This department has been set up to assist students who have had difficulty achieving credits in the traditional classroom environment. Students are placed in a warm, caring, supportive environment to ensure their success.
Ideally, students' programs include experiential learning components. Bur Oak offers semester and ALEP programs.
The registration process, which involves continuous intake, requires a personal interview with an administrator and an Alternative Education teacher to determine entrance into the program on either a full-time or part-time basis.
Parents and/or students are encouraged to also explore the Board's PAE site for program descriptions and offerings.
Courses
A variety of courses are offered each semester to support the strengths and needs of our students.
Typically, subjects may include:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Electives
- Credit Recovery
- Co-operative Education Credits
Opportunities
Students in PAE explore the same expectations as other students and earn the same credits. However, students in PAE often will have more emphasis on experiential learning. Students who graduate from a PAE program (part-time or full-time) often go on to post-secondary programs in a variety of fields.
This year, students in PAE at BOSS created a successful business! They embraced YRDSB foci of Modern Learning and Mental Health to help themselves and their community.
The result was a not-for-profit venture that knit handmade headbands that reflect light to make pedestrians more visible at night. The outcome included raising money for MADD Canada, attending to their wellbeing and taking pride in their initiative, creativity and perseverance.