Senior School

[Skip to A Typical Day in the Senior School]

Senior School Course Calendar

Philosophy

• we want your child to perform according to his or her personal best
• competence, not competition, is the goal
• the development of a healthy work ethic is important - anything worth doing is worth doing well.

Groupings

The maxim that there are no two individuals alike applies to the students in a Venta classroom.  To accommodate your child's different levels of ability and skill in various subjects, he or she will be grouped according to mastery of the subject matter and/or their individual pace of learning.  For this purpose, on admission all students are assessed by the school psychologist and the Director of Studies.  After consultation with the teachers, your child will be placed in groups of no more than 12 students, according to his or her individual needs.

Evaluation 

Your child's progress is reported to you three times during the course of the academic year.  Marks are presented as percentages and reflect provincial standards.  Two columns in the report card - Term and Exam - reflect the students' application to day to day work (term mark) and their ability to give an account of what they have learned in a given three or four month period (examination mark).  The term mark reflects the gradual learning process: participation in class, daily assignments in the form of quizzes and tests, and long term projects.  The exam mark reflects the student's ability to work independently, to concentrate in preparation for the exam and to recall the material learned.

Excellent Standing/Supervised Study Hall 

Students need tangible markers to see the results of their efforts.  Venta's Excellent Standing list meets this need.  In a weekly meeting our teachers reward students who persist at hard work and fulfill their responsibilities, by placing them on "Excellent Standing".   Students who have not completed assignments attend a supervised study hall until the work is accomplished.  Senior day students might request permission to be at the school for study hall in the evenings.  Each petition is considered on an individual basis.

Reporting

The learning process does not depend on natural endowment alone.  The ability to learn calls for total personal commitment on the part of the student.  Twice a year - in November and May - you will receive an anecdotal report in which the teachers describe the content of the courses, outline the methodologies employed and, in view of this, express their opinion about your child.

 

A Typical Day in the Senior School

(Grades 8*-10)

Time	Activity
8:30 - 8:45 a.m.	Morning Circle
8:45 - 9:45 a.m.	Period 1
9:45 - 10:00 a.m.	Recess
10:00 - 11:00 a.m.	Period 2
11:00 - 11:50 a.m.	Period 3
11:50 -12:00 p.m.	Organize Classroom
12:00 - 1:15 p.m.	Lunch (provided by the school)
1:15-2:15 p.m.	Period 4
2:15 - 3:15 p.m.	Period 5
3:15 - 4:15 p.m.	Period 6
4:15 - 4:30 p.m.	Snack/Break  (provided by the school)
4:30 - 5:30 p.m.	Senior Physical Education

* Grade 8 is considered a transition year.   In an attempt to encourage independence, students complete  assignments at home.  However, we do incorporate teacher supervised study periods into the curriculum.

Students who have not completed assignments attend a supervised study hall until the work is accomplished.  Senior day students might request permission to be at the school for study hall in the evenings.  Each petition is considered on an individual basis.