Quick Links for Grade 7 Families
What can Grade 7 families do to prepare for secondary school?
Grade 7 is a year of exploration. As students grow more independent, they begin learning more about what interests them, what they enjoy at school and how they learn best.
This is also when families start becoming more familiar with secondary school and what to expect. There are still no decisions to make this year. The focus is on exploring options, building confidence, and becoming more familiar with the opportunities ahead.
In Grade 7, students are encouraged to:
- Explore a wide range of interests and learning experiences.
- Begin noticing their strengths, learning styles and preferences.
- Learn that secondary school offers many different opportunities.
- Feel reassured that support is always available.
1. Continue the conversation
In Grade 7, conversations can begin to go a little deeper as your child learns more about themselves as a learner.
You don’t need to have all the answers. The goal is to keep the conversation open and supportive.
What can I do now?
Talk with your child about:
☐ Subjects and activities they like or are curious about.
☐ What helps them learn best.
☐ What they hope their high school experience will be like.
☐ Questions they may have about high school.
2. Explore high school
Finding your secondary school
Every student has a home secondary school based on where they live. This school is part of your local community and offers a welcoming environment, caring staff, and a range of opportunities to support student success and belonging.
You can use the school locator to find your school and begin learning more about it.
While most students attend their home school, you can explore specialized programs based on your interests, skills or career goals. Some of these may be offered at different schools.
Come and visit
All secondary schools hold open houses. They give you an opportunity to:
- See the school and learning spaces.
- Meet staff and ask questions.
- Learn more about courses, programs and student life.
Some schools also hold events, such as performances. Attending these can also help you get a feel for the school community.
What can I do now?
☐ Use the School Locator on the board website to find your home school (the school in your neighbourhood).
☐ Visit the high school open house and explore the school.
☐ Attend events at the high school that are open to elementary families (e.g. plays).
3. Become more familiar with opportunities
In Grade 7, students can begin to look more closely at the different opportunities available in high school. Secondary schools offer:
- A wide range of courses and learning experiences
- Clubs, teams and activities that help students get involved
- Programs that allow students to explore interests and future goals over time. Some programs need applications in the fall of Grade 8. Other programs are available to students later in high school.
Students will also begin using My Pathway Planner (myBlueprint) to:
- Reflect on their interests and strengths
- Set goals
- Plan possible pathways
At this stage, it’s helpful to explore what’s available and start noticing what stands out, without feeling pressure to decide.
What can I do now?
☐ Explore the school board and school websites to learn more about what to expect in high school, and course and program options.
☐ If your child is interested in a specialized program, check program requirements. Not sure what interests you? You can search programs by area of interest or try this short quiz with your child.
☐ Learn about My Pathway Planner (myBlueprint), which students use from Grades 7-12 to explore interests and plan.
4. Learn about supports
Secondary schools are welcoming, inclusive and supportive environments. Students are supported as they learn, grow and explore.
Support may include:
- Guidance staff who help students plan and make decisions over time
- Student Success teams and teachers who support learning and well-being
- Programs and resources that help students feel safe, confident and included
- Dedicated staff to support multilingual learners, students with Individual Education Plans.
As your child moves through Grade 7 and into Grade 8, they will learn more about the supports available and how to access them.
What can I do now?
☐ Reassure your child that there will be lots of support to help students transition to high school and be successful
Explore at your own pace
You can explore information about secondary school on this site at your own pace to learn more about what to expect, what opportunities are available and how students are supported.
You may find this checklist for families in Grades 6 and 7 helpful.
Ready to learn a little more? Continue to Preparing for the Transition to Secondary School.