Centre Wellington District High School (CWDHS) is holding an information night for prospective grade 9 students and their parents on Jan. 13.
From 5:30 to 6:30pm students and parents are invited to drop in for a tour of CWDHS (the last group will leave at 6:10).
Beginning at 6:30, the school administration will run a half hour information session giving parents and students background about different academic pathway options and the different academic levels they can consider. Beth Burns, CWDHS principal will be at the event to answer any questions.
Students and their parents will also be introduced to the Link program where grade 9 students are paired with grade 11 or 12 students who act as their mentor. One of the first activities of the Link program is a barbecue the Thursday before the school year starts to introduce new grade 9s to their mentors. This also allows the grade 9s to become familiar with being at the school before the year begins.
Another important highlight of the night will be a discussion about realistic expectations for both the students to have of themselves and for the parents to have for their children.
Heather Ginzel, co-head of the guidance department at CWDHS, said that grade nine students often come in with misinformation about what they can expect in high school and they’re scared on their first day.
“A lot of them are frightened because it’s such a big building. They’re coming from a small grade eight school into this building of 1200 students so it can be very intimidating to them,” she said.
Coming to this information session and seeing the school will help put the anxious students at ease and hopefully decrease anxiety levels in upcoming months, Ginzel explained.
Once the information session is done, parents and future students will have a half hour to chat with school administration and teachers from each of the departments. Some departments may even have demonstrations of work being pursued while at CWDHS.
Ginzel said it’s important for students and parents to begin thinking about pathways and course selections because students are required to choose their courses by Jan. 23. Further information is available on the school website where there will be a course calendar posted by Jan. 11, outlining class options for the upcoming academic year.
Ginzel encourages students and parents not currently enrolled in the Upper Grand District School Board but planning to attend CWDHS to participate in this information session as well. At this time they will have the opportunity to sign up for a new student registration slot. The registration is taking place at the high school on Jan. 20 from 4 to 6pm and on Jan. 26 from 4 to 5:15pm and 5:45 to 7pm. New students can also register for a slot by calling the school at 519-843-2500.
If parents or students have any questions or inquiries they are encouraged to call Linda Adams in guidance at 519-843-2500 ext. 310 or Heather Ginzel at ext. 313.
