Everything you need to know about summer school

Failing a course isn’t the only reason to sign up for summer school. Here are four of them:

• To improve a grade: Some students may take a summer class to get a higher grade than the one they got on their June report card. Perhaps a higher grade is needed as a prerequisite for another course, or the school has advised a student to review the course content of a particular class over the summer to prepare for the next school year.
• To take a bridge course: A bridge course is a prerequisite course that allows you to move to a higher level course. For example, in order to register for Secondary V Chemistry and/or Physics, you must take either Science and the Environment (SE) or Environmental Science and Technology (EST) in Secondary IV. Your school board may offer an EST bridge course over the summer to gain the necessary knowledge and credits to then take Chemistry and/or Physics in Secondary V. Bridge courses are also offered in math to move from Cultural, Social, and Technical (CST) math to the Science Option math (SN).

• To retake a failed class: More often than not, you will have to go to summer school if you fail a class. However, policies can vary from school board to school board, from subject to subject, or based on grade level. On the other hand, if you fail a course that is required to earn your high school diploma (i.e., some courses in Secondary IV and V), then summer school may not be optional.
• To retake a ministry exam: Although failing the ministry exam does not necessarily mean failing the course, you might still want to improve your grade. In order to do that, you can enroll in a summer class and then retake the ministerial exam in late July or early August.

Registration is required to attend summer school. The registration period often begins as early as late June and runs until early July. Some school boards and service centres have in‑person registration, while others offer registration online. It’s important to visit your school board’s website for accurate information about the registration process.

Summer school classes are not free. Prices are set per class, and can run as high as $600!

Finally, you might have to register for a summer class before you know your final mark, so make sure to ask your teacher or school principal for their advice in advance. For example, if you’re failing a class or your mark is very low, you might be advised to register for a summer class just in case. When you get your June report card, you might discover that you no longer need to take a summer class. You can then withdraw from the course and receive a full refund. Of course, make sure to ask about refunds before you pay!

Generally, summer school begins the second week of July. Most courses take no more than 3 weeks to complete. Classes are offered in blocks of time; in other words, you may have class all morning and then have the afternoon off to complete homework, study, or simply to relax and have some fun. Depending on your school board or service center, classes may take place in person, virtually or use a hybrid model.

There are two reasons why you might rewrite a ministry exam:

• You failed a class: If you fail a ministry-required course, you will have to retake the exam.
• You want to improve a grade:  Even if you pass a ministry-required course, you may decide to rewrite the exam to improve your overall grade. However, you must have already taken the class to qualify; in other words, you can’t write a ministry exam if you’ve never taken the course!

These ministry exams are required to graduate:

• Secondary IV History, Math, and Science
• Secondary V English Language Arts and French, second language

Never fear! Our door is open 24/7. Find help during the summer school session with our:

• Help Zone: A collaborative space to submit academic questions and give explanations to peers. Teacher moderators verify and expand on explanations seven days a week.
• Concept sheets: Our concept sheets offer simple explanations of academic concepts.
• Videos: Our videos explain the most difficult concepts with examples from typical problem-solving situations.
• Exercises: Our interactive exercises allow students to practise and check their understanding of a concept.
• Games: Why not have fun while learning! If you’re taking a Secondary IV science class over the summer, check out Solitary Reaction-a survival game in which you practise balancing chemical equations.

Plus, you can get a helping hand from a real teacher over the summer! From July 7 to August 4, you can live chat, text, or talk to a teacher who can answer your questions and offer simple and professional explanations! Try it out!