Parent FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions


Q: How many grade 9 classes are there?

A: We have close to 400 grade 9 students which translates into roughly 16-18 classes running each period.


Q: When will my child get their schedule?    

Existing students will get timetables on Sept 1 (may be earlier then 3pm). They will access these through their PowerSchool accounts.

ALL new students, grade 9s and Grade 10-12’s will get a timetable on orientation Wednesday August 30th at orientation. If they cannot attend, they will need to see Guidance on Wednesday September 6th (first day of school).

Q: What is the Student Information System?  How do I log-in?

A: The Student Information System allows students to see their teachers, room assignments, timetables and grades throughout their time at Christ the King.  The system opens to students the weekend before grade 9 orientation day.  To log-in students will need their student number (which is on their report cards and student cards) and their birthday.  Students who went to a Catholic elementary schools should already have a student number that works in the system.  Students from non-feeder schools will receive a number once they are active in the building (within the first few weeks of school).


Q: What is My Blueprint?

A: My Blueprint is an education planner meant to engage your child in planning ahead and making informed decisions about their future.  All course selections will be done through My Blueprint.  Students will also use the program to work through their Individual Pathways Plan over the course of their four years at Christ the King.  As part of their IPP they will work at building a resume and answering interesting inventories to help plan their Post-Secondary pathway and learn about the career options best suited to them.


Q: My child is coming from a school that didn’t use My Blueprint, will that be a problem?

A:  No, that will not be a problem.  The students will be guided through the various elements of the program by their teachers here at Christ the King and will spend half of a semester familiarizing themselves with the program in the grade 10 careers class.  Do not worry if they haven’t used the program prior to starting.


Q: When is grade 9 and New Student Orientation Day?

A: Grade 9 and New Student Orientation Day will be held from10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. on August 30, 2023

Attention to our in-coming Grade 9 Parents and Guardians:
We hope you are ready to enjoy your summer holidays with your children. On behalf of CTK, we are thrilled to welcome your family to our school community in September!
Our Grade 11 and 12 Mentors have been busy planning the Grade 9 Orientation Day, with lots of activities and food present.

We are pleased to be able to offer the orientation in an ‘in-person style’; more specifically, your child(ren) will be given five hours where they will meet their mentors and classmates in period 1, visit and tour the school, participate in a mock pep-rally, and have time to explore our school club fair, to showcase what CtK has to offer in terms of extracurricular activities. In addition to this, we will be providing 45 minutes for lunch to our grade 9s during orientation day.

Please make sure to follow the specific schedule and make sure to arrive at the designated time. You will also be able to access our CtK Orientation Day Website we are currently updating in the hopes of sharing with the community what CtK is all about.

The website will be available on Tuesday, August 29th (the day before the orientation). The link to this website is:https://sites.google.com/my.ctk.ca/ctkorientation/home

The in-person portion of the orientation will be as follows:
Wednesday, August 30th, 2023:

10:00am – 10:30am (Registration – located at front and back of school)
10:30am – 11:00am (Mentors Meet and Greet)
11:00am – 11:30am (Mentors Presentation in the Theatre)
11:30am – 12:00pm (Mentors Activities with their Class)
12:00pm – 12:30pm (Tours of the School – including Used Uniform Sale in the Gym)
12:30pm – 1:15pm (Mock Pep-Rally in the Gym)
1:15pm – 2:00pm (Lunch)
2:00pm – 2:30pm (Club Fair/Sign-up)

Your child(ren) will be attached this year to a mentor from their period 1 class. If not already done so, can you please communicate this to your child(ren).

If you need to inquire about any other details of this event, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mark De Cicco at deciccom@hcdsb.org

Also on this day, our CtK parent community will be hosting a used clothing drive in Gym C from 10:00am to 1:00pm, in case you need to purchase some uniform pieces to your child(ren)s wardrobe.

We look forward to meeting all our incoming students at Orientation! Please stay tuned for further correspondence closer to the date.

The CTK Mentors Committee


Q: Can my son or daughter carry a backpack to class?

A: No backpacks are allowed in class, they should be left in lockers along with any important or expensive personal items.  Purses ARE allowed to be carried.  For additional school rules click on the “School” tab in the tool bar at the top of this site and scroll down to “Policies.”


Q: Is there a Late Bus?

A: Yes, there is a late bus that goes to Acton, St. Joseph (Elementary School).  The bus leaves Christ the King at 5:00pm.


Q: I have a bussing question or need to make special busing arrangements for my child.

A: If you have bussing concerns visit http://www.haltonbus.ca/.  Additional information can also be found here.


Q: My child has an IEP, will it automatically be transferred from their elementary school?

A:  If your child is transferring from one of the elementary schools, the IEP will be transferred.  A transition meeting will also be arranged by the elementary school SERT.

If you child is transferring from a school outside our board, the IEP will not automatically transfer.  You will need to contact the Special Education Department Head and share a copy of your child’s last psychological assessment.  The assessment will be reviewed by the psychological services department of the HCDSB.


Q: What extra help options are available to my child?

A: For information on extra help available at Christ the King, click here.


Q:  Who can we turn to if my child is struggling with social or mental health issues?

A:  There are a number of places that you can turn if you feel that your child is struggling with social or mental health concerns.  The first point of contact should either be your child’s Vice Principal or your child’s guidance counsellor.  You may be able to work through the problem with them, and find a solution together.

If you child is coping with more serious issues, the Vice Principal or Guidance Counsellor can make a referral to the Social Worker or Child and Youth Counsellor.

The Social Worker, supports students who are struggling significantly with mental health concerns that are impacting their ability to attend school or to function successfully within the academic environment.  The Social Worker can support students individually and can also liaise regularly with counselling supports in the community.  The Social Worker is well-versed in case management and advocacy skills and can support your family with navigating the mental health system in Halton Region and can work with you in finding the best treatment options for your child.

The Child and Youth Counsellor, supports students who may be struggling socially, emotionally or behaviourally. The Child and Youth Counsellor does support students that may be suffering from mental health issues however the more complex situations may be a referral to the school social worker. The Child and Youth Counsellor also spends time with teachers and students in the GLE classes to support with the delivery of social skills programming such as self-regulation, self-awareness, communication, asset building etc.

Various programs and groups are planned throughout the year by the Child Youth Counsellor to keep all students of the school engaged such as bully awareness programs, random acts of kindness, Give Respect Get Respect campaign and The Food for Thought Breakfast Program.


Q: What additional supports are available to my child?

A: In addition to the Child Youth Counsellor and Social worker students can also turn to their teachers and guidance counsellor.  A few specific individuals they may also choose to seek out are the chaplain and student success teacher.

The school chaplain works with school staff and local parish priest to help students celebrate their faith and serve their communities.  The Chaplain is also available to assist students with spiritual and personal problems.

The student success teacher is a teacher who offers additional support as needed to help students meet with success.  This teacher works with a student success team that includes the principal, a guidance counsellor, a special education teacher and classroom teachers to monitor student progress and initiate timely interventions to promote success.


Q: How are students matched with mentors?

A: Your son or daughter will be asked to complete a personal interest survey.  The same survey will also be completed by the grade 10’s who have been selected as mentors for the following year.  Based on the results of these surveys, your son or daughter will be paired with a student of the same gender who shares similar interests in sports, academics, music etc. in order to create some initial common ground between them.


Q: How many mentees will each mentor have?

A: Generally, the ratio of mentors to grade 9’s is 1: 5. Students who have higher needs may have smaller ratios


Q: How were the mentors selected?

A:  Each years mentors are selected from the grade 10 class the January before school starts.  All interested students are invited to apply at the start of the month by filling out an application form.  Based on these forms a list is generated that is sent out to the entire staff for teacher recommendations.  All students who make it through the teacher recommendation phase will be required to attend one on one interviews and a group interview.  Based on the results of each phase 90-95 mentors are selected.


Q: When will my son or daughter meet their mentor?

A: The grade 11’s will be given their mentees names at the end of June and are welcome to make contact over the summer if they knew their mentee.  If not, mentors and mentees will meet officially at Grade 9 orientation day.


Q: Will my son or daughter be sharing a locker?

A: Yes, your son or daughter will most likely be sharing a locker.  At Christ the King grade 9’s get their own lockers.  All other students share (unless there are extenuating circumstances).  As part of the locker process spaces are left in some lockers to leave room for late registrants and transfer students.


Q: Where do I buy my son or daughter’s uniform?

A: Uniforms can be purchased from McCarthy’s.  Once you go there and sort out sizing you can order items online and have them delivered directly to your home.  We also hold used uniform sales, more info to follow.


Q:  I heard you have school sweatshirts that are part of the uniform, how can my son or daughter purchase one?

A: School sweatshirts can be purchased from McCarthy’s.

Q: How many uniform pieces do students require to begin school?

A: There is no required amount but 2 pairs of pants, one pair of shorts and 3-4 tops will likely be enough to get them started.


Q:  What does my son or daughter need to graduate?

A: For information on graduation requirements, click here.


Q:  I know my son or daughter needs to complete 40 community service hours before graduating.  Can they start in grade 9 and where can they do this?

A: For information on which activities are ineligible/eligible for earning community service hours and more information on the program, click here.  Additional information can also be found at http://www.youthconnect.ca/htdocs/english/getinvolved/index.asp .


Q: Does Christ the King have electronic textbooks? 

A: It depends on the course.  There are electronic textbooks available for many of our classes but they are not the dominant form of textbook at Christ the King.  Special Ed. also has access to a wide variety of electronic learning resources for students with individualized learning needs.


Q:  Do all of the teachers at CtK have class portals that I can check for test and assignment deadlines?

A: Many of the teachers use either Remind 101 or a school portal to remind students of tests, assignments and class events.


Q: What type of scholarship opportunities are available at Christ the King?

A: Scholarships are based on either marks, extracurricular activities, community service or a combination of those things.  Students at Christ the King will be informed of many scholarship opportunities available to graduating students in the province and will also be eligible to win the over 40 graduation awards and bursaries specific to Christ the King.  Students are also encouraged to look into this themselves; they should pay special attention to scholarships tied to their parent’s employment as often companies make opportunities of this sort available.


Q: How many sports can my child play at Christ the King?

A:  Generally your son or daughter can play one sport each season (fall, winter and spring) for a total of three per year.  There are a few exceptions to this like squash club, girls football and badminton.  These sports run as clubs or mid season tournament teams and as a result don’t count as a sport for a specific season.


Q:  How can my child get involved with sports and clubs at CtK?

A: For information on which teams and clubs run at Christ the King and how your child can get involved with them, visit our Sports and Clubs/Activities pages.

Q: Who is my child’s guidance councillor?

A: Students are assigned a guidance counsellor alphabetically.  The alphabetical breakdown is as follows:

Students Services 905-702-8838 (Ext. 2005)

Who’s my Guidance Counsellor??

Grade 9’s                                                  Mrs. Lauc

                                                            lauci@hcdsb.org

Grade 10’s                                               Mr. DeCicco

                                                            deciccoma@hcdsb.org

Grade 11’s and 12’s

A—L                                                           Mrs. Pavanetto

                                                            pavanettoc@hcdsb.org

M—Z                                                          Mrs. Fataar

                                                            fataarm@hcdsb.org

 AP PROGRAM                                         Mrs. Lauc

                                                            lauci@hcdsb.org

SHSM PROGRAM                                   Mr. DeCicco

                                                            deciccom@hcdsb.org

Q:  Who is my child’s Vice Principal?

Students with Surname Beginning with:

A–K    Ms. M. Moore

L–Z     Mr. D. Montoya


Q: My son or daughter is coming from the public board and I am concerned about them being behind in religion class?

A:  It is unlikely that this will put your child at a disadvantage since much of Grade 9 and 10 Religion is dedicated to going over the basics of the Catholic faith.  That being said, if this is a concern for you or your child be sure to mention it to their religion teacher.  This will help the teacher plan accordingly and ensure they go over any material they might normally assume the students have already heard.   You can also find a summary of important Catholic traditions and beliefs here.


Q:  What types of youth services are available in Halton and how do we access them?

A:  Information on services ranging from help lines, addiction centers, emergency shelter and food providers, counselling and mental health resources and much more can be found here (http://www.halton.ca/cms/one.aspx?portalId=8310&pageId=142026) on the Halton Region website.


Q: How can I prepare my son or daughter for High School?

A:  Tips sheets on how to prepare your child for grade 9 can be found here.  Additional information on how to support your child academically (developing study skills, homework habits etc.) can be found under the “academic support” tab on the toolbar at the top of this page (click on “study skills”).  Links to a variety of parent resources on topics like encouraging responsible media use and building self-esteem in teens can be found here.


To access our Student Wellness page, please click here

Healthy Schools Halton: Parent Info

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