Admission to Sea to Sky Alternate School is through an internal referral process. The School Based Team (SBT) of a student’s current school (or school they most recently attended), will provide relevant information to the Howe Sound Secondary & Sea to Sky Alternate School SBT. The Sea to Sky Alternate School mandate is to provide a supported learning environment for students with concurrent disorders, typically but not always substance use and mental health. The SSA program is not designed to meet the needs of students with modified learning programs that would typically require full time Education Assistant or “lifeskills” support, including students with moderate to profound intellectual divergent abilities.
Outside agencies should already be involved in supporting the student for them to be eligible for the program. We also expect that the current/most recent school has exhausted all options for schooling and support before making a referral. SSA should be considered the last option for formal education once all other avenues have been exhausted.
SSA helps students develop skills for success in mainstream learning environments. While the aim is always to return them, we understand that not all students will make their way back. Senior (grade 10-12) SSA students may also choose cross enrollment, where they take some of their courses at the SSA site, and others at Howe Sound Secondary in mainstream classes.
SSA students can graduate with a full or Adult Dogwood certificate, providing them with options for post-secondary study at universities, colleges and trades-schools, or to enter the workforce.
Please note that submitting registration papers does not mean that a student will be admitted to the SSA program.
If you are interested in Sea to Sky Alternate School, please contact our vice-principal, Dave Dallman at [email protected].