*ADST (Applied Design Skills and Technology) / Arts Education Options:
Drama 9
Food Studies 9
ICT 9 (Information and Communication Technology)
Visual Art 9
Woodwork 9
Concert Band 9

*Languages or Learning Assistance Options:
French 9
Mandarin 9
Spanish 9
Learning Assistance 

*Mathematics Options:
Mathematics 9
Mathematics 9/10 Accelerated 

BC Graduation Program Policy Guide

Some courses that are offered in this course catalogue may be cancelled due to enrolment numbers, teacher availability and other reasons as determined by Richmond Christian School. We thank you for your understanding when this could affect a student’s schedule.

All students at the Secondary Campus of RCS must take 9 year-long courses every year including Career Education. For the purposes of counting courses, Learning Assistance, Study Blocks and Online Course Blocks are included in the definition of courses.

Students with a Grade 12 standing are allowed to apply for one study block for every four academic courses at the Grade 12 or Advanced Placement® level in that current school year. An academic course is defined as a course under the following departments:

• English Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Modern Languages
• Sciences
• Social Studies

It is the mission of the Richmond Christian School to offer a ‘quality, Christ-centered education’.  We know that courses taken from teachers at RCS will be of an excellent quality and Christ-centered.  We are committed to offering a wide variety of courses to meet the diverse needs of all our learners. We understand as well, that as a small school, a grad required course may not fit into a student’s schedule. For grade 12 students navigating their final graduation requirements, we will provide time in the schedule for a student to take an online course when there is a scheduling conflict or if we do not offer the course. Students in grade 9-11 will not be eligible for an online course in the schedule. Students wishing to take an online course block must follow the procedures set by the student services department which includes an administrative fee which will be set by the school campus administration. As the course will be offered by a distributed different Online school, the responsibility for completion lies with the student and the registered distributed Online school, not RCS.

There will be no support or supervision for online courses taken by grade 12’s. Parents will be required to sign an agreement form about expectations, stating that they acknowledge that completing the course is the responsibility of the student and it is needed for university admissions.

Advanced Placement (AP)® courses provide students with the opportunity to gain university credits. The AP courses help students to pursue intellectual activities that are challenging, develop higher level thinking skills, and promote independent study, research, and content enrichment.  AP courses are open to students in Grades 11 or 12 only.

Each AP course has an optional exam that students can take in May for a fee. Students who score a 4 or 5 (out of 5) on the exam may be eligible for credit in first year courses depending on the institution. Students must register by October.  We only offer AP Exams to students who are taking the course at our school.

We offer the following AP Courses:

• Biology
• Calculus AB
• Calculus BC
• English Language and Composition
• English Literature and Composition
• Physics 2
• Psychology

RCS students enrolled in Advanced Placement® classes can expect to have 60 minutes to 90 minutes of homework per class day. For a balanced life, it is recommended that students take no more than two AP® courses.

Students who plan to take more than two AP courses in a school year must submit an application form that is filled out by both students and parents.

The Accelerated Courses are an opportunity for students to be challenged and show perseverance as they complete two years of curriculum in one year. Students will be expected to critically connect ideas, problem solve, and engage with material in an increasingly mature manner. Assessment for work in Accelerated Courses has a higher expectation for depth and breadth of understanding of the material. RCS students enrolled in accelerated courses can expect to have 60 minutes to 90 minutes of homework per class day.

We offer the following accelerated courses:

• Mathematics 9/10 (Link to Math Page)
• English 10/11 (Link to English Page)

In cases where a student has obtained training in a course with similar learning outcomes BC Ministry of Education or Board Authority Authorized courses, arrangements may be made to challenge a course for credit. Students must demonstrate their proficiencies in curricular competencies and content at an appropriate level set by the Student Services Department, in consultation with department heads. Students may be asked to show their proficiency in variety of ways such as a written examination and skill demonstration. A student may only challenge a course once.

Students can earn external credentials by taking courses, programs or activities that fall outside the normal B.C. school curriculum. The BC Ministry of Education authorizes programs of certain organizations that fulfill their criteria. Richmond Christian School will give transfer standing to students who show appropriate documentation for the completion of programs or courses that the Ministry has approved. For a full list of organizations and programs, click here.