High School Program Planner

Entering a new stage of the journey

High School Program Planner

Entering a new stage of the journey

Begin with the end in mind!

High School Diploma Requirements

The Basics - Credits

• All your classes will now be 80 minutes in length. All classes run for a single semester, and will finish with a final exam in either January or June.

​

• Core classes (English, Social, Science, Math) are worth 5 credits each

​

• Fine Arts classes (Art, Music, etc.) can be worth either 3 or 5 credits

​

• CTS courses are module based and worth 1 credit per module. You will be placed in a three or five credit class if you are taking CTS modules.

​

• Note that in order to receive credit for a course a minimum course mark of 50% is required. Should this requirement not be met, the course will need to be repeated in order to achieve the minimum.

Credit Goals per year

• By the end of Grade Ten - 40 credits
• By the end of Grade Eleven - 75 Credits
• By the end of Grade Twelve - 100 Credits

Note:

• By structuring the bulk of credit creation in the first two years of high school more time is created in a student’s final year to explore career pathways.

Critical High School Resources

My Blueprint - you have an account!

• Complete personality tests and access possible career pathways
• Explore career options with your child
• Research post secondary institutes offering careers of interest
• Use templates for career pursuits including resume builders

My Pass - a critical tool for High School Students

• monitor your graduation status
• send transcripts to out of province post secondary schools
• allows students to access their completed courses and final grades from any school they may have attended in Alberta. PowerSchool will likely only have Black Gold courses.
• has a link that organizes your graduation progress and helps you determine what you need to take to complete high school.
• Note: You will need your Alberta Student Number (on your DAR!), date of birth, and a personal email address.

​

Mandatory Courses & Course load

What will grade 10 look like?

A Sample Timetable

​

Semester 1 Semester 2

Two cores a semester

Three Credits

Five Credits

Course Stream Selection

• Please review the following slides with you course selection sheet. Note your course selections in the right hand column and bring the sheet with you to our information session.
• ​
• In the next slides you will find the typical and possible course progressions for both Humanities and Math/Science courses. Please begin with your most recently completed/currently registered course and follow the course mark suggestions for the typical course registration.

Questions to ask yourself

• Where do you think you will experience success?
• What doors do you want to open for yourself?
• Note: when a post-secondary entrance requirement says -1 OR -2 then the higher mark is what matters - not the stream.
• Building your skill in the stream you need will be more beneficial than changing streams.

Humanities

Choosing Your English Course

Choosing Your Social Studies Course

Math & Sciences

Choosing Your Math Course

Choosing Your Science Course

Note on cycled science courses:

• As evidenced by the Science Scope and Sequence Chart, there are significantly more science courses within the Alberta curriculum than any other core subject.
• ​
• In order to ensure our students have access to all science courses within the Alberta curriculum over the course of their high school careers, and due to typical enrollment numbers in physics and chemistry, these courses are cycled by year.
• ​
• This means that in one year both Chemistry 20 and 30 will be offered and in the opposite year Physics 20 and 30 will be offered. This means that grade eleven students will need to be cognizant of the cycling pattern if they are accessing physics or chemistry pathways.
• ​
• In 2026/2027 we will be delivering Physics and in 2027/2028 we will be delivering Chemistry

Summary

• Grade 9 Science with
• 60% or above we suggest you take Science 10
• Below 60% or K&E - Science 14

​

• Grade 9 Math with
• 60% or above we suggest Math 10C
• Below 60% or K&E - Math 10-3

​

• Grade 9 ELA with
• 60% or above we suggest English 10-1
• 40-60% or passing K&E - English 10-2

​

• Grade 9 Social Studies with
• 60% or above, we suggest Social 10-1
• 40-60% - Social 10-2

​

You must register for:

• Career and Life Management (CALM) - 3 credits + HCS3000 + CTR1010
• Physical Education 10 (5 credits)

​

**Even if you are taking summer school, please put these on your request and then book an appointment in August to change your timetable should you complete the course during the summer. This will ensure the completion of the course either in summer or fall/winter terms.

Complementary Courses

Complementary Courses

All of our high school courses start at a minimum of three credits, but can be worth more if a student is so inclined.

• Drama
• Musical Theater
• Art
• Foods
• Machining
• Woodworking
• CTS Combo - can include: Learning Strategies, Psychology, Sociology, Business, among many others.

Career Pathways and Considerations for the Future…

There are a lot of options to choose from:

Find your passion and a career pathway while still in High School

• Summer School (off campus) - registration opens April 26, 2025
• Work Experience (off campus - must have HCS3000) - see Mr. Roth/Burden
• Registered Apprenticeship Program (off campus) - see Mr. Roth/Burden
• Green Certificate (off campus) - see Mr. Roth/Mr. Burden
• Dual Credit Programming (off campus) - see Mr. Klaassen/Mr. Skinner
• Outreach (supported on campus) - see Mr Klaassen/Skinner
• Virtual Courses (supported on campus) - see Mr. Klaassen/Mr. Skinner

Most of these opportunities are not available until grade 11; however, working them into your high school plan is an option!

Summer School

• Summer school can be an option for completing courses that do not fit into a schedule, to complete a course that a student was not successful in during the year, or to ensure graduation requirements.
• ​
• Most courses take place over a four week term in July and attendance at ALL classes is mandatory due to the condensed manner of the courses.
• Students entering into grade ten in the fall can consider taking courses over the summer. Note that this may lead to a block in their schedule where in person programming is not available to them.
• Alt Ed, Dual Credit etc can be viable options in this time slot.
• ​
• For more information the website can be found HERE.

Work Experience Program

• If you have a job, you can earn credits for hours worked. However, there are some rules and regulations:
• HCS 3000 is a prerequisite course
• Work placement and site inspection must be approved.
• Job location, type of work and student supervision and safety are factors for approval.
• Students are awarded 1 credit per 25 hours worked for a maximum of 30 credits; minimum 75 hours to receive credits (note: only 15 can count towards diploma).
• Work can be done during the school year or during the summer.
• Students must sign up and have an approved site before any work hours will be credited for marks.
• Must be 15 to enter into the program.

Registered Apprenticeship Program

• If you have a job in a trade based field or are looking to start a path in the trades, you can become a Registered Apprentice and earn hours towards your accreditation.
• The same rules and regulations apply to RAP placements as Work Experience. (see previous slide)
• RAP sections are broken down into eight 5 credit courses for a total of 40 credits. (15, 25A, 25B, 25C, 35A, 35B, 35C, 35D)
• RAP students must also complete their TradeSecrets application to become an apprentice and upon completion of the program will be eligible for a $1000 scholarship.
• Academic requirements for entry into specific trades can be found HERE.
• To learn more about work in the trades visit: https://tradesecrets.alberta.ca/

​

Green Certificate Program

​

• Any high school student is eligible to participate in the Green Certificate Program.
• This programming has a number of agricultural-related areas of specialization for students to choose from. Completion of the program certifies the trainee as a Level 1 Technician in that field and prepares students for work in agribusiness after high school.
• Students can choose from the following specializations: Beekeeping, Cow-Calf, Dairy, Equine, Feedlot (Beef), Greenhouse, Irrigated Crop, Poultry, Sheep, and Swine.
• Course materials are provided and must be followed. There are three courses that earn 16 credits (6, 5, 5 credits). Courses do not need to be completed in order.
• Course evaluation is completed off-campus at sites in Edmonton, Spruce Grove, and Westlock. The tests are verbal and hands-on. Exams take place on weekdays and students must arrange their own transportation.
• To participate in the Green Certificate Program you must: Complete AGR3000 (prerequisite course), find a trainer and site for course completion. Must be approved by Mr Roth/Burden and is subject to suitability and safety considerations. (Cannot be the same site as Work Ex or RAP).
• For further information visit: https://www.alberta.ca/green-certificate-program.aspx

Dual Credit

• Through this program, students will earn college/university credits from a post-secondary institution and high school credits from their school by completing college-level coursework.
• ​
• This is an excellent opportunity for students and families to explore career pathways!
• ​
• You can find information about the dual credit courses available in the Black Gold Dual Credit Handbook.

Outreach

​

• ​
• We have a limited amount of Outreach placements and save them for those needing access to complete their graduation requirements. Other Outreach requests will be processed only after graduation requirements are supported.
• This could be for individual classes or for entry into the attendance based side of Outreach.
• ​
• More information about Black Gold Outreach can be found HERE.

Virtual Courses

• Black Gold offers a wide range of virtual courses that students can access to support career exploration, a desire to study independently, or a variety of reasons.
• ​
• These courses are completed independently but with the support of an in-school teacher.
• ​
• An opportunity to work on these courses in a class setting is provided in the schedule and is recommended from a completion perspective.
• ​
• For a list of offered courses see Mr. Klaassen/Mr Skinner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have a spare?

• For the most part, no. The intent is to maintain a full schedule so that at least 40 credits are earned in grade ten. More is encouraged, though!
• Spares could exist if credits are earned prior to grade ten (summer school), as we cannot guarantee an in-school course during the time when an opening in your schedule is created
• ​
• This allows more flexibility in grade eleven and twelve schedules as academic requirements become more demanding.

What happens if I don’t have the mark for the course I want?

• You will be registered in the course you are eligible for and if your final mark reflects a change in course, you can come in August to change your course.
• ​
• If you do not meet the prerequisite mark, summer school is encouraged.
• Note: Math 15 is a preparation course
• We can talk.

Can I enroll in a grade 11 course?

• Typically, grade ten students maintain a full schedule, and there isn’t space for grade eleven level courses. That said, given space in a schedule and completion of prerequisite courses and desire, a grade ten student could complete grade eleven level courses.
• Note that taking courses out of the typical order will have a compounding effect in subsequent semesters/grades. Also, there is often an advantage to allowing developmental time prior to challenging a course.

​

Can I enroll at other sites to complete courses?

​

• At times there may be opportunities to attend classes in other schools, but this would be dependent upon the availability of the course in another school (time and space) as well as student transportation.

What happens next?

• Complete course selection (Google Form)
• Watch for Summer School registration (end of April)
• Questions?