COURSE PLANNING BOOK
2014 – 2015
Sir Charles Tupper Secondary
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Table of Contents
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Title Page
Introductions 2
Course Selection 5
Graduation Requirement 5
Departments
· Business Education 6
· Counselling 8
· English 9
· ELL 12
· Exceptional & Alternate Student Services 13
· (Fine Arts) Dance 13
· (Fine Arts) Drama 14
· (Fine Arts) Music 15
· (Fine Arts) Visual Art 16
· Home Economics 18
· Information Technology & New Media 20
· Mathematics 22
· Modern Languages 23
· Physical Education 25
· Science 26
· Social Studies 28
· Tech Studies 29
Tupper Tech 30
Tupper Mini School 30
Appendix A Focus Areas, Course and Work Experience 31
Vancouver School Board Career Programs/VLN/Adult Education 36
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Introductions
Administration
Mr. K. Gill Principal
Mr. Jim Rutley Vice Principal
Counsellors
Ms. Wendy Higenbottam
Mr. Joseph Lee
Ms. Kim Rebane
Ms. Nicole Paley
Tupper's Neighbourhood
Sir Charles Tupper is centrally located in the city of Vancouver in a community referred to as Midtown. The beautifully landscaped campus includes two school buildings, two playing fields, a track, and tennis courts. The catchment area is roughly bordered by 33rd Avenue to the south, Broadway to the north, Main Street to the west and by Knight to the east. Please consult the Vancouver School Board website at for an accurate school catchment area map: https://www.vsb.bc.ca/schools/boundaries/default.htm
Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School is a community of students drawn from a wide variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Tupper students speak over 30 different languages in their homes. Tupper students’ abilities and aspirations are as varied as the individuals themselves. This provides a very diverse cultural environment that enriches the daily lives of staff and students.
Tupper School Community
Staff and students truly care for one another and are proud that Tupper is a welcoming, friendly, and safe school. Students show tremendous school spirit from the beginning of Grade 8 through to graduation. Graduates frequently return to Tupper to contribute to the school community.
Our dedicated staff work hard to design and implement programs to ensure that students reach their academic and social potential. Tupper’s school goals are focused on two main areas: social responsibility and student engagement in learning and leadership.
Programs & Services
There are many programs at Tupper designed to individualize educational plans and maximize student success. District and Alternative Programs include: Tupper Mini, Tupper Tech, Tupper Alternate Program, ELL Empower Program, I-Lead Program, Tupper Literacy Program, Life Skills, and Tupper Young Parent Services. In-School programs include: Work experience, Apprenticeship, ACE-IT through the VSB, and ELL.
In addition there are student services to support student learning. These include: career information, counselling, Library & research skills development.
Service providers for students include: the Grade Counsellors, members of our Community Schools Team (coordinator, teacher, youth and family worker and Homework Club leader), Aboriginal Education Enhancement Worker, School Liaison Worker, Multicultural Workers, School Librarian, School-based Resource Teachers Student Support Workers, Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, and a Career Information Assistant.
How to use this guide
This booklet has been prepared to give students and their parents or guardians an introduction to the courses available in a five-year program at Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School. Use this guide to plan the five-years of secondary school. The courses are organized by department and listed alphabetically by Grade.
Choosing courses
The course descriptions are general in nature and do not outline the entire content of each course. These descriptions are intended to guide both students and parents in making the most suitable choices for a complete high school program. Although every effort is made to keep the material up to date, some changes in course offerings and Ministry requirements do occur. Students should refer to the school website for course outlines and check with their counsellor when questions arise.
Effective course planning requires interaction between student, parent, teacher and counsellor. Each student should make certain that short and long-range plans have been thoroughly discussed with the counsellor and with parents or guardians. Appropriate course selection and completion of graduation requirements is the responsibility of students and their parents or guardians.
Electives
Elective courses are provided to give the opportunity to acquire additional knowledge and skills in areas of particular interest. Courses are offered based on student enrollment.
Grade 8 Electives
Most grade 8 students take two rotations of elective courses: Applied Skills 8 and Fine Arts 8. They are designed to provide a range of experiences in different areas so students can make informed decisions when choosing elective courses in later years. The Applied Skills curriculum consists of three courses: Home Economics, Business Education, Technology Education, and Information and Communication Technology. The Fine Arts curriculum consists of Art, Drama, Dance, and Music. Some students take either Beginner or Intermediate Band in place of the Fine Arts Rotation.
Grades 9 to 12 Electives
Grade 9 and 10 students take junior level courses designed to provide the necessary background knowledge and skills to take senior courses in areas of particular interest. Grade 11 and 12 elective courses prepare students for work, college, apprenticeship and technical training, and university.
Focus areas: The focus areas organize courses into eight main categories to reflect possible education and career options in grades 10, 11, and 12. The eight focus areas are: Business and Applied Business, Fine Arts, Design and Media, Fitness and Recreation, Health and Health Services, Liberal Arts and Humanities, Science and Applied Science, Tourism, Hospitality and Foods, and Trades and Technology.
Focus areas help students choose their elective courses and understand how the courses relate to each other to form a comprehensive program. All eight focus areas include courses that can lead to the workplace, college, technical training, or university.
Provincial Examinations
Provincial exams are mandatory in English 10, all Math 10 courses, Science 10, Social Studies 11, English and Communications 12. These exams account for 20% of the final mark in the grade 10 and 11 courses and 40% of the final mark for grade 12 courses. Grade 10 exams may be repeated within 12 months of the first attempt, but may only be repeated once within that 12 month period.
The exams for grade 12 academic courses may be repeated within 12 months of the first attempt. The course may also be repeated and the exam repeated again within 12 months of retaking the course. The best course mark is considered with the best exam mark to create the best overall mark.
Ministry Scholarships
The Ministry of Education grants $1000 and $2500 scholarships based on Provincial Examination results to students who write an exam in each of the 5 categories, get at least a “B” in a Language Arts 12 course, ranks amongst the top 5,000 province-wide and fulfills the graduation requirements. A student will receive a $2500 Provincial Scholarship if he/she is among the top twenty scholarship winners in the province, based on the average of these five exams.
District Scholarships
The District Scholarship Program rewards graduating students for superior achievement in their chosen non-academic areas of study. A District Scholarship consists of a $500 cheque and a $500 scholarship voucher. Students should inquire about these opportunities and apply through their counsellor.
School-Based Scholarships
Scholarship Pamphlets can be picked up in the office or from your counsellor during the month of May. All scholarships must be applied for and an application handed in by the due date. At the school leaving ceremonies in June, a variety of awards are presented to grade 12 students in recognition of outstanding achievement in all areas of school life: athletics, citizenship, fine arts, leadership, scholarship, and service. A number of these awards are donated by community groups and businesses. Most of these awards are based on the students’ performance in the last two years of school and are determined by a school-based awards committee.
Passport to Education
At the end of the school year passport stamps are awarded to students who rank in the top 30% of each grade. The criteria for these top students are set by the school. Passport stamps are valued as follows: Grade 10, $250; Grade 11, $250; Grade 12, $500
Passport Stamps will not be given out in Grade 10 this year as the Program is being phased out. The stamps can accumulate to a total of $1000 by the end of Grade 12. Stamps can be redeemed towards tuition fees at post-secondary institutions for up to five-years from June 30 of the expected year of graduation.
Course Fees & Financial Assistance
Course fees are charged to students for field trips, workbooks that they will keep, certificates they receive, and for upgraded materials used in projects. Access to programs will not be denied if these fees create a financial burden. Please contact the principal if you require financial assistance due to inability to pay fees.
Grad Transitions
Four of the 80 credits you need for graduation come from Graduation Transitions which encourages you to: take ownership of your health and learning, examine and demonstrate connections between your learning and future, create a plan for your growth and development as a skilled, healthy, knowledgeable, participating citizen, and exhibit attributes of a model BC graduate.
Graduation Transitions is an opportunity for you to reflect on your knowledge and abilities and plan for life after graduation by collecting evidence of your achievements in the following required areas:
Personal Health: It is expected that you will demonstrate the attitudes, knowledge and positive habits needed to be a healthy individual responsible for your own physical and emotional well-being by: engaging in and recording at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity in each of Grades 10-12, and developing a long-term personal healthy living plan.
Community Connections: It is expected that you will demonstrate the skills required to work effectively and safely with others and to succeed as an individual and collaborative worker, by:
Participating in at least 30 hours of work experience and/or community service, and describing the duties performed, the connections between the experience and your employability and life skills, and the benefits to yourself and the community.
Career and Life: It is expected that you will demonstrate the confidence and competency needed to be a self-directed individual, by:
Developing a comprehensive plan that indicates you are prepared to successfully transition from secondary school, and presenting selected components of your transition plan to members of the school and / or community.
For more information: www.bced.gov.bc.ca/graduation/grad-transitions/welcome.htm
Course Selection
Grade 8
Humanities (English & Socials)
Science
Mathematics
Physical Education
French
Applied Skills
Fine Arts/Band
Grade 9
English
Social Studies
Science
Mathematics
Physical Education
Grade 10
*English
Social Studies
*Science
*Mathematics
Physical education
Planning 10
Grade 11
English/Communications
*Social Studies
Science
Mathematics
Grade 12
*English/Communications
Graduation Transitions
+ Additional Courses to add up to 80 credits
*Provincial Exam Subjects: English 10, all Math 10 courses, Science 10, Social Studies 11,
Communications 12, English 12
Students are reminded that in choosing their graduation program (Grades 10, 11, and 12), they should refer to graduation requirements. They should also keep in mind the requirements of any post-secondary programs in which they may be interested.
Graduation Requirements
Course / CreditsEnglish 10 / 4
English 11 and Communications 11
(English is required for direct university entrance
And for many college and BCIT programs) / 4
English 12 or Communications 12
(English is required for direct university entrance
And for many college and BCIT programs) / 4
Social Studies 10 / 4
Social Studies 11 or Civics 11 or First Nations 12 / 4
Science 10 / 4
Science 11 or 12 / 4
Math 10 / 4
Math 11 or 12 / 4
Fine Arts 11/12 or Applied Skills 11/12 or
A Fine Arts 10 and Applied Skills 10 / 4
Physical Education 10 / 4
Planning 10 / 4
Graduation Transition / 4
Electives (Grade 10, 11, 12) / 28
Total Credits
(16 of these credits must be at the Grade 12 level) / 80
Departments
Business Education
Applied Skills 8
All grade 8 students take this course which offers a sample of elective areas that have in the past included: home economics, technology education, and business education. Each portion of the course lasts approximately 12 weeks. Home economics includes foods and clothing; technology education focuses on drafting, design, and production of projects; research and technology includes computer application and Internet skills that every student can use in all courses; business education introduces accounting, marketing, and other business practices.
Introduction to Business 10
Grade(s): 9/10
This course teaches students the basics of business in the twenty-first century. Students will learn about investing, marketing, accounting, tourism, banking and much more. Utilizing the computer lab, students will complete a variety of assignments which are stimulating and unique. Working in groups or individually, these assignments will reinforce the students learning and put an exciting perspective on learning. Course Highlights include a Stock Market challenge where every student gets $50,000 to invest and Apprentice challenges to see who will be the Class Apprentice (Gr.9/10)
Keyboarding 9/11
Grade(s): 9, 11
This course will provide students with an introduction to the touch keyboarding techniques, which will enable them to use a computer more effectively. The objective is for the student to know the proper methods of keyboarding all the letters, symbols and numbers on a computer keyboard. In addition, students will be taught useful formats including letters, resumes, and reports. This course will be taught using the Ellsworth Publishing Company on-line program. This course is recommended before taking Business Computer Applications 11 (BCA11).
Accounting 11
Grade(s): 11, 12
This is a must have course, according to most Business Program students at college and university. If you are ever going to run your own business, then this course is essential. This course will teach the basic skills required to maintain financial records and information for any person or business. Students will learn business terms and be qualified for entry level accounting employment. Evaluation is based on tests, quizzes, and assignments. (Grades 11/12)
Accounting 12
Grade(s) 12
Prerequisite(s): Accounting 11