Riverton Collegiate

Graduation requirements - How many credits do I need to graduate? What courses are compulsory?

What else do I need besides the basic graduation requirements?

What kind of electives can I take?

Can I get accepted to college or university?

What if the course I want to take is not offerred in the regular timetable?

How do I apply to college?

How do I apply to university?

What if I don't want to go to college or university? What other options do I have?

How can I get financial aid to study at college or university?

When is grad?

What if I graduate with more than 30 credits?

How do I get considered for the awards and bursaries they present at grad?

What is the difference between all of the different Math courses? Which one should I take?

What about other credits, like community service, private music, or correspondence courses?

Do I have to pay student fees? What sort of fees do I have to pay?

How many credits do I need to graduate? What courses are compulsory?

You need 30 credits to graduate from high school in Manitoba. If you have successfully completed the 30credits, including all the compulsory courses, you get a provincial high school graduation diploma. Here is a list of the compulsory courses at each level.

*Please note that the number of credits has increased from previous years and increased to 30 in 2009-10 as physical education became mandatory at the grade 11 and 12 levels. More information is available here:

In addition to the above courses, you need enough electives to total 30 credits. The electives can be from any grade level.

For complete information, visit the Department of Education website page on this topic.

What else do I need besides the basic graduation requirements?

As long as you have the above noted 30 credits, you can graduate. However, you should also become familiar with the entrance requirements of the various colleges and universities. It is possible to graduate without meeting post secondary entrance requirements.

Some programs require that you have completed a pre-calculus math for example. Others require a certain number of advanced level grade 12 courses. That means you need to find out about entrance requirements for the programs in which you think you might be interested.

See the sidebar at the top of this page to get the admissions departments for the major colleges and universities.

What kind of electives can I take?

Electives, or optional courses, are courses that you take in addition to the compulsory courses (highlighted in the chart above). You have to take enought electives to make you eligible for graduation. Of course, we teach many electives at the school, but you have other avenues open to you as well. You should speak to your guidance counsellor about things like online courses or independent study course, or even about how to develop a student initiated project - which involves designing your own course around an area of personal interest.

Can I get accepted to college or university?

As mentioned earlier, you need to check out the entrance requirements for that college or university. You can do that online or you can ask us for printed information, as we have handbooks and applications on hand here at the school. We will even help you fill them out.

Some programs work on a "first come, first served" basis, so apply early. Other programs have limited enrollments and may require you to submit a portfolio or attend an interview. Applying early gives you time to prepare, which is the best way to improve your chances of getting into the program you want.

What if the course I want to take is not offerred in the regular timetable?

We offer a wider selection of courses than most schools this size, but it may happen from time to time that a student wants / needs to take a course that we are not offering. If it is a course that is offerred in rotation, that is, every other year, then the student is advised to simply enroll in the course when it is offerred. In special circumstances, this is just not an option, so these other approaches are usually available:

Web CT: Various online courses are offerred in our school division and students can take them free of charge. We are sometimes able to enter into agreements with other school divisions to make their online courses available to our students as well. Students that take an online course will be scheduled into the Learning Centre and will be expected to report and regularly work on their course.

Teacher Mediated: The Teacher Mediated Option (TMO) provides high school-age and adult learners with access to selected distance learning courses. TMO learners use independent study distance learning courses supplemented with scheduled audio teleconference classes hosted by an instructor. Classes can be recorded and additional support from the instructor occurs via email and phone. Follow this link for more information.

Independent Study: The Independent Study Option (ISO) is also known as correspondence. Students register and pay* for a course they want and upon successful completion, the Department of Education contacts us and a credit is awarded. Students truly work in an independent fashion, and as there is no teacher assigned to the course and no regular schedule to follow, this option should only be selected by students who are self motivated and able to organize their time efficiently. Follow this link for more information.

Inter-campus courses: We have developed a strong inter-campus program with Arborg Collegiate. Students are eligible to take selected courses at ACI and travel on the bus each day.

Please note: ISO, TMO, and some Web courses require that the student pay a registration fee to either the Department of Education or to the school division that is hosting the Web course.

*Registration costs are the responsibility of the student, however if this is a required course that is not taught at either RCI or available at ACI through our shared-campus program, RCI may consider reimbursing these costs. The following must be provided:

• A copy of the original receipt issued by the Department of Education, and
• Proof the the credit was successfully completed.

These arrangments need to be made with the school in advance. Students / parents should discuss this with the school before registering for these types of courses.

How do I apply to college?

You come to see us and you ask us for an application. There is often an application fee charged by the institution to which you are applying, usually in the neighborhood of thirty to fifty dollars. There may be some other steps in the applications process for some programs. An interview or portfolio could be required, depending on the program. Read up on the entrance requirements in the college's admissions handbook or online.

How do I apply to university?

Again, you come to see us and ask for an application. Expect to pay an application fee here too. You will need to submit a transcipt of your marks as well, which is available in the school office. Allow us at least one school day to process your transcript.

What if I don't want to go to college or university? What other options do I have?

You have lots of options!

• Apprenticeship training
• Foreign exchange programs
• Interprovincial exchange programs
• Job training programs
• Co-operative education programs
• Direct entry careers

 

If you are not sure what you want to do after high school, you should ask for information on the opportunities that are open to you!

How can I get financial aid to study at college or university?

The provincial government has a student loan and bursary program. Applications are sent to the school and you can pick one up from us. The application form asks a variety of questions about your (and your family's) finances. Your application is then reviewed to determine how much money you should be able to contribute to your program vs. the costs of the program.

The amount you get will depend on a number of factors. If you qualify for a loan, then you go to a financial institution of your choice to arrange things. Essentially, your loan is guaranteed by the provincial government. Of course, loans have to be repaid. When you finish your post secondary program, you negotiate a repayment plan with the financial institution that loaned you the money.

If you also qualify for a bursary, then that will be paid out to you as well. You do not pay back the money that you get in a bursary.

When is grad?

Friday, June 22, 2012.

What if I graduate with more than 30 credits?

There are incentives in place to graduate with more than 30 credits. Bear in mind that if you wish to gain more than 30credits, you should be doing this for the right reason - and that reason is that you yourself want to earn that number of credits.

Most colleges and universities will not review your application in a different light based on your graduation with more than the minimum number of credits.

Students in Evergreen School Division may graduate with one or more of the following diplomas:

• Manitoba Diploma: Student who achieve 30 credits (by June 2010 and thereafter) and meet Manitoba Education Citizenship and Youth graduation requirements.
• Evergreen Diploma: Student who achieve 32 credits (by June 2010 and thereafter), meet Manitoba Education Citizenship and Youth graduation requirements and have a student portfolio which includes an employability skills section.
• Evergreen Diploma with Distinction: Students who meet the requirements for the Evergreen Diploma and achieve an average of 80% or greater in Grade 12 courses (minimum five Grade 12 credits, interpreted as the best five Grade 12 credits achieved, which includes all core subjects).

How do I get considered for the awards and bursaries they present at grad?

There are two kinds of awards that are presented at grad: those that require you to fill in an application, and those for which all students are automatically considered.

For the awards that all students are automatically considered, you don't need to do anything. We have an in-school awards committee that looks at all the graduates, evaluates the award criteria for each bursary, and selects the best recipient for the award. Other awards require that you fill in an application form. You will need to read through the list of awards, and apply for the awards in which you are interested.

Local scholarships and awards, that is, those for which you must fill in an application must be in on time so that we can forward them to the appropriate sponsoring committee.

For a listing of awards and scholarships, go to Mrs. Kornelsen's wiki.


What is the difference between all of the different Math courses? Which one should I take?

There are a number of different Mathematics courses, including Essentials, Pre-Calculus, and Applied.

Many people don't know that Accounting can be used as a Mathematics credit as well.

You need to know if the post secondary program you plan to take one day requires a particular type of high school Math course as a prerequisite. It is of course very difficult to take a challenging Math credit at the higher grade levels if you do not have the previous grade level credit..

Here is a listing of all the Math credits and the paths that you can follow in completing your Math program.


What about other credits, like community service, cultural exploration, private music, or correspondence courses?

Community Service

You may earn a credit for volunteer work in the public sector - the Community Service Student Initiated Project (CSSIP). To do this, you must first register for the credit. You cannot count any hours you accumulated prior to registering...so remember registration is the first step! See the school counsellor to register for this credit.

Cultural Exploration

You may earn a credit for a cultural exporation activity. Follow the link in the "courses" section at the top of this page to earn more about the Cultural Exploration Student Initiated Project (CESIP)

Correspondence Courses

You can take a correspondence course - or independent study. You are responsible for any costs involved in doing so, but if we have resources you need, such as a textbook, you can sign that out from the school. Here is a list of all the independent study courses.

Private Music Option

To earn credits in the private music option, you need to provide us with proof of successful completion of programs in the Royal Conservatory of Music or the Conservatory Canada program. View the Department of Education guidelines for more information.

You can also get credits for things like service with the Cadet progam. See the school counsellor for more information.

What sort of fees do I have to pay?

Click here for a full explanation of fees and charges at RCI.