Your son or daughter is considering enrolling at THESTUDENTSCHOOL (TSS), what do you need to know?

Our students come from all over the city. The age range is between 15 and 20 years old. They have completed grade 10 before transferring (although enrolling may be possible if they are missing some grade 10 courses). All of our classes are at the grade 11 or 12 levels. Many of our students are not comfortable with the large school environment; they are looking for a more personalized education path.  Some students are taking a fifth year to better prepare for university or college programs, others are getting their education 'back on track' after an unsuccessful semester or year at another school. A significant number have struggles with anxiety, depression or other mental health issues which is affecting their education. We offer a supportive inclusive environment. In addition to the teaching and office staff, we have a special education teacher, a social worker, and child youth worker on site weekly to assist when needed.

The program is successful for a number of reasons including; a more personalized approach, generally smaller class sizes, and less in class time balanced by more self directed learning (the blended learning model).

The personalized approach is based on each student having a staff advisor (one of their teachers) who they meet with regularly. Staff advisors communicate with the guidance department and with all the other teachers. At the weekly staff meeting each student's progress is discussed and when necessary, students (and parents) get feedback to encourage them. The staff advisor will be the main contact between you and the school. If your child is 18 or over, we encourage them to allow us to contact you, but since they are adults we do need their permission.

The blended learning approach allows for a more flexible and individualized experience. There are fewer classes per week, balanced by mandatory work done in the virtual class environment (Google Classroom). Students are required to attend classes and participate in the online activities.  If they miss a class, they can use the GoogleClass to catch up.  The combination of a classroom experience and online learning also helps prepare students for the environment in colleges and universities.

Finally the MONDAY program. 

These special Mondays run about 5-6 times per semester (dates on the calendar). Attendance is mandatory for all students and a minimum of 5% of each course grade is connected with the MONDAY program. We have a council meeting for all teachers and students where issues are discussed and decided upon democratically. This is followed by workshops or other activities. Sessions may be related to classes or they can be for enrichment and learning outside the regular classroom. 

Please contact the school if you have questions. You can call us at (416) 393 -9639 or by email at thestudentschool@tdsb.on.ca