Distinction Program
At Villa Maria, we encourage our students to excel.
standing out with the distinction program
This program enables Secondary 1 and 2 (cycle 1) students who wish to enrich their studies to earn additional credits recognized by the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur (MEES). These additional credits appear on their report card. These students will also receive a certificate and a special mention on their diploma.
extra-credit courses
The Distinction Program’s extra-credit courses (Secondary 1 and 2) are additional, non-mandatory courses offered after regular school hours, from 3:10 to 4:10 p.m. Each course consists of four one-hour classes per eighteen-day cycle throughout the school year. To be eligible to graduate with Distinction within the Extra-Credit Course Distinction Program, a student must:
- The completion of 3 graded Experience Periods and/or Extra-Credits between Secondary 1-5*;
- Maintaining a minimum average of 70% for each experience period;
- Maintaining an overall academic average of 80% each year during which the student was enrolled in a graded experience period
- The calculation will be finalized at the end of Term 2 in Secondary 5.
*Please note that students who have successfully completed an extra-credit course, and have achieved a minimum of 70% in the course, prior to the 2026-2027 academic year will receive recognition towards the Distinction Program.
Click below to discover the list of extra-credit courses offered for the 2026-2027 school year to cycle 1 students. Offered after regular school hours, i.e. from 3:10 to 4:10 p.m., each course consists of four one-hour classes per eighteen-day (18) cycle throughout the school year.
Cycle 2 students register for Experience Periods.
