Ontario Secondary School Diploma Requirements

Students make their course selections online through the  student portal.  

Students must earn the following compulsory credits:

4 credits in English
3 credits in Mathematics
2 credits in Science
1 credit in Canadian History
1 credit in Canadian Geography
1 credit in the Arts
1 credit in Health and Physical Education
1 credit in French as a Second Language
0.5 credit in Career Studies
0.5 credit in Civics

Students must also choose one credit from each of the following groups:

1 English or French as a second language, a Native language, a classical or an international language, social sciences and the humanities, Canadian and world studies, guidance and career education cooperative education
1 health and physical education, the arts, business studies, French as a second language, cooperative education
1 health and physical education, the arts, business studies, French as a second language, cooperative education

 

In addition to compulsory credits, students must complete:

12 optional credits
40 hours of community involvement activities
Literacy requirement (Grade 10 Literacy Test or course)

 

Important Gr 12 Grad Updates

 

Important Grad Dates


Grad Information Meeting:
The Grad Information meeting was held on March 27 during period 1. If you missed it, please see Mr. Murray or Mrs. McPherson for more information.


Grad Photo Retakes:

Grad photo retakes will take place at the school on April 17.

You must book an appointment to have your photo taken. https://booking.edgeimaging.ca/portal/book/NER

*Students will be provided with a gown to use on the day of photos

*A dress shirt and tie or white blouse complement the gown nicely (this is not provided by the photographer)

Please see the attached for more information: Grade 12 Grad Photo Info


Grad Gown Rentals:

From now until April 28 you will be able to order your
Grad Cap & Gown with Photo at SchoolCash Online. The cost is $28 and
orders must be made no later than that to meet the ordering deadline.

If you have already completed your graduation requirements and are no longer on roll, please access this link to order your grad gown: 
https://simcoecounty.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/166431/50/False/True


The Scholarship & Bursary Applications:

The Scholarship Application and Bursary Application are now available online. Due date is Monday, May 5, at 2:35pm.


Valedictorian Nominations:

Nominations will be open from Apr 28 - May 5 for the 2025 Valedictorian. Visit Valedictorian Nominations and nominate the graduating student who you feel best represents the graduating class. Nominations close at 2:30pm on Monday, May 5.


Community Service Hours: 

Submission of community service hours is due Thursday Apr. 17. The student with the most community service hours submitted by this date will be eligible for the Lieutenant Governor's Volunteer Award. 
All community service hours should be submitted by June 2nd. If you’re still short, please come talk to someone in Guidance ASAP. A minimum of 40 hours are required to graduate! 


Grad Breakfast & Valedictorian Voting:

The Grad Breakfast & Valedictorian Vote will take place on the morning of Monday, May 26. Stay tuned for more information. 

Watch your emails for more information as it becomes available.


RAYS Scholarship Committee Workshop

We will be hosting representatives from the RAYS Scholarship Committee in the  SCI library on Friday, April 4th (10:00am – 11:00am). For more details, see the attached letter. Students who are interested in attending should sign up for this session in the Guidance Office.

 

Grad Photo Retakes

We are excited to announce that grad photos and grad retakes will take place at the school on April 1.

You must book an appointment to have your photo taken. https://booking.edgeimaging.ca/portal/book/NER

*Students will be provided with a gown to use on the day of photos

*A dress shirt and tie or white blouse complement the gown nicely (this is not provided by the photographer)

Please see the attached for more information: Grade 12 Grad Photo Retakes

 

2025 Grade 12 Graduate Meeting

On Thursday, March 27th at 9:00am, the Guidance Team will be hosting a meeting for all Grade 12 Students scheduled to graduate in June 2025. This meeting will cover topics such as:

  • Final Checklist for Graduation (Community Service Hours, eLearning Requirement, etc)
  • Next Steps when planning for Post-Secondary Programs
  • Scholarship and Bursary updates
  • Financial Planning Tips for Post-Secondary Education

While we will be advertising this meeting within the school through announcements and emails to students, it would be helpful if parents and guardians could pass this message along as well. If any student is unable to attend, please encourage them to connect with Mr. Murray in Guidance for a summary of the information shared at the meeting.

 

Grade 12 Grad Photos

Attention Grade 12 Graduates! Grad Photo Retakes will take place on April 1, 2025. Stay tuned for more information.

We are excited to announce that grad photos will take place at the school starting on January 15-16. You must book an appointment to have your photo taken: https://booking.edgeimaging.ca/portal/book/NER

*Students will be provided with a gown to use on the day of photos

*A dress shirt and tie or white blouse complement the gown nicely (this is not provided by the photographer)

 

University & College Applications

We would like to remind all potential grads applying to post-secondary schools to continue to be diligent in checking your email and logging into your OCAS/OUAC accounts for important correspondence and information from your potential post-secondary schools. We can’t tell you how important this is during the application process because your potential schools will communicate with you regarding supplemental applications and their respective deadlines, as well as other time sensitive information.


The Guidance Department would also like to encourage all of our grads to think about your post-secondary plans and discuss those plans with your family if you have not yet had the opportunity to do so. Mr. Murray and Mrs. Baldry would be happy to meet with any of our grads to discuss your plans around heading to the workplace, apprenticeship opportunities, college or university. We’re here to help!

 

If you are thinking about pursuing a pathway to college or university, be mindful of the equal consideration application dates and be sure to submit your application prior to those dates.

College - February 1, 2025

University - January 15, 2025

 

This is also a great time to have “The Talk” with your parents or guardians. The “Talk” we are referring to is all about the financial piece that accompanies some of our post-secondary plans. Questions surrounding how college or university will be paid for are prudent as we continue to get closer to graduation and acceptance into program(s). We encourage you to have these conversations with your family and start to formulate a financial plan. Be mindful that once you have accepted an offer into a program, students will be able to apply for OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program). This doesn’t become available until the spring and the Guidance Department will provide more information closer to that time.