Make informed decisions about the future

What do I need to know to make the right decisions for my future? A question that creeps up when we start high school. People ask, "What do you want to do when you are done with school?" And the answer is complex and does not appear out of the blue. 

When planning for tertiary or post-secondary education, many factors play a role. Most importantly, we need to look at the young person entering adult life: what is their passion, what are their interests and strengths, and where do they seem themselves in the next phase of their lives? 

This decision has to be made collaboratively in conversations with parents, teachers, the school, possible employers, universities, colleges, or other institutions. And the decision does not occur out of the blue. It is therefore imperative that young people and their parents start this process early so that there is time to explore, to figure out what is best and to plan for this very important next step. 

At WIS we try to engage students from Grade 9 on. We look at their interests, their skills, their academics, and their personal circumstances. Conversations with students and their parents are important to prepare for the journey after secondary school. There are certain things that need to be considered already in Grade 9 and moving into Grade 10 - academic performance, extracurricular engagement, engaging in the community and service activities, work experience and personal growth. When applying to universities, it will be important to evidence how a young person has prepared for this part of their education – by actively engaging in activities that are geared towards their interests and showing their strength in skills that will later be required for their careers – critical thinking, collaboration, technical literacy, confidence and independence. 

Join us for our parent evening, where we explore these and other topics and questions with each other. 

Respectfully 

Maggie Reiff

Secondary Principal and Career Guidance Counsellor