REVIEW OF Ontario Virtual School BY student, Wajiha Fatima Syeda

(5) Student Experience

Ontario Virtual School has provided me with a very valuable learning experience. The best thing about OVS is the amount of content and material provided for self-study. The course is done online entirely so clear material is something very important for students. As a student, you often get stuck on a few things, but I was VERY pleased with quick responses from the teachers who often were willing to explain things from scratch. If there is one thing students need to keep in mind is that self-motivation is necessary when it comes to any online course. With that being said, with the efforts of both the student and teacher, it will be a very pleasant experience for sure.

(4.5) School Leadership

The school leadership at Ontario Virtual School is very respectable. Although, there is minimum interaction because of the online setting, the code of language is very professional and kind from the teachers and administration. They take student concerns very seriously such as deadlines to apply for universities and guide the students accordingly. One major thing you learn at OVS is professional communication via e-mail with the teachers and the staff because that is the main medium for interaction between student, teachers and the staff. This can help students when they graduate from high school and start their university life or go onto to their professional work life.

(5) Teaching

At OVS, the major thing I felt teachers were expecting out of students was grasping the material in a way that is applicable practically. I took a grade 12 Physics and English course with Ontario Virtual School and both times I felt that the practical application of things learned was an emphasis. For example, there were many videos provided throughout the course to make students understand the practicality of what we were learning. Especially with the Physics course. I think a big part of this journey with OVS was getting prepared for University. Unlike traditional setting, our teachers expected us to stay self-motivated to finish our work on time even when they were physically absent. If you overcome to this challenge as a student, it can prepare you for a more successful university life where professors do not spoon feed students.

(5) Academics

In my personal opinion, the work is just right. I say this because of the way the courses are structured. In a traditional class setting, I used to often feel like I was falling behind the class, whether you understood something or not, the class had to go on and the teacher had to finish the syllabus. This did not benefit the students who were slow-learners. OVS is the PERFECT school for students like that. You can keep going back to the content, even if it is hard, and spend as much time as you like to understand that content completely before moving on to more complicated concepts. Thus, it makes for a richer experience as many things you learn in high school will help you in university.

(5) School Life

This question is not applicable to Ontario Virtual School as there is no walk-in campus. However, If I was to give more information about the school, I would give the visitors a tour of their website. It is made very user-friendly and the steps are easy to follow. The website also comes with a video which provides more information on the school and the process to get the due credits. There is also a section of frequently asked questions which cover a number of things related to Ontario Virtual School. There are also more reviews directly from the students on the website. Along with that, they have a built-in chat which is always available to answer any other questions about the school. There is also other ways to contact the school listed on the website.

(5) Admissions

The admission process is based online. It is very simple to follow through the Ontario Virtual School's user-friendly and interactive website. The list of courses from grade 9 to 12 are clearly listed with codes. You can select the courses and then carry onto selecting them in your cart. Then it is a matter of payment which can be done by a variety of different methods. The school may ask for pre-requisites and a school transcript based on what level you are on and which grade you are entering. A profile is created for you with your courses on it. There is a mini tutorial on how to go about the website and your profile. As a mature student, I had to contact the administration for my specific case. That is done by the e-mail provided on their website. The very helpful and sweet admin staff takes the student step by step to ensure they're selecting the right courses the right way. It was not stressful at all.