Jack Denton<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n North Toronto is an amazing school. No one needs to be reminded of that. We are one of the most sought-after placements in the TDSB, turning down hundreds of Optional In order to get a better understanding of how the grade nine experience plays out, I talked to other people I knew who had just started grade nine this year. I asked students at Etobicoke School of the Arts, Rosedale School of the Arts, Humberside Collegiate Almost every student I talked to said there was more homework than last year. The only major variation in quantity and difficulty of homework was found in Art School students, who said that homework had stayed the same, or gotten easier since the previous year. One art student said that at Etobicoke School of the Arts, \u201cyour major comes first, it\u2019s that simple\u201d, and that teachers \u201cat certain times of the year give students the extra slack needed for them to succeed\u201d at their art focus. In terms of assignments, one student at Northern S.S. replied that there is now a \u201chigher level of thinking, with more demanding and in-depth questions, but also some assignments are merely tedious.\u201d This observation was echoed in the comments of others.<\/p>\n The Art School students said more vociferously than any other group that their teachers are \u201cmore engaged, knowledgeable, and generally supportive this year\u201d. That isn\u2019t to say that other teachers are less engaged, but at St. Roberts, said one student, \u201c[teachers] seem more impersonal. There\u2019re just as friendly and helpful but they seem to care less [than last year].\u201d Other students said their teachers \u201cvary\u201d.<\/p>\n While I would like to say that North Toronto trumped every other school in terms of perceived school spirit, Humberside C.I. seems to be very comparable; \u201cWe support all of our sports teams immensely, and have several events throughout the year to fundraise for the school. Any assemblies we have are always very entertaining to watch, and our concerts are spectacular. The school sings the school song and our cheer whenever all grades are gathered,\u201d a student at Humberside explained. This type of school spirit seems rare though; a student at St. Roberts said, \u201cThere is school spirit Overall opinion of grade nine? \u201cI can\u2019t complain. It\u2019s been treating me well\u201d, said a student at Ursula Franklin Academy. \u201cIt\u2019s difficult, but fun and rewarding\u201d, adds a student at Bloor C.I.\u2019s TOPS program. The overall consensus of the grade nine experience is summed up perfectly by a student at St. Roberts, \u201cHigh school’s been great and everyone’s so much more chill than I expected. It’s very different from what North Toronto is the right school for us. We love NT for all the right reasons, but other students love their own high schools too. Every student made a choice about which high school he or she wanted to attend, so it would have been surprising if everyone didn\u2019t embrace his or her choice– its human nature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jack Denton \u00a0 North Toronto is an amazing school. No one needs to be reminded of that. We are one of the most sought-after placements in the TDSB, turning down hundreds of Optional Attendance applicants every year. We have a … Continue reading
\nAttendance applicants every year. We have a reputation for very strong
\nacademics, and are known as a \u201csmart school\u201d. So, I thought I would do a little
\ninvestigating to compare the transition from grade eight to nine across
\ndifferent school destinations. Going into this, I had expected it to be confirmed
\nthat NT was academically harder, had a larger workload, and had more school
\nspirit than the others. I found that while this is true, some other students
\nsee their own schools similarly.<\/p>\n
\nInstitute, Bloor Collegiate Institute (TOPS Program of Math and Science),
\nNorthern Secondary School (Gifted Program), Ursula Franklin Academy, and St.
\nRoberts Catholic High School (IB Program) about the difficulty of tests and
\nassignments, how homework has changed, teacher engagement, and school spirit, among other things.<\/p>\n
\noccasionally demonstrated in our school but mainly for the purposes of our own comfort, not for the sake of school spirit\u201d. At Rosedale School of the Arts, \u201cnot much
\nhappens that involves school spirit\u2026it\u2019s not discussed much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nyou hear from siblings or friends and something you really have to experience.\u201d<\/p>\n