Achievement and School Improvement Planning
Measures of Student Achievement and Success
- 68% of our graduates were Ontario Scholars in 2021. (over 80% grade average). Fifty-one graduates were OCDSB Silver Medal Winners (over 90% grade average).
- Many graduates earned scholarships from Universities and Community Foundations
- Merivale High School students have consistently excelled in the University of Waterloo Math and Chemistry contests as well as the Open Canadian Mathematics and math league contests.
- Strong results have been achieved in contests in Biology, Physics, Chemistry and French Public Speaking.
Many students have placed within the top category for major academic contests in mathematics and sciences. Grade 9 EQAO results indicate the majority of Merivale students are performing at or above the provincial standard.
- Merivale students also earn graduate certificates in French Immersion, SHSM , or the International Certificate.
School Improvement Plans and Initiatives
- Merivale’s School Improvement Plans align with the District K-12 School Effectiveness Framework and focus on five key areas at all times.
- School and Classroom Organization: We will establish and maintain a focused learning environment.
- Curriculum and Teaching and Learning Practices: We will focus on key learning expectations and we will provide personalized assessment and feedback.
- Intervention & Closing the Gaps: We will provide additional time and support to ensure all students meet with success.
- Programs and Pathways: We will provide intellectually stimulating instruction for all students and challenge students through both program opportunities as well as high yield classroom instructional strategies.
- Home, School, and Community Partnerships: We will collaborate with our parents and the broader community.
Highlights from our Improvement Plan include:
To ensure our grade 9 students have a successful start to their high school years, Merivale High School provides a “LINK Crew” mentoring program for all grade 9 students. Each grade 9 student is linked to a senior mentor who will provide academic, social, and peer mentoring through a leadership course.
Our Student Success team focuses on improving credit accumulation for grade 9 and 10 students. Our Student Success Team collaborates with grade 9 and 10 teachers to intervene with students at risk of losing a credit through credit intervention strategies, which may include Credit Recovery - a class in which one or multiple credits are recovered in a multi-disciplinary classroom setting.
New in 2021 is a fully de-streamed Mathematics curriculum for all students in Grade 9. Our primary goal is to close the achievement gap while raising the achievement level of students in our mathematics courses. Instruction will emphasize process expectations and skills development. Staff will continue to offer Math extra-help sessions at lunch and after school. Our senior math students offer tutoring services to younger students as part of our peer mentoring program.
Our Literacy initiatives will be directed to increase overall credit accumulation in grades 9 and 10 English courses. Specific instructional strategies will focus on high interest, culturally relevant reading materials, and culminating tasks which allow students to differentiate products based on their personal learning style. Learning Support Teachers will continue to deliver support and Learning Strategies Courses to assist students in developing individual goals and strategies for success in all subject areas.
Leadership Recognition
“Leadership in the OCDSB is the demonstration of personal initiative to achieve a positive outcome.”
Students
Promoting student leadership is an integral part of our vision. Students’ Council, Athletic Council, Music Council, and Club Summit are examples of student-led organizations that enhance the quality of life at Merivale. Merivale students in groups, such as Leadership Class, Students’ Council, and Relay for Life, participate in a number of fundraising activities donating thousands of dollars, food and clothing items to charities including: the United Way, the CHEO Telethon, Toy Mountain, Thanksgiving Canned Food Drive, Ottawa Hospital Foundation, Ottawa Food Bank, YMCA-YWCA, Canadian Cancer Society, Harmony House, Juvenile Diabetes and Ryan’s Well Foundation.
Staff
Our staff members have a wealth of professional qualifications including Masters Degrees in Education, Arts, Fine Arts, Physical Education and Sciences, Bachelor’s Degrees as well as additional qualifications in Special Education, Music, Visual Arts, Guidance, and Computers in Education. Teachers actively participate in numerous District-wide and Provincial professional development. We recognize their initiative by providing and supporting opportunities for further professional growth. Our teachers have received numerous recognitions for their contributions, and most recently, two staff members received the Director's Citation Award in 2021.
Parents/Guardians/Volunteers
Merivale is a school community that thrives on the contributions of parents and volunteers. Through our partnership with the Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE), we are able to attract a talented and committed group of volunteers. Our volunteers have contributed countless hours of support annually in diverse capacities such as coaching, tutoring, and library support. As invaluable partners, we continue to thank our volunteers on an on-going basis and look for opportunities to acknowledge them.
Community
Merivale is surrounded by a supportive business community. A large number of local businesses regularly contribute prizes to support school activities. Local grocery stores and restaurants provide ongoing support for student and staff initiatives. We are fortunate to have such a warm and caring community to surround our school campus and to support our students! Thank you!