Ontario Secondary School Diploma
To receive an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) from St. Mary, students must earn 30 credits - 18 compulsory credits, 4 credits in religious education and 8 optional credits.
| Number of Credits | Subject |
|---|---|
|
4 credits (1 credit per Grade) |
English |
|
3 credits (1 credit in Grade 11 or 12) |
Math |
|
2 credits |
Science |
|
1 credit |
Canadian History |
|
1 credit |
Canadian Geography |
|
1 credit |
Arts |
|
1 credit |
Health and Physical Education |
|
1 credit |
French as a Second Language |
|
0.5 credit |
Career Studies |
|
0.5 credit |
Civics |
|
4 credits (1 credit per Grade) |
Religious Education |
|
8 optional credits |
Elective Courses |
Students also need one credit from each of the following groups:
Group one
English or French as a Second Language, Native language, classical or an international language, social science and the humanities, Canadian and world studies, guidance and career education, or cooperative education.
Group two
Health and physical education, the arts, business studies, French as a Second Language, or cooperative education.
Group three
One additional credit in science (Grade 11 or 12), or technological education, or French as a Second Language, or computer studies, or cooperative education.
In addition to earning 30 credits, students:
- must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities; and
- earn the literacy requirement through the Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) or the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Course (OLC4O).
Please visit the Ministry of Education's 'What Do I Need to Graduate?' and OSSD Fact Sheet for more information.
Online Learning Graduation Requirement
The Ministry of Education will require secondary students to earn two eLearning credits as part of the requirements to graduate with an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), beginning with students who entered Grade 9 in the 2020-2021 school year. For further details, including frequently asked questions, please visit the Online Learning Graduation Requirement webpage.
Alternative Graduation Certificates
For students whose post-secondary pathway is Community Living or the Workplace, they may graduate with a Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC) or a Certificate of Accomplishment (COA). These graduation designations are decided in consultation with Guidance Counsellor, Program Support, Student Success Teacher and Administration.
Academic Achievements
Honour Roll
A student earns a placement on the St. Mary C.S.S. Honour Roll by achieving an average of 80.0% or higher for courses taken during the academic school year (September to June). Students must have completed a full-time course load for the school year to be eligible for Honour Roll.
Calculations are as follows:
- Grades 9, 10, and 11: Best of 8 courses
- Grade 12: Best of 6 courses
Cardinal Carter
Cardinal Carter will be granted to students who have achieved Honour Roll status all four years of high school.
Ontario Scholar
A student may be designated an Ontario Scholar if he or she satisfies both of the following requirements:
- He or she obtains an aggregate of at least 480 marks in any combination of ministry-approved Grade 12 courses that provide a total of six credits. Where a student obtains more than six credits in any combination of Grade 12 university preparation courses, Grade 12 university/college preparation courses, Grade 12 college preparation courses, Grade 12 workplace preparation courses, Grade 12 open courses, dual credit courses, and cooperative education courses, the highest marks will be used. Grade 12 courses taken at any time during their secondary school enrollment are eligible for Ontario Scholar calculations.
- He or she has been recommended by the school principal for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) in either the current school year or the previous school year.
