REVIEW OF Ontario Virtual School BY student, Nada Abou-Ghneim

(5) Student Experience

I liked everything about OVS; there is a lot of flexibility, and everything moves at your own pace! There was plenty of extra work available for each lesson, as well as at the end of each unit to practice. Additionally, there were questions within the lessons to further my understanding. I appreciated how each lesson could be restarted as many times as necessary, which was helpful when a lesson was more difficult to understand. It was easy to complete all evaluations. I also liked how there was ample time to submit each test. This gave me the chance to fully understand the material and answer to the best of my ability without worrying about time running out.

(5) School Leadership

Everyone is very kind and respectful! Anytime I needed to communicate with my teacher, she was efficient and quick to answer any questions I had. Even if she didn’t have the answer to something outside of the lessons, she guided me to resources or someone who could help. I also appreciated the teachers who recorded their lessons. They explained the material very well, in a way that was easy to follow and understand.

(5) Teaching

I think the teachers include everything that was covered in the lessons in their tests and assignments. I appreciate that because sometimes what I learn doesn’t end up being evaluated. All the questions my teachers asked were straightforward and easy to understand since I had already watched the lessons. I also liked that I could take the tests whenever I wanted, which gave me enough time to practice and study until I felt ready to complete the test or assignment. For me, success means passing the course, understanding the material, and being able to apply what I learned, even to explain or teach it to someone else.

(5) Academics

I think the workload was just right! Some lessons were more challenging than others, but it’s good to be challenged. Even if something was difficult or I missed an important part of a lesson, I could restart it or rewind a few seconds to help my understanding. For tests, there weren’t many difficult questions; the wording was easy to understand and straightforward. I appreciated this, especially in an online school setting where it’s not always easy to ask a teacher for help or clarification, particularly since technology wasn’t allowed during tests. Assignments sometimes had tricky questions or unclear wording, but I could email my teacher for clarification and usually got a fairly quick response, depending on the time I sent the email.

(5) School Life

OVS is an online school, so a traditional campus tour doesn’t apply. However, the website is easy to navigate and use. If I were asked to give a tour of my online school to a group of visitors, I would start with the main dashboard. This is the first thing students see when they log in, and it shows all their classes, schedules, and updates. It helps students stay organized and know what they need to do each day. Next, I would show the area where students submit their tests and explain the exam process. Then, I would highlight the support system; how students can contact teachers, get tech help, or speak with guidance counselors. Even though it’s online, the school feels well-structured and helps students learn in a clear and supportive way.

(5) Admissions

Applying for courses is easy because there are many classes available. To enroll in a course, all that is needed is a transcript from the past or current school year. Right after you submit your transcript and wait for verification, you can start lessons immediately without wasting any time. Once the teacher verifies the transcript, you can begin taking tests whenever you find the right time. I would recommend this school to others because of how easy and straightforward it is to navigate.