What resources exist for at risk secondary students?

General Resources in Grades 9 to 12

• Placed in Essential Programs where the additional skills needed to gain applied credits will be taught
• Student Success teacher in each high school tracks students progress and sets up programs
• Credit recovery programs: re-teach only those parts of the course where the student was not successful, rather than repeating the whole grade; and give recognition of work that was successful.
• Special timetable with credits available through work experience (co-op): 
•  High Skills Majors offered in several areas including manufacturing, construction, hospitality, and health. (See www.hwdsb.on.ca for more information)
• Pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs. Some articulation agreements with Mohawk College.  Some link to apprenticeship programs. (OYAP)
• Special programs throughout district : such as Horticulture at Saltfleet,  Outward Bound at Waterdown, Hockey skills at Sherwood, Arts focus at Sir John A Macdonald, Technology in Biology and Math at Ancaster, strings at Westdale, athletics at Westmount; self paced learning at Westmount., NYA-WEH at  Sir John A Macdonald.( See www.hwdsb.on.ca under Programs of Choice).
• Two vocational schools (only for students reading at grade 6 or below) including special classes for low functioning students
• Remediation classes after school to support students at risk of not passing Grade 10 Literacy EQAO needed for graduation
• eLEARNING available in several subjects
• Special credit course for those students who have failed their Grade 10 literacy test available in most high schools.
• Home- work clubs in some high schools

 Learning Difficulties

• Placed on an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and linked to the school' s Learning Resource Teachers (LRTs)
• Itinerant teams for ASD, Augmentative Communication, LD, and Behaviour
• Itinerant teachers for hard of hearing and blind students.
• TWEP, a program to provide work experience to special education students
• Other special education supports as in elementary school.

Social and Emotional Support

• System school resource meetings : multi-disciplinary consultations to discuss student issues, including behaviour and mental health
• Caring Adult Program: linking students at risk within each school to a caring adult
• One-day workshop for students who have been bereaved through Missing Pieces Bereavement group : partnership with Bereaved Families of Ontario.
• Guidance Counsellors and Public Health Nurses offer some counselling. Some high schools also have full time social workers.
• Restorative Justice and Peer Tutoring available in some High schools
• Some introductory programs for grade 9 students to high school with links to buddies.

Alternative Programs

Please talk to your child’s Guidance Counsellor about these programs

• Alternative programs in most high schools: such as TRY at Orchard Park, GET at Ancaster.
• Alternative programs for the whole district at Phoenix ( grade 9 to 10) and System Alternative Program ( grade 10 to 12)
•  NGage : 16 to 17 year old s who have zero to 15 credits  who earn credits to graduate has an on- site print shop.
• UTurn  for those older students who need only a few credits to graduate
• Turning Point  re-engages early school leavers through co-op and paid co-op for credit to encourage students to get their graduating diploma.
• SHAE at the Native Indian Centre
• SALEP for students who have difficulty attending schools
• Lime Ridge Mall Retail Trade alternative program
• Gateway Program for students suspended for 8 to 20 days, and expelled students offers counselling and credit courses and links to community agencies such as the John Howard Society.
• Section 23 programs are located in community agencies with HWDSB teachers. Access to these programs is through Contact Hamilton.
• Summer School and Night School programs-