Northview Heights Secondary School

Specialty programs

Northview is noted for having many specialty programs for its students. These include CyberARTS, APGA, HMST, a CCNA Certified Cisco course, and a recently added SHSM program.

Hospitality & Tourism SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major)

Multiple Credit Courses: A destination-related broad-based technology course in Grade 11 or 12 may be planned for up to 330 hours of scheduled instructional time (for which the student may earn a maximum of three credits) if the course is part of a Specialist High Skills Major program or school–work transition program, if it leads to an apprenticeship or certification program, or if it supports an articulation agreement for advanced standing or preferred entrance into a specialized program. The additional instructional time allows for the practice and refinement of skills needed to raise the quality of the student’s performance to the level required for entry into a subsequent program or the workplace. The skills students develop in multiple-credit courses should reflect current industry practices and standards. Instructional time may be increased by increments of 55 hours. For each additional hours, students earn an additional half-credit, to a maximum of three credits. The number of additional credits and the nature of the knowledge and skills to be practiced and refined during the additional instructional time must be established before the start of the course. Any destination-related course, including emphasis courses, may be delivered as a multiple-credit course.

CyberARTS program

Northview Heights Secondary School is one of four schools in the Toronto District School Board to feature the CyberARTS program, a partnership with the University of Waterloo and Sheridan College which opened in February 1996. The school has three Mac computer labs: a Communication Technology lab, a CyberARTS lab, and a Creative Design Centre lab. Most of the computers are iMacs, but there are a considerable amount of eMacs still remaining in the Creative Design Center. Every Mac computer has a version of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design Premium CS3, Maxon Cinema 4D v.8 and iLife 08.

Academic Program for Gifted Athletes (APGA)

The Academic Program for Gifted Athletes is a program unique to Northview Heights. It builds a school schedule around the needs of their young athletes. In August 2005, Maclean's voted it "one of the top 30 schools in Canada." As of 2013-14, the program has 70 participants in different sports. However, they are not allowed to play these sports to represent the school while in the specialized sports program.

Honours Math, Science and Technology program (HMST)

The Honours Math Science and Technology Program offers enriched courses for high-achieving academic students. The program offers an accelerated curriculum in math and science courses from grade 9 through 12. Students take Honours math and science courses in Grade 9 and 10. In Grade 11, students must take senior science courses, Grade 11 Honours Biology, Grade 11 Honours Physics and Grade 11 Honours Chemistry, as well as the math course, Grade 11 honours Functions. In Grade 12, students will take only regular Grade 12 courses. In addition, students must choose any two technology/computer science courses from a list of 18 options in Grades 10, 11, or 12. The program also requires students to participate in at least six competitions: at least two competitions for math and science. Technology competitions also counts but are optional. Students in Grade 8 are accepted into the program in Grade 9 based on their Grade 7 and 8 report cards as well the HMST Entrance Exam. Only 90-120 Grade 8 students are accepted. Grade 9 students in Northview can apply for Grade 10 HMST by a formal application process but only a very few of them can only go in because of very limited spaces available. Students must maintain a mark of 75% or above in all the HMST courses among other criteria in order to remain in the program.