​The Guidance Programme will respond to student needs throughout their secondary school years. The Programme shall provide opportunities for students to acquire the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to: 

• know and appreciate themselves 
• relate effectively to others 
• develop appropriate educational plans 
• explore career alternatives 

The following are among the services offered: 

• academic counselling/planning 
• career exploration and planning 
• study skills sessions/ career interest inventories 
• support groups, peer tutors 
• college and university information 
• night school and summer school information 
• job bulletin board 
• Community Service Information

Students are encouraged to request an appointment with a counsellor as required.  To request an appointment simply drop by the Student Services Area, fill out a request form and leave it with the secretary.  Likewise parents/guardians are encouraged to become involved in their son/daughter's concerns, planning, etc. by contacting his/her counsellor. 

Timetable Changes

Students have 4 days at the beginning of each semester to request a course change.  It is strongly recommended that requests be done before the semester actually begins. Changes will only be considered for the following reasons: 

• Credit has already been earned for a current course.
• The pre-requisite has not been completed. 
• New course is required for graduation. 
• New course is required for post-secondary plans. 
• Student has an incomplete schedule. 

Students MUST continue to follow their most recent timetables until the counselor has finalized and approved the change. 

Students wishing to change the level of a course must request the change within the first 4 weeks of each semester. 

Course Handouts

All students will receive a course outline at the beginning of each semester in each course. It will contain the Course Name and Code, a brief description of the course and category weighting.  It will state classroom expectations and evaluation procedures.  The description of the final evaluation will also be stated in the outline.  

Textbooks and any materials given out for a course are the student’s responsibility. Lost or damaged textbooks must be replaced and school privileges may be removed if a student owes materials to the school.  

Method of Reporting

• Open lines of communication among teachers, students, parent/guardian.
• Early progress reports approximately five or six weeks into each semester.  Dates are published in the school calendar.
• Parent/Guardian-Teacher Interview night may be scheduled subsequent to the early progress reports or to the distribution of mid-semester reports.  Parents and students are encouraged to attend.
  Please consult the school calendar.
• Mid-Semester Reports
  At mid-semester, students will receive a numerical grade in each subject.
• Final Reports
  At the end of each semester, all students will receive a final report.  Subject teachers will contact parents/guardians of students who were unsuccessful in completing course requirements. Students over 18 years of age will be contacted directly. 

Community Service Hours (40 hours) 

Check the school webpage for information.

All information (including the following, as well as additional information), and all forms are found on the school website. 

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It is very important that all students and parents/guardians read and understand all of the following information regarding community hours, before students begin their community service. 

Students: Once you and your parents/guardians have read and understood all of the following information,

1. choose an organization from the List of Approved Organizations (found on school website.)
2. if you would like to see an organization added to the list, submit to your guidance counselor a completed "Request for Addition of Organization to List of Approved Organizations for Community Hours" (found on school website), and wait to see if approval is granted.
3. understand that the principal or designate (viz. guidance counselor) has the right to refuse all community hours that do not fall within the guidelines;
4. obtain your parent/guardian's permission if you are under the age of 18;
5. 5.print the Community Hours Form (found on school website), and make sure that your chosen organization is aware of what you require as documentation of completed hours;
6. complete your community hours;
7. obtain your documentation as soon as you have completed your community hours, and ensure that the documentation includes all of the required information and an authentication;
   
   NOTE: Documentation must be either the Community Hours Form with the official stamp/seal of the organization OR a letter, including all of the required information, on the official letterhead of the organization.
   
8. submit authenticated documentation to your guidance counselor ASAP for entry into your school record/file.

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• Student must complete 40 hours of community service as a graduation requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), as mandated by the Ministry of Education of Ontario.  Students will not earn an OSSD, nor will they be able to proceed to university or college, unless this requirement is met.
• Students are encouraged to complete their 40 hours as soon as possible.  Students may begin to accumulate community hours in the summer after Grade 8, beginning in July.  It is strongly recommended that students who have not completed their community hours by the end of grade 10 - and submitted authenticated documentation to their guidance counselors - do so by the end of Grade 11. Leaving completion and submission of community hours until Grade 12 might jeopardize graduation.
• At Father Michael Goetz Catholic Secondary School, community hours must be done for a non-profit/charitable organization. A non-profit/charitable organization exists to help others; it does not exist for financial profit.  Examples include the following: publicly funded school, hospital, church, library, food bank, service organization, charitable foundation, cultural organization. The requirement that students complete their hours for a non-profit/charity is in line with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board  position that the community service project is a Christian call to serving others.
• Students must make arrangements with one of the organizations on the List of Approved Organizations.
• Community hours cannot be done for a commercial business.  Any activity which would normally be performed for wages in the workplace is ineligible.
• Community hours cannot be done for an individual (e.g. parent, relative, neighbor, friend).  for example, babysitting free of charge for a neighbor doe snot qualify for community service.
• Students must volunteer their time and cannot be paid for community hours.
• Community hours cannot be done during the school day (unless they are done on lunch or spare). they cannot be done during instructional time or as part of a class/course requirement.
• The guidance counselor will enter into the student's school record/file only the 40 community hours which are required for graduation. A student who wishes to do more for any reason (e.g. scholarship or award purposes, post-secondary personal information form, job experience, resume information, etc.) is welcome to do so, but it is the student's responsibility to keep his/her authenticated documentation in a portfolio that can be submitted to the guidance counselor later on, should the student wish to be considered for scholarships/wards, require a reference letter, etc. It is expected that the documentation in the portfolio fulfills the school's requirements (i.e. Community Hours From with official stamp/seal of organization or letter, including all of the required information , on official letterhead of the organization.)
• For graduating students who wish to be eligible to participate in graduation activities (e.g. Prom, Graduation Ceremony), the deadline for submitting community hours is the last Friday in March of the graduating year.  given that grade 12 is a very busy and demanding year, it strongly recommended that students complete the community service requirement as early as possible - if not by the end of Grade 10, then at least by the end of Grade 11.
• If you have any questions, consult your guidance counselor prior to beginning your community hours.

Child and Youth Worker 

CYW’s are members of the support services team at Fr. Michael Goetz Catholic Secondary School.  With an educational background focused on children’s mental health and behaviour, CYWs engage with students, parents, and all members of the school staff to provide social/emotional/behavioural support, including counselling, to students who may be struggling with challenges in their lives both within and outside of school.  Students often connect directly with the Child and Youth Worker or may be referred by administration, teachers, guidance staff, parents, or other support services staff.  As members of the support services team, CYWs endeavour to assure that students are linked to the support they need both within school and in the community.

Social Worker 

Your school Social Worker is there to help you around a wide variety of problems - family difficulties, trouble with relationships, self esteem, depression, coping issues, and is the school attendance officer. Appointments can be made to see the Social Worker through the guidance office. Teachers, guidance counselors, administrators can also make a referral or students can drop by Student Services on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

Psychologist

The school psychologist is available to students two days per week. Appointments may be requested.