Grade 8 Articulation December, 2014

Dear Grade 8 Parents/ Guardians,
ARTICULATION.
Articulation is the process of preparing and planning for students’
transition from one school to another. We are now starting to articulate all our
grade 8 students. Articulation typically involves a parent information evening
and tour, a student tour, and the high school counsellors visiting Como Lake
Middle.
During the counsellors’ visit(s), they provide information and hand out
course selection sheets asking students what courses they are going to take in
grade 9. There is more detailed articulation for special needs students which
involves the student services departments from Como Lake and the receiving
high school meeting and sharing important information.
There is also an information evening for parents of special needs students
moving on to secondary school hosted by the Simon Fraser Society for
Community Living on Tuesday, January 27, 2015 from 6:30-8:30pm in the Gallery
Room at Winslow Centre on 1100 Winslow Ave. Please RSVP Rachel at
[email protected] if interested in attending.
There is a lot of information in this letter. In particular, we will outline the
processes, timelines and the information you will need in order to make the
transition as easy as possible for both you and your child.
Catchment for High School
Each student lives in a particular secondary school’s catchment area. Most
students at Como Lake Middle will be in the Centennial catchment or Dr.
Charles Best catchment. If you are unsure of your catchment, you can check
by using the school locator website at:
http://mybaragar.com/index.cfm?event=page.SchoolLocatorPublic&DistrictCod
e=BC43. It is important that you go to the Coquitlam School District website and
check ‘school locator’ so that you know what your child’s catchment school is
for grade 9.
Cross-Catchment Protocol
If your child wishes to attend a different school than this/her catchment school,
then the parent/guardian must fill out a Request For Cross–Catchment Transfer
Form. For example, if you are in the catchment area of Centennial Secondary
School and you would like your child to attend Dr. Charles Bests Secondary
School, you would be required to fill out a Request For Cross–Catchment Transfer
Form. Request For Cross–Catchment Transfer Forms will be available at
www.sd43.bc.ca on February 6 at 9am until February 18 at 4:30pm, 2015. This is a
‘first come first serve’ process so it is extremely important you apply at the
earliest possibility. You will need your child’s PEN (personal education number)
for this process. It is located on your child’s report card or you can call the
school, in advance, to obtain it. If you choose to complete a paper copy of the
request for Cross Catchment Transfer Form, it is your responsibility to deliver it to
the School Board Office located at 550 Poirier Drive, Coquitlam. It will be date
and time stamped at the board office – again, speed is of the essence. On
March 2 parents will be contacted by the school board office regarding
approval/denial of Cross-Catchment. Lastly, your child is eligible for a crosscatchment transfer if they currently have a sibling in Grades 9-11. However, you
will still need to fill out the form but state that there is a sibling currently in the
desired school.
Please note that faxed or e-mailed copies will NOT be accepted. All Request
For Cross–Catchment Transfer Forms are stamped with a date and time. If a
particular school you want to attend has limited space, the sooner you hand in
your Request For Cross–Catchment Transfer Form, the better the chances will be
for attending that school. Please be aware that in past years, Dr. Charles Best
was also declared “at full capacity” for the 2014-2015 school year. Full capacity
schools, for the 2015-16 school year, will be announced in early 2015. We still
suggest you apply if you want your child to attend. You will be contacted by the
board office about approval/denial of your x-catchment request on March 2,
2015.
Please note: If your child is accepted into the Port Moody Secondary IB
Program, you need not fill out a cross catchment form.
High School Tours
There will be high school tours at all secondary schools on Thursday, February 5.
Most of our students will attend Centennial Secondary or Dr. Charles Best
Secondary School. Your child will attend the tour of his/her catchment high
school. If your son or daughter wishes to attend tours not in your catchment,
you will be required to make your own arrangements to attend and gather the
necessary information. You should contact the school directly for information.
**NOTE** - Students can only attend a tour of their catchment school. If you are
completing a Request For Cross–Catchment Transfer Form, you must attend the
tour of your catchment school, not the school you are applying to attend.
Parent Information Evenings
Each Secondary school has a parent information evening outlining some
information about their school. It is an opportunity for parents to become
informed and ask any questions. Parents may attend the information evening of
any school they choose. This is open to all parents and students.
CENTENNIAL SECONDARY:
Wednesday, January 28th at 7pm in the
Centennial Courtyard.
PINETREE SECONDARY:
Thursday, January 15 at 7:00-8:30pm
(honours info will be covered in this session)
Tour of school at 6:15-7pm
GLENEAGLE SECONDARY:
Wednesday, January 14 at 7pm
Talons info night is Wed. Jan 7 at 7-10pm (Talons is
a program for gifted students). Tour of school at
6:30pm
CHARLES BEST SECONDARY:
Thursday, January 15 at 7:00pm (tour is at
6:30pm)
HERITAGE WOODS SEC:
Tuesday, January 13 at 7:00pm.
TERRY FOX SECONDARY:
Tuesday, January 20 at 6:30pm. Hockey
Academy meeting will be at 6:00-6:30pm.
PORT MOODY SECONDARY:
IB (International Baccalaureate) Program Info
nights Jan.5 at 7:00-8:00pm (you only need to
attend one of the IB info sessions) and on Jan. 7,
at 7-8:00pm. January 21 at 7pm is a general info
session for future grade 9 students.
RIVERSIDE SECONDARY:
INQUIRY HUB:
Tuesday, January 13th at 7pm. Hockey Academy
parent info night is February 2nd at 7pm.
Thursday, January 15 at 6:30pm.
You may view information about the above or any other Secondary School,
their programming and important information and dates by going to:
https://www.sd43.bc.ca/index.php?page_id=17 and clicking on the school
Course Selection Sheets
Como Lake Middle will be visited by the counsellors from Centennial and Dr.
Charles Best. After the presentations, course selection sheets will be handed out
to students within the catchment area. All students must complete course
selection sheets for their catchment school only. These sheets must be viewed,
discussed and signed by a parent/guardian, and then be returned to the
student’s homeroom teacher.
REMINDER – If your son or daughter is going to a school other than Centennial or
Dr. Charles Best, you are responsible for making arrangements with the school
regarding course selection, registration and the tour.

Counsellors are coming from Centennial and Dr. Charles Best on Tuesday,
January 13, 2015.
It is important to understand that any student who has applied for a crosscatchment, and is accepted, will be on their own to go and fill out course
selection sheets for their new secondary school. It is recommended upon crosscatchment acceptance, that parents/guardians contact the catchment school
to verify that their child will NOT be attending their catchment school in
September.
Centennial Pre AP Science course Information will be provided at the parent
night. It is for students who excel in Science. In order to take the course, students
will need a teacher recommendation and have the school counsellor also sign
the form. Accelerated Math 9 course There will be a test for students sometime
in January but date is yet to be determined.
Port Moody IB Program, Gleneagle Talons Program and Honours Programs
Port Moody Secondary DOES NOT visit Como Lake Middle. Any student wishing
to apply to the IB program must attend the IB Info Night on January 5 or 7 at
7:00-8:00pm to pick up the application packages or contact PMSS on their own
for the application packages and regularly view PMSS’s website for updates.
Deadline for Port Moody Secondary IB program application is Thursday, January
22 at 4pm. Assessment and testing for the IB program occurs on Saturday,
January 24 from 8:30am – 1:30pm. Feb 18 from 7 to 8pm is the course selection
night for all IB students.
Pinetree’s Honours Program Information will be provided at the Parent Night on
January 13 & 15, 2015.
Gleneagle’s Talon Program (students must have a gifted IEP to be considered for
this program). An important Talon Meeting for prospective students at
Gleneagle will be held on Wed January 7 at 7pm in the library. This year there
will not be any testing for the Talons program. But there is an application
process, and this is due at 4pm on January 16.
Gleneagle’s Honour Program Honours information will be presented at the
Parent Night on Wed, January 14 at 7:00pm. This year there will not be any
honours testing at Gleneagle.
IB, Talons, and Honours acceptance letters will be mailed out on Feb 13, 2015 by
3pm.
If you have any questions please feel free to call me at the school 604-936-1451
Regards,
Ms. Crista Jones
School Counsellor
Catchment School Form
VERY IMPORTANT!!!
PLEASE RETURN THIS PORTION OF THE NOTICE BY TUES. JAN.13, 2015
Student Name: ___________________________________________
Teacher: ________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Name: ____________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________
Catchment School
Centennial
Charles Best
Port Moody
Other:
_____________________
Applying for
Honours
Applying for
Honours and or
Talons
Applying for
IB
I am considering applying for a cross-boundary to: __________________________

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