HeadStart to Grade 9
At the end of August each year, Get a HeadStart to Grade 9 is offered. HeadStart is a voluntary, value-added summer support program offered for FREE for Grade 8 students entering Grade 9. This program is only available to students enrolled in our Catholic Secondary Schools each September. Students and parents tell us how timely, and transformative HeadStart is.
Although this program is NOT mandatory, separate registration for HeadStart is required.

How does HeadStart make a difference?
HeadStart is an in-person preparatory program which provides students with those preliminary tools to be academically successful at the beginning of the school year. The program is infused with literacy and numeracy activities and the all-important social adjustment factor.
Learn to:
- What is the 2023 -2024 school year likely going to look like for high school students?
- What does a blend of in-class, online and remote learning look like in a high school setting
- How to manage a semester system for both in-person and remote learning
- Follow your timetable, find your classes and meet your new peers who will join you – ahead of time
- Navigate around other parts of the school and how to access people resources
- Feel a part of a new school community before the first day of school
“Thank you to the team who runs HeadStart. My son came out of it with a lot of confidence and excitement for starting his journey at St. David’s. He even said he’s going to be one of the leaders some day when he’s in Grade 12. Thanks so much for making the beginning of grade 9 much less scary (for me especially!)”
– parent of St. David CSS HeadStart student
Each year, we try to accommodate as many Grade 9 students entering our five Catholic Secondary Schools as possible and over half choose to participate. Unfortunately, the program does reach maximum capacity.