Orchard Park Secondary School Information

About Orchard Park Secondary School

Type Public High School

Language(s) English

Grades 9-12

Welcome to Orchard Park Secondary School

Principal: Dawn Merlino

Orchard Park Secondary School offers specialized programs for students with certain areas of interest. Specialized courses include Hospitality & Tourism, Robotics, Basketball Academy, Football Academy and Cosmetology & Fashion. Specialized programs are intended to help students gain access to post-secondary education in a specific field or have tools to join the workforce. For students entering post-secondary education or entering the workforce alike, the school offers a Specialist High Skills Major in Hospitality and Tourism. Through this program, students also obtain their SmartServe Certification, First-Aid Certification, Customer Service Certification, Food Safety Certification, and WHMIS Certification over the 11th and 12th-grade Hospitality and Tourism courses.

Clubs:

Orchard Park Secondary School offers the following clubs:

FRC Team 2056
Reach for the Top
Rugby
Fastball (female)
Tennis
Track and Field
Stop Tobacco at Orchard Park (S.T.O.P.)
Tech Crew
Justice and Equality Throughout Society (J.E.T.S.)
Band
Students Council
Students and Staff Helping Orchard Park Students and Society (S.S.H.O.P.S.S)
Best Buddies
Basketball
Football
Water polo
Hockey
Cross-Country (Co-ed)

About the English Department:

The compulsory courses emphasize strong core competencies in listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, and representing. As part of their program in Grades 9 and 10, students must take one compulsory course in English in each grade. These courses are offered in three types, academic, applied, and locally developed.
Students choose between course types on the basis of their interests, achievement, and postsecondary goals. The course types offered in Grades 9 and 10 are defined as follows:
1. Academic courses develop students’ knowledge and skills through the study of theory and abstract problems. These courses focus on the essential concepts of a subject and explore related concepts as well. They incorporate practical applications as appropriate.
2. Applied courses focus on the essential concepts of a subject, and develop students’ knowledge and skills through practical applications and concrete examples. Familiar situations are used to illustrate ideas, and students are given more opportunities to experience hands-on applications of the concepts and theories they study.
3. Open courses are designed to prepare students for further study in the subject and to enrich their education generally. These courses comprise a set of expectations that are appropriate for all students.
Locally developed compulsory credit (LDCC) courses in English in each of Grades 9 and 10 are available, which may be used to meet the compulsory credit requirement in English for these grades. The Grade 9 and 10 LDCC courses prepare students for success in the Grade 11 English workplace preparation course.

About robotics:

Team 2056 is a FIRST robotics team lead by two Orchard Park teachers and their head engineering mentor; Mr. Hunter, Mr. Kitchen, and Tyler Holtzman. The team is acknowledged worldwide for having held the longest win streak from their rookie year, and also prides itself on having both the highest-scoring qualification match and the highest-scoring playoff match in the 2018 FRC season.

The team lost their first event of the season at the Waterloo University district event, but made a comeback by winning the McMaster University district event and capturing the Chairman’s Award at Mac. Having proceeded to the Ontario Provincial Championship, Team 2056 scored yet another win, along with guaranteeing their chances to compete at the Detroit World Championship; where they went on to win the Tesla Division and placed 3rd in the finals on the Einstein field.

Programming and other STEM concepts can seem very abstract, especially to younger students. Reading about technology or robotics in a book is perhaps the traditional way to learn, but putting that theory into practice by building or controlling a robot is hands-on learning that sticks around for the future. It also takes teamwork to make a robotics project run smoothly, and that’s a skill everyone needs.

That doesn’t mean that robotics is an easy part of STEM. In fact, this education technology can be a challenge for some learners — but a good challenge. As students improve with robotics and programming, they learn determination, perseverance, and how to plan and process with technology. These are all skills that will further their continuing education and their future career prospects.

As another benefit, robotics is a widespread education technology that could lead to more community and educational opportunities. From robotics competitions to showcases for friends and family, robotics drives community involvement, giving students something of which they can be proud.

Twitter: @OP_HWDSB

Special Alumni:

Corey Grant - CFL Player/Coach
Nick Pelletier - Assistant Director, Football Operations - Edmonton Eskimos (CFL)
Bob Krouse - CFL Player for Hamilton Tiger-Cats