About

St. John Bosco Secondary School is Wellington Catholic District School Board's alternative learning high school.  Through a strengths-based approach, it provides individualized education for students in Grades 9 through 12.   Staff includes teachers,  SERT, social worker, educational assistants and a coordinator, who provide a small learning environment that stresses strong relationships, student voice, flexible schedules, independent learning at youth's own pace, healthy meals, and an overall caring environment.  Each student is provided a "Caring Adult" from our staff who supports the student in their decision-making and advocates on their behalf.

In collaboration with students, families, and community partners, students are prepared to succeed in their chosen pathway, whether it be university, college, apprenticeship or the world of work.  Some specialized programs we offer include Dual Credit in conjunction with Conestoga College and the potential for paid cooperative education credits.  During lunch, students have the opportunity to participate in a number of extracurricular activities based on their interests.  Learners work towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or an Ontario Secondary School Certificate. 

At St. John Bosco, we live the philosophy of Christ, believing that every person has worth.  We strive to nourish the whole person by addressing a student's physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social needs.

Why?

We care about youth and believe that each learner is a gift from God, full of potential and promise.  Students learn in a variety of ways.   St. John Bosco provides a unique caring model of learning that can be more successful for students.  We work closely with community agencies to address complex student needs by fostering a team approach with regular communication.

Who?

We serve students in Grades 9 through 12 who have experienced barriers to being successful in mainstream schools.   Some of these concerns include attendance, mental health concerns (ex. anxiety, depression, addiction), sleep hygiene, and physical well-being.  Youth need to have the ability to self-regulate, work independently, respect community, and focus on academic tasks with intermittent teacher facilitation.  Students are referred by Bishop Macdonell, Our Lady of Lourdes, and St. James, or Family and Children Services, Canadian Mental Health Association, and other community agencies which support youth. 

Where?

On Catholic Hill, tucked next to Basilica of Our Lady.  Our address is 19 Northumberland Street, but we share the parking lot with Basilica of Our Lady.  The school entrance is on Cork St., just before Dublin St.

When?

Students are referred at the start of each semester.  If spaces are available, referrals are accepted during each semester.

How?

Acceptance to St. John Bosco is based on mutual appropriateness of the school model and the strengths and needs of the student.  Appropriate referrals proceed to a school team meeting with the family, student, and community supports.  Students share their strengths and their input regarding their timetable, schedule, and effective learning strategies.   Acceptance is determined at or shortly after this meeting based on community fit, student profile, availability of resources and community supports. All these elements are required to ensure that a youth receives productive programming.

Through differentiated instruction and flexible scheduling (one to four periods per day) students have the opportunity to earn credits at their own pace, allowing for the possibility of earning more than four credits per semester.  Learners complete credits through Independent Learning Course (ILC) booklets and/or project-based learning in the classroom.  

We promote three understandings in our school family:  show up, be respectful to yourself and others, and do your best.  Agencies that are connected to individual youth continue to support them in conjunction with our school team.   Through consistent communication with all a student's supports and team planning that respects student voice, we offer wrap-around services to help ensure that students reach their high school goals.   

SAL (Supervised Alternative Learning) is an additional program that meets the needs of a small number of students who have longstanding attendance challenges.