministry-approved SHSM Sector Guide, are as follows:

1. A package of 8-10 required credits (Grade 11 and 12 courses).

2. Compulsory certifications and training including CPR Training, Standard First Aid, WHMIS and others specific to the sector.

3. Experiential learning and a minimum of 2 credits earned through cooperative education.

4. Reach ahead opportunities which allow students to experience learning in their intended postsecondary destination.

5. Innovation, Creativity, Entrepreneurship (I.C.E.) Training.

This focused learning experience gives students the opportunity to explore, identify, and refine career goals and make informed decisions related to their postsecondary destination. Successful completion of the SHSM will be indicated on the Ontario Student Transcript and on the diploma.

We offer the following SHSM sectors at St. Jean de Brébeuf C.S.S.

Arts and Culture
Business
Construction
Health and Wellness
Hospitality and Tourism
Information and Communication Technology
Nonprofit
Sports
Transportation