High School Program
Grades 9 – 12 (Team 3)
- The senior high school program adheres to the Alberta Education Program of Studies and students write the same diploma exams as every other student in Alberta, often with results much higher than the provincial average.
- Foothills Academy prepares students to enter a post-secondary program or the workplace and High School builds upon the strategies, programs and expertise of the earlier grades.
Grades 9 and 10
Grades 9 and 10 focus on preparing students for the transition to the new expectations of High School and achieving academic credits.
Futures Planning begins in grade 9 Health and grade 10 CALM where students explore:
- Career interests
- High School course streaming options
- Investigate steps into post-secondary considerations.
Staff work with students to help them identify areas of strength and discuss, with families, future High School course choices that will best serve the passions of our students.
Social-emotional well-being continues to be important as relationships become more complex. Staff work with students to support their development as advocates of their learning but also manage the compounding responsibilities that begin to mount in later adolescence.
Grades 11 - 12
With grades 11 and 12 being the final two years at Foothills Academy before transitioning out of our program, we expand more upon furthering the lifelong skills developed to be a successful individual living with a Learning Disability. Students focus on an area of study to pursue. Students’ understanding of themselves as a learner is emphasized with open discussions about identifying strategies and supports that work best for them in preparation for large cumulative exams.
Students are given skills to construct resumes and interview for jobs to balance out the work that is being done to help students apply for post-secondary institutions and scholarships. As often as programming allows, students are exposed to professionals in various occupations and recruiters from local and national postsecondary institutions. As with each stage of development, relationships and social-emotional supports continue to be the strong relationships that have been built between staff, students and families.
Student Support
In addition to the expert teaching staff we have in the classrooms, students have access to extra supports to enhance and maximize their learning potential. Educational Assistants, Assistive Technology and IPPs are available to and benefit all students. For those who require more, specialized support, we have additional Assistive Technology, Psychologists and Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Therapy.
Electives
Students in grade 9 continue with the Junior High options which rotate each term providing students with the opportunity to explore a variety of interests and also develop already established strengths. Choices include Outdoor Education, Art, Photography, Foods, Videography, Drama, Cosmetology, Tourism, Computer Science Music, Board Games, and Model Building.
Our Senior High (Grades 10 - 12) school elective options are all recognized by Alberta Education as credit programs, either as a standalone or as a collection of modules under the Career and Technology Studies program. For some of our electives, students have the choice of a full year or half-year semester programming. Students have the opportunity to receive five to six credits per year that go toward the 100 credits required to earn a High School diploma. Staff encourage students to use the experiences they had exploring electives in Junior High to make informed choices about electives that they are passionate about and will lend themselves well to future post-secondary pursuits.
Physical Education
Through Physical Education, we empower students with knowledge and skills to live a healthy lifestyle, as students learn about the benefits of exercise and playing games to encourage a lifelong goal for health and wellness. We expose students to a wide variety of sports, physical activities and different methods of fitness. Together this can provide enjoyment of physical activity as well as build social, psychomotor and cognitive skills. Life skills are coached daily within team sports, individual sports, small group work, and whole class activities. Respect, integrity, sportsmanship, teamwork, communication, and leadership are just some of the skills, recognized, encouraged and taught.