Southwood strives to offer special opportunities for students in our community to enhance their secondary education through special programs.  We have three major enrichment areas: Advanced Placement, Specialist High Skills Major Program, and the FLEX (Focused Learning Experiences Program).

Advanced Placement (AP)

What is AP? See what Michelle Obama has to say about AP….

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores on the examinations. The AP curriculum for each of the various subjects is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in that field of study. For a high school course to have the designation, the course must be audited by the College Board to ascertain that it satisfies the AP curriculum. If the course is approved, the school may use the AP designation and the course will be publicly listed on the AP Course Ledger.

Advanced Placement examinations are taken each May by students at participating American, Canadian, and international educational institutions. The tests are the culmination of year-long Advanced Placement (AP) courses. All AP exams (with few exceptions) combine multiple-choice questions with a free-response section in either essay or problem-solving format.   Students who receive a passing grade on the AP exam are then eligible for advanced standing in that subject area upon entrance to college or university.  This can include being granted credit for a first year level course in the subject area.  Individual universities vary in terms of which subjects they recognize, so parents and students are encouraged to research which post-secondary institutions will provide this opportunity in their subjects of interest.

Southwood offers pre-AP opportunities in a number of Grade 9 & 10 subject areas.  For more information on options offered at Southwood, please visit our AP page in the Academics section, or click here for this summary document of AP Pathways at Southwood.

The College Board website (click here) also offers detailed information on the program and its benefits.

Specialist High Skills Majors (SHSM)

What is a Specialist High Skills Major?

Specialist High Skills Majors let students focus on a career path that matches their skills and interests while meeting the requirements of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Students receive the SHSM seal on their diploma when they:

  • complete a specific bundle of 8-10 courses in the student’s selected field
  • earn valuable industry certifications including first aid and CPR qualifications
  • gain important skills on the job through cooperative education placements.

Who are they for?

Grade 11 and 12 students who are:

  • heading for apprenticeship training, college, university or the workplace
  • wanting to identify, explore and refine their career goals and make informed choices about their next steps after secondary school.

How can they help?

Students have the opportunity to:

  • gain important skills on the job with actual employers, at skills training centres and at school
  • earn valuable industry certifications, including first aid and CPR qualifications.

To find out more about the SHSM Programs at Southwood, please visit the Guidance Website.

Focused Learning Experiences (FLEX) Program

The FLEX program provides additional activities for Grade 9 & 10 Southwood students who wish to engage in additional rigorous academic challenges. This program, unique to SSS, aims to provide opportunities for critical thinking, innovation, and collaboration. Various activities will engage student curiosity and creativity, while building confidence in experiences beyond the scope of our courses.

Eight teachers with various teaching backgrounds and skill sets are facilitating this program, hoping to engage a broad range of students and support their unique interests and inquiries. Some of these activities include: 

  • Break Out Boxes
  • Field Trips
  • Design Challenges
  • Critical Thinking Tasks

Since students will be excused from their classes to attend these events, they will need to communicate with their regular classroom teachers about upcoming absences and complete any missed work. In addition to providing this programming, teaching staff also provide support to students if they seek to complete “passion projects” or other similar initiatives. Students are given the chance to voice their interests, and additional lunch time meetings can be scheduled as needed.

To find out more about the FLEX program, please contact Mrs. Jacqueline Deacon (jacqueline_deacon@wrdsb.ca) – FLEX Program Lead.