What is the process for applying for LEAP, Challenge, and ATLAS?
Please refer to the Choices at 7 application process information. All applicants must complete the online application form by the due date and then complete the application requirements. All Challenge and LEAP applicants will be invited to submit a task and an educator/school team reference will be submitted. The tasks are scored together with the report card and a school-based questionnaire. The students are then ranked in numerical order, by their overall score. The selection of suitable candidates for ATLAS will be made by a Board committee who will review each on-line application, student’s report card, IEP (if applicable), the in-school team questionnaire and the student advocacy card.
What is the deadline for applications?
All of the dates are posted within the Choices at 7 application process information. We do not accept late applications.
What do I do if I am having technical difficulties?
Please contact the ITS LDSB Service Desk at 613-417-3559 for assistance. Please note that all requests for technical support must be made no later than 24 hours prior to the submission deadline. If you continue to experience issues, please contact your classroom teacher, student support teacher or school administrator for assistance.
Where can I get more information about the programs and the admission requirements?
Information about the admission requirements and important dates are available at Choices at 7.
Challenge is offered at three sites. Can we apply for whichever one we prefer?
No. There are geographical boundaries for each site. Visit the list of Challenge Program selection sites for more information. Particular elementary schools feed into each site (i.e., northern schools into Loughborough PS, western area schools into Odessa PS, and the others into Calvin Park PS. Please note that you can only apply to one Challenge site.
Can we apply to more than one program, for instance LEAP and Challenge?
Certainly. Several students apply to both programs every year.
How do you obtain a copy of my student's February report card?
If your student attends a school within the Limestone District School Board, we access the report card electronically and no action is required on your part. If your student attends a school outside our Board, or is home schooled, you will be asked to deliver or mail a hard copy of the most recent report card to the Limestone District School Board Education Centre, 220 Portsmouth Ave., Kingston ON K7L 4X4, or scan and email.
Can my student apply for a Grade 8 placement in LEAP, Challenge or ATLAS?
Yes. The process is the same as Grade 7. Please note that there are only limited vacancies in the Grade 8 programs, because most of our students continue on in the program from Grade 7.
What is the selection process for Challenge and LEAP?
Challenge and LEAP applicants are rank-ordered based on their overall score. First Round: equity of opportunity. The first 23 places in each program are accepted from the rank-ordered list based on quotas for each Family-of-Schools. Second Round: based on the overall assessment score of each applicant until the cut off point of acceptance.
My student is currently in a Grade 6 French Immersion program (not in Core French). Do I need to apply to Vanier or Acadie?
If you are a Grade 6 LDSB student, currently in a French Immersion program, you do not need to apply. Your current school will transfer your child’s information to Vanier (Rideau PS, Polson Park PS, Ecole Kingston East Elementary School) and to Acadie (J.R. Henderson PS, Amherstview PS). You should, however, complete a Tri-Board Student Transportation application. If you are in a Grade 6 French Immersion program in another school board, you are required to complete a LDSB Student Registration Form and submit it to Vanier or Acadie (based on the location of your home).
How many applicants apply and how many are accepted into each program?
As the applicant numbers vary significantly each year, we are not able to provide a specific answer.
Is there a waiting list?
Yes, a short waiting list is established for all programs, and it is kept active until the end of September. Vacancies are created, for instance, if a student is accepted into both LEAP and Challenge, so has to accept one offer and decline the other. That vacancy will be offered right away to the next person on the waiting list.
If my student doesn’t get in, will we be notified?
Yes. All applicants are notified by email if they are accepted, placed on the waiting list, or if they are not being offered a space, on the notification date.
I missed the application deadline. How do I apply now?We do not accept late applications. Please visit Choices at 7 for a list of dates.
I have completed and submitted my child’s application but have not received any emails from the Choices at Seven registrar?
You will receive an automatic reply when you submit your application form for ATLAS, LEAP, Challenge (you should retain this reply for future reference). The application form will require that you provide only one email address for all future communications – ensure that it is typed correctly before submitting your form. You should also check your clutter/junk mail box as emails will sometimes end up there. If you have any concerns or questions please email the Choices at Seven Registrar.
Can we visit the programs and meet the staff?
Each school site will be holding an Open House in early January. Please continue to check the Choices at 7 page for exact times and dates.
Is transportation provided?
Transportation is not guaranteed but we attempt to accommodate requests. If your student is accepted into a program, at the time of registration at the school, you will have to complete an application for transportation through Tri-Board Student Transportation. If Tri-Board Transportation can find a space on a bus which is near where you live, and it is going to the site your student would be attending, they will try to accommodate the request. However, this accommodation may result in your student arriving a bit late and leaving a bit early every day, which may affect their progress.