Guidance

We are pleased to welcome you to the Guidance and Career Education webpage. We sincerely hope that this page acts as an informative guide for both students and their families as they navigate their way through the high school experience and beyond.

Guidance is responsible for providing a caring, compassionate environment that is inviting to all who enter. As a Guidance Counsellor/Educator, our role has been organized into three distinct areas: student development, interpersonal development, and career development as it relates to pathway planning. Our Counsellors are equipped to provide on-going academic, social/emotional, and pathway planning supports to the students of St. Mary.

We wish our students years of success here at St. Mary, and encourage them to take an active role as vibrant, positive members in this community and as life-long learners.

Many Blessings,
Mrs. Stanesic

Meet our team

Our Guidance team is here to help you navigate your pathways. Our office is open:
Monday to Friday
9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Phone: 905-420-7166
Fax: 905-420-8205

**Guidance Staff**
Name	Title	Supporting students with last names beginning with letter	Extension
Mrs. D. Stanesic	Curriculum Chair/Guidance Teacher	S - Z	x 56023
Ms. M. Cayford	Guidance Teacher	A - F	x 56021
Mr. J. Cecillon	Guidance Teacher	G - K	x 56024
Mrs. L. Foster-Leduc	Guidance Teacher	L - R	x 56026
Mrs. L. Sprung	Student Success Teacher	A - Z	x 56036
Mrs. L. Sciascia	Senior Administrative Assistant, Guidance		x 56020
Mrs. J. Dehaney	Intermediate Guidance Teacher		x42081

Making a Guidance appointment

Students must make lunchtime appointments to see their Guidance Teacher either before school, after school, or during their lunch. Students should not be losing classtime to come into Guidance unless it has pre-arranged or the student has been called down by Guidance with his/her teacher's permission. Any extenuating circumstances will be addressed in a timely manner, on a needs basis.

We welcome you to speak to a guidance counsellor regarding any questions you have about navigating your way through your high school experience and beyond. Making an appointment is easy.

Come in to Guidance before school begins, on your spare (Grade 12 students only), or on your lunch.
Let the Guidance Administrative Assistant know that you would like to speak with your Guidance Teacher.
Tell her either your last name or the name of your counsellor.

Things to remember...

Appointments are 10 minutes in length;
Only students on a spare can book an appointment during their spare. No student should book appointments during class time;
Any additional time with Guidance Teacher can be determined between the teacher and student; and
All parents should notify their child's Guidance Teacher to book either an appointment by phone or in person.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and for helping us keep the office running smoothly so that we can continue to do the things we do for you!

Register for school

We welcome students of all faiths at our Durham Catholic secondary schools.

Registration for Grade 8 students currently attending our family of schools (Father Fenelon, St. Elizabeth Seton, St. Isaac Jogues, St. Joseph-Uxbridge, St. Monica, or St. Wilfrid) is processed by St. Mary Guidance Counsellors in the elementary school classroom. Incoming Grade 8 students may want to visit our Transitioning to High School/Head Start page for a variety of information specific to Grade 9.

ALL PROSPECTIVE St. Mary students with a Pickering/Uxbridge home address MUST complete a Pre-Admission Package (excluding students from our Associate Elementary Schools who live within the St. Mary boundary). Print the Pre-Admission Package, complete and submit to Guidance with ALL required documentation. No appointment is necessary to submit the documents. Please note this package is required prior to scheduling course selection. The registration process is ongoing throughout the year, but for September 2021 enrollment, please submit applications by February 19th, 2021 to allow for spring registration meetings with Guidance Counsellors.

ANY PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS who are NEW to our Board MUST complete the DCDSB Online Student Application IN ADDITION to the Pre-Admission package. Please submit the Pre-Admission Package as soon as possible once you have submitted the online application. French Immersion students should select "ENGLISH" option in the online system; the appropriate French program will be adjusted by Guidance Counsellors during the course selection and registration appointments.

Any student who DOES NOT live at a Pickering/Uxbridge address must contact the Guidance Office for further instruction.

Once the application has been approved by Administration, Guidance will contact you to schedule the course selection appointment.

Please call Guidance Administrative Assistant (x56020) for further details.

Transcripts

To request an official transcript, please email our Guidance Administrative Assistant Luisa.Sciascia@dcdsb.ca or call 905-420-7166 x56020. Indicate your full name, date of birth, year you graduated from St. Mary, and contact phone number. Transcripts are $5 per copy (up to a maximum charge of $20). If you will not be the person picking up the transcript, please advise who will be doing so on your behalf. Please allow 1 business day for processing.

Timetable changes

Tuesday September 10 2019: Deadline for Semester 1 elective course change requests (Grades 11 - 12 only)
Tuesday September 24, 2019: Deadline for Semester 1 course level changes
Wednesday January 15, 2020: Semester 1 Academic Moratorium
Wednesday February 5, 2020: Deadline for Semester 2 elective course change requests (Grades 11 - 12 only)
Wednesday February 19, 2020: Deadline for Semester 2 course level change requests
Monday June 8, 2020: Semester 2 Academic Moratorium

Students may pick up a "Timetable Request Change" form from Guidance, complete the form, and submit into Guidance as soon as possible. Students must be aware of the following:

All forms must be complete, with appropriate criteria identified and parent/guardian signature included. Forms that do not meet the criteria will not be considered.
Changes to electives will only be considered for grade 11 and 12 students interested in a pathway change.
Timetable changes will be considered in priority sequence starting with grade 12 students.
Students will be called down to Guidance to either receive their new timetable or discuss any concerns. Please listen carefully for your name throughout the day, especially over the lunches!
Students in grade 12 may drop a course at any time in the semester up until the first day of academic moratorium each semester. Students will incur full disclosure on their official transcript if course is dropped 5 school days after the midterm report is issued.
Students who have attended summer school must ensure timetable reflects the updated information.
Requests for specific teachers, spare periods or lunches are not considered.

Important dates (2020-2021)

Below are key dates that you should be aware of:

Head Start (Introduction to Grade 9 Program): Monday August 24 to Thursday August 27
Ontario University Fair: Cancelled
Study and Go Abroad Fair (Virtual): Thursday September 24
St. Mary Post-Secondary Fair:
Parent-Teacher Interviews:
Ontario College Information Fair (Virtual): Wednesday November 4 - Thursday November 5
Maclean's Student Life Expo: Postponed till 2021
Take Our Kids to Work Day (Virtual): Wednesday November 4
Canadian College and University Virtual Fair: Friday November 6 - Saturday November 7
Associate Elementary Schools Grade 8 visit St. Mary:
Pathways to the Future: Please join Durham Catholic District School Board and various community agencies, to learn more about post-secondary services, and recreational, employment and educational opportunities available for students with exceptional needs: November (DCDSB Pope Francis Centre, Oshawa)
Grade 12 University Application Workshops: November
Grade 12 College Application Workshops: November
Grade 12 Apprenticeship Workshop: November
Grade 8 Student-Parent Information Evening: January
Go Global Expo: February
Course Selection due: February
Parent-Teacher Interviews:
US Expo: Saturday May 1 (Roy Thompson Hall)
Grade 11 College Information Session: May
Grade 11 University Information Session: May

Stay informed

We encourage you to subscribe to this page, in order to receive the latest updates and information regarding important dates and deadlines for applications.