Student Services Semester 2 Newsletter

Course Selection for the 2026-2027 school year opens for students on Monday, March 2 and will continue until Friday, March 13.  Below is information that will be helpful for students and families during for course selection. As always, please don’t hesitate to contact your student’s Guidance counsellor with any questions.

Key Dates:

February 27 Commencement Information Form Due (Grade 12)
March 2-13 Submit 2026-2027 Course Selections in myBlueprint
March 2 Summer School registration opens in myBlueprint
March 2 Commencement fee due (Grade 12)
March 6 PD Day

Greetings from Westdale Guidance! We hope that all students are off to a great start in Semester 2! We will be
entering our course selection submission period at the beginning of next week. This newsletter will include information to support students and families with course option entry by March 13.

2026-2027 Course Selection: 
Students submit their 2026-2027 course selection through myBlueprint. Students will enter all of their options in their myBlueprint course planner. Students’
course planners will highlight their next year of secondary school. Students will be able to submit their courses once their planner is complete for next year.
Westdale Guidance counsellors shared important information for students to know when selecting their courses at Grade-specific assemblies on Wednesday,
February 4. These presentations are available for students on the Guidance Hub course and for students and families in the Student Services section of the Westdale Secondary School website under “Choosing Courses for Grades 10-12”. These platforms also include an option sheet of available courses at Westdale next year. Students can read course descriptions in myBlueprint when searching for courses.

There are many reasons for students to think carefully about their course selections at this time:

1) Courses that students select now drives the number of sections for each course Westdale will offer next year;
2) While students are able to make changes to course selections later in the spring and at the start of the next school year, making good choices now supports ensuring students begin the next school year with the courses they need. Some course changes may be challenging once student timetables are established and classes fill.
3) Course selection time is an opportunity for students to leverage secondary school options for post-secondary planning. Students selecting courses for Grade 10 should understand the difference between Academic and Applied level courses in English, Math, Science, and History, and how their choices impact planning for post secondary pathways. Students selecting courses for Grade 11 and 12 should be identifying how their choices connect with post-secondary options, with Grade 12 students ensuring they are meeting admission requirements for post-secondary programs they are interested in.

Post-Secondary Planning Resources
a) ouinfo.ca—Research programs available at Ontario Universities and check admission requirements
b) ontariocolleges.ca—Research programs available at Ontario Colleges. Ontariocolleges.ca will link to college websites where students can gather information about admission requirements, programs of study,
and pathway options.
c) apprenticesearch.com—Job and Apprenticeship resource tool for students interested in skilled trades
d) myBlueprint Planning Guides—The Forwards Plan and The Backwards Plan
e) myBlueprint (student sign in) – When students complete their course plan through to Grade 12, myBlueprint will show the student the post-secondary programs they are eligible for based on courses completed in secondary school. Students can then leverage myBlueprint to learn more about programs, admission requirements, and the offering institution.

Guidance Support
Students can make an appointment with their Guidance counsellor by accessing the “Book Appointment”
icon in the navigation bar of the Westdale Guidance Hub course.
Guidance counsellors will also be available for drop-in counselling support in the Library Learning Commons
during student lunch periods on March 5 and March 9-11.
2) Grade 12 Information
Please see upcoming important dates for Grade 12 students:
Commencement Date: Thursday June 25th 2026 at First Ontario Concert Hall (Students must arrive by 2:30pm)
Community Hours Due: Friday April 3rd 2026 (please check the Hub for opportunities posted)

TO DO LIST:
• Fill out Mandatory Commencement Form: CLASS OF 2026 COMMENCEMENT INFORMATION FORM – Fill out form (Students must complete this using HWDSB email) DUE FEB 27th, 2026
• Commencement Fee payment must be made in School Cash Online by March 2nd, 2026
• Book Grad Photo: Edge Imaging | Booking Your Appointment SCHOOL CODE: WHS February 23rd-March 5th in Westdale Cafeteria (These are the last siting dates for this year at school)

Sem 1 Mark transmission—Semester 1 final marks were transmitted by the HWDSB to OUAC and Ontario Colleges on
February 12. Students should check their OUAC and OCAS profiles to ensure accuracy.

Graduation Requirements:
A reminder that in addition to earning 30 credits, students must meet the following requirements to graduate:
• 40 Community Involvement Hours
• Ontario Literacy Requirement
• Online Learning Requirement

We have many Grade 12 students who have not yet demonstrated completion of their Community Involvement or have chosen to opt out of the Online Learning requirement if they will not earn two credits through online courses.
We are asking students to submit evidence of Community Involvement by April 3. This will enable us to show that this requirement is met in our April data transmission to OUAC and OCAS.
Families can opt out of the Online Learning Requirement in Parent Portal. Paper copies of the opt out form are available in the Guidance Office.