Grade 10 Incoming from Feeder Schools

This information is intended for Grade 9 students from designated Beaumont feeder schools enrolling in Grade 10 at ESBCHS.

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Grade 10 Course Selections – Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which courses to select?

• You will select core courses based on your current Grade 9 course marks.
• Physical Education and CALM are mandatory courses for a high school diploma and should be completed in Grade 10. They may be taken in Summer School (see below).
• Once you have selected your core courses, you will add complementary (option) courses to fill up your timetable.
• Grade 10 students are to select a minimum of 40 credits. See more detailed info in next question.
• Course planners, FAQ sheets and sample course planners are distributed to our feeder school students in March.
• Use the guidelines for Scheduling Blocks (see below) to ensure you do not choose too many or too few courses.
• Students and parents should familiarize themselves with High School Diploma requirements carefully to ensure the appropriate courses are being chosen to start you on track for Graduation. Refer to the Student Information & Registration Handbook on our website for graduation requirements.
• Counsellors and Admin will visit each Junior High School to assist all students with their online computer registration.
• Be aware of the deadline for students to hand in their course planners to their homeroom teachers.

What are Scheduling Blocks and why are some courses 3-credits and others are 5-credits?

• ESBCHS has semestered courses, with four blocks each day and we run on a 2-day rotation.
  • Each block is approximately 82 minutes long.
  • All courses, except for Instrumental Music, are semestered. Semester 1 runs from September until the end of January. Semester 2 starts at the beginning of February and finishes at the end of June.
  • ESBCHS has a 2-day rotation, which means that if Monday is Day 1, then Tuesday is Day 2 and Wednesday is Day 1 and so on. The rotation skips over weekends and holidays, which means that if Thursday is Day 1 and Friday is a holiday, then Monday is Day 2.
• Courses are scheduled based on how many credits they are worth.
  • 3 credit classes are scheduled every second day for one semester (Day 1 or Day 2)
  • 5 credit classes are scheduled every day for one semester (Day 1 and Day 2) (except for Instrumental music which runs all year long, two or three days per week, mornings before school).
• Students must tally credits on their course planner and also count the scheduling blocks to ensure they are not requesting more courses than a 4 block per semester timetable can accommodate.
  • All 3-credit courses (core or complementary) count as one (1) scheduling block.
  • All 5-credit courses (core or complementary) count as two (2) scheduling blocks.
• The high school timetable can accommodate up to 16 scheduling blocks based on four blocks per day, a two-day rotation and two semesters. Instrumental Music is not counted in the scheduling blocks due to the fact that it runs outside of the timetable before school.
• A full timetable of 16 scheduling blocks means the student has no spares. Depending on which courses are chosen, and their credit value, a full timetable can accommodate as many as 44 credits (not counting Instrumental Music, which is 5 credits).
• Please refer to the sample course planner to further understand how scheduling blocks and credits are counted.

What if I am planning to take Summer School?

• If you are planning to take CALM or Physical Education 10 in summer school, you should select it on the front page of your course planner in the applicable sections.
• PLEASE NOTE: Entering a course you plan to register in for summer on your course planner and on the online registration screen is NOT your Summer School registration. You MUST still register for your summer school course online on the district website. Summer School registration opens each year in the last week of April. Click here for more information.
• If you decide not to go to summer school but you entered it on your online registration screen, you should contact the school as soon as possible (before the end of June) to add that course to your course requests for next year. Do not wait until September as many courses fill up and your course request may not be easily accommodated.

What if I am currently failing a core course?

• You can only select a core course for which you have achieved the recommended prerequisite mark. Prerequisite marks are listed on the course planners and more detailed course sequencing charts are in the Student Information & Registration Handbook.
• Grade 9 current mark between 40% – 49%, select:
  • English 10-2
  • Social 10-2
  • Math 10-3
  • Science 14
• Grade 9 current mark less than 40%, select the applicable KAE (Knowledge & Employability) course:
  • English 10-4
  • Social 10-4
  • Math 10-4
  • Science 10-4
  • If you register in one or more KAE core subjects (-4), you will also need to register in Business Services 10-4.
• You will have the opportunity to upgrade to a higher course stream (e.g. -4 to -2 or -2 to -1) later in high school if your marks meet the recommended prerequisite mark. Please refer to the detailed course sequencing charts in the Student Registration Handbook for more specific core course transfer points and prerequisite marks.
• If you achieve a final mark at the end of June that changes which course stream you qualify for (whether the new mark allows you to move up or down), send an email when your marks are finalized at the end of June to [email protected] to request a change to your requested courses. Do not wait until September as many courses fill up and your course request may not be easily accommodated.

Can I register for a Grade 11 core course?

• You CANNOT request a 20-level course when you are selecting your grade 10 course registration, however if you feel you may want to request a grade 11 core course in semester 2, you would need to verify that you have the 10-level course listed in your semester 1 timetable (timetables will be available to view late August on PowerSchool). For example, if you think you might want to take Biology 20 in semester 2, be sure that Science 10 is in your semester 1 schedule.
• As per the ESBCHS Early Advancement Policy, in order to be considered you must attain at least 80% in the prerequisite course by January, at which point you should make an appointment with your counsellor. Students will only be considered for acceleration if there is space in the grade 11 core class once all grade 11 students have been placed.

Can I choose Musical Theatre this year?

• The Musical Theatre program is only available to Grade 11 and Grade 12 students. Any student who is interested in being a part of the Musical Theatre program in the future should enroll in Drama 10.

How do I enter my course selections?

• You will receive a course planner and information at school prior to Spring Break. Your course planner is to be returned to your homeroom teacher by Monday, April 8. Counsellors will come to your school to assist you personally with entering your course requests into the Online PowerSchool Registration Portal.