Getting Ready for High School in Toronto: A Parent’s Guide to Grade 9 Transition : Parenting To Go

It’s crazy to think that Akira is entering grade 9 in Toronto! Remember how we were sharing about Junior Kindergarten lunch box tips not too long ago? Well, the time has come for us to share all about the high school prep we’ve done in the last year. I’ll share about how we chose a Toronto high school, what the Toronto Grade 9 orientation was like and some Toronto high school transition tips we’ve picked up along the way. We were clueless last year when Akira went into Grade 8 and figured it would be helpful if we shared about how we got ready for high school as Toronto parents.

Getting Ready for High School in Toronto

The good news is that your child’s current school will have all the details and SHOULD be taking you through the process step by step. Shortly after starting Grade 8, Akira’s school sent an email providing a heads up about the upcoming Toronto high school application process. Neither Chris nor I had gone through a high school “shopping” experience before so this was all new to us and reminded me of my college applications. After narrowing down the schools you also have to wait for those acceptance letters and then figure out how to actually get your child ready for that first day of high school at a new school! It can be overwhelming but taking it one step at a time, worked for us. So I’m going to share those steps with you.

Toronto High School Open Houses

Toronto has various school boards and each of them have open houses so you can visit the schools in your “neighbourhood” to decide which would be best for your child. I highly encourage you to add those dates to your calendar because going to the open houses helped us a lot. Akira was going to a Catholic school (here’s why we chose a Catholic education) but we were open to switching to a non-Catholic school so we went to the Catholic board open houses and to the Toronto district open houses in the downtown area. The challenge was that the Catholic board open houses and applications go in earlier than the regular district board so if you’re thinking about exploring a school in the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), keep in mind that open houses will take place in September and October because applications will have to go in by end of October. I will also mention that you do NOT have to be a baptized Catholic to apply to a TCDSB secondary school. In fact I know of Muslim friends who are sending their kids to a Catholic school. Luckily for us, our Catholic school experience has been a positive and welcoming one where we not only raise the Pride Flag each year, but we also see a focus on values more than scripture.

Akira visited 2 TCDSB schools and ended up applying to both of them. She also wanted to check out a TDSB school in our catchment so we went to that in November (but quickly realized that school was not the best option, based purely on the fact that they had NO air conditioning at Jarvis Collegiate and Akira would be grumpy all day long).

Attending the open houses enables you and your child to learn about the school, chat with current students to get a vibe of the place and learn about the various extra curricular activities and programs. As you narrow down your options think beyond the commute (Akira could have walked to a school that was less than 15 minutes away but opted for one that requires a 45 minute subway ride because it felt like a better option for her). If your child was in the gifted program you may want to see which schools offer IB or AP streams. If your child is into music, drama, sports etc- see which school has a strong activities selection that caters to those talents. At the end of the day, let your child decide which Toronto high school would be best for them but do help them by asking the questions during the open houses.

Toronto High School Applications

The actual applications are done online and it was fairly quick. As I mentioned, you can apply to various Toronto school boards. We were able to provide our top 2 choices at each board and while we only ended up applying in the Catholic board, we could have also submitted an application into the other boards as well.

We applied at the end of October and received the confirmation of acceptance in early January. In February we had to go to her chosen high school in Toronto during their registration hours and submit all the forms and documents they requested. This took 5 minutes and honestly, I wish there was an online option but we did get to see the sample gym uniforms which was helpful in determining which size she’d need!

Toronto Grade 9 Orientation

We didn’t actually have to do much between February and end of the school year. The one thing she had to decide was if she was going to attend the Grade 9 orientation program and which classes she wanted. It seemed like a no brainer to us because it would give her an opportunity to earn a high school credit by attending the month long program whilst also making new friends and getting to know the layout of her school (did I mention that the Toronto high schools are massive and maze-like?).

During the month of July, while most kids are enjoying the start of their summer holidays, Akira and many incoming Grade 9 students went back to school. It wasn’t all doom and gloom though! Two of the 5 days were dedicated for fun outings (think bowling, Toronto Islands, ROM etc) which meant that 3 days of the week were for Maths, Science and English. I really appreciated that Akira’s new high school ensured that the kids got to learn about the school’s neighbourhood by taking them around the immediate neighbourhood. Akira also learned how to use the school lockers and where she has to go for the various programs and activities she’ll be a part of.

The orientation program enabled us to train Akira to use the TTC on her own. Summer in Toronto is definitely more relaxed than the chaos of September so not only did I have the time to teach her how to navigate the subway that first week, but the subway wasn’t as busy and things ran smoothly. Akira learned to use Google Maps to help her navigate the city and she now knows to get walking directions if the TTC stops working and to see what alternate public transit routes may exist when she’s trying to get to and from school.

Kids were allowed to wear “regular clothes” for the high school orientation program but they also learned about the school uniform requirements and where to order clothes from (spoiler alert, there seems to be only one option-McCarthy).

I’m a huge fan of the Grade 9 orientation program, that’s for sure! Trying to do all of this in September would be more chaotic and we definitely felt better prepared for high school by doing that program.

Toronto High School Transition Tips & Prep

This next stage comes with a lot of anxiety for most parents. We’ve been taking these kids everywhere and now the time has come for us to give them some independence as we release them into the world. I say this as a downtown Toronto parent. I know many of my friends in the suburbs are still driving their kids to high school so perhaps things are a bit different for city kids.

Get a Youth PRESTO Card

Nearly all the high school kids I know in the city navigate the TTC on their own. Taking the subway on their own is the most daunting for me because it opens up many “what ifs”. Get your child a PRESTO card (the library has free ones you can grab or you can buy them from Shoppers for $4). Ensure you go into a Shoppers Drug Mart to get that PRESTO card converted to a Youth Card because students have a discounted rate. I set Akira’s PRESTO card in my PRESTO app so I could set the auto reload on (don’t want her getting stranded because we forgot to top it up!!) and I can spy on her activities this way – hah!

Time for a Phone

I know many parents hold off on giving their child a phone for as long as possible but I do believe that high school kids benefit from having a proper working phone. I’m not talking about a old clunky hand-me down that they’ll shove to the bottom of the bag. You want them to have a working phone with all the basic programs that will help YOU have peace of mind. You will also want to get them a data plan for their phone. We ended up adding Akira to our Rogers family plan but I know that Freedom and may mobile carriers have a $20 phone plan with no commitments if you don’t want to get locked into a long term plan for your child.

For Akira’s graduation Google gifted her with a Pixel 9 and let me tell you – I haven’t seen her smile that wide before! She was elated that she had a REAL phone. When it comes to choosing a phone for high schoolers, the balance is tricky: teens want sleek design, fast performance and cool features, while parents care about safety, longevity and (let’s be real) value for money. As a Pixel user I knew that the Pixel 9 would be good for her and FOR ME!

Here’s where the Pixel 9 really shines for families. Through Google’s Family Link, parents can set screen time limits, approve app downloads and even lock devices remotely during homework hours. The built-in location sharing lets you check if your teen made it safely to school or practice, without the “where are you??” text chain. Plus, Car Crash Detection and Emergency SOS are built in—peace of mind if your teen is in a vehicle.

Unlike some pricier flagships, the Pixel 9 doesn’t overdo it. It’s packed with genuinely useful features at a more approachable price point, with seven years of software updates, meaning it can last from grade nine to graduation day.

Google Maps is my favourite feature because we have location sharing on and I can sip my tea in the comfort of my PJs on our couch and watch her navigate to and from school. While Akira does have the Pixel 9, I will mention that the “Pixel a” series would be great for high schoolers and getting a Pixel 6, 7 or 8 might be more budget friendly whilst still having peace of mind.

Chat About Scenarios

Starting high school brings a lot of change, so I’ve found it helpful to talk through different scenarios with Akira. Since she’s an introvert, many of our chats focus on making friends, joining clubs and adjusting to new routines.

We also go over what to do in social settings, especially on the subway. For example, if someone makes her uncomfortable, she knows she can get off at the next stop and look for a TTC employee or call me right away. We even set up an Uber Teen account, so I can send her a ride if she ever feels scared or unsafe. I keep repeating these options, hoping they’ll come to mind if she ever needs them.

Of course, we’ve also touched on stranger danger-but I try to balance it with practical guidance. I don’t want her to believe all strangers are harmful. Instead, I show her examples of how we can support others in need, and how community can be a source of comfort and safety. My hope is that she grows up knowing she’s not alone-that people do look out for one another, and that we can lean on our community when it matters most.