Private School's Enriched Curriculum

Smorgasbord of options key to enriching private school curriculum

 

By IAN HOWARTH, Freelance September 10, 2011 Montreal Gazette Article

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When all is said and done – after the graduation ceremonies are over, gowns tucked away and rented tuxedos returned – all students in Quebec leave high school with the same number of course credits from the same list of core compulsory subjects like math, English and French. But for many schools – especially in the private sector – it is the journey along the way toward graduation that is important.

For private schools, enriched programs abound alongside a myriad of options available to students. Even the core subjects like math, English and French are given the enriched treatment in many private schools.

Queen of Angels Academy, an allgirls private school in Dorval, offers, in addition to its regular French instruction, a français langue d’enseignement certificate and an enriched second language course, three levels of math courses and four arts education options at all grade levels.

For Secondary III to V students at Sacred Heart, another private girls school in Montreal, students can take advantage of a rich variety of arts options like drama, visual arts and a music program that includes outings to live opera performances and individual instruction with music clinicians.

“It’s a very, very rich program,” said Jean Filipovich, assistant head of academics at Sacred Heart. “Our drama program incorporates a film-making com-ponent in Secondary IV, where students study different film genres and learn how to use a video camera and produce their own short films.” Filipovich unabashedly embraces Sacred Heart’s liberal artsand-science orientation. “The course offerings create a truly balanced educa-tion for our girls,” she said. “The broader the array of courses, the better. It enlarges the students’ perspectives.”

At St. George’s, a coeducational private school in Montreal, choices for the 250 Secondary I to V students have a distinct arts flavour, in keeping with the Quebec Education Program.

St. George’s, like most other private schools, has its own lineup of core subject enrichment, with options like digital design, psychology and multimedia adding some flair to the list of options.

Part of St. George’s enrichment program is its Advanced Placement courses, which give students a leg up in the entrance requirements at U.S. and some Canadian universities. Throw in some robotics, a leadership program and a physical education course that takes students out of the traditional gymnasium setting, zip lining, dragon boating, climbing and fencing and it all adds up to an attractive package.

“We recognize that students develop in different ways,” said Nathalie Bossé, St. George’s assistant head of curriculum.

“It’s important students have a variety of ways to accomplish and challenge themselves.”

IAN HOWARTH

Michael Hayes, whose recent online start-up, School Advice, seeks to provide a new service to help parents sort through the jungle of private school choices across Canada, has seen both the public and private school curriculums from the front of the classroom.

Hayes has 27 years of experience to draw from – 15 in the public school and 12 more in the private school sector – along with a oneyear assignment as a science consultant with Learn Quebec.

“I think the playing field for private and public high schools is an even one as far as core curriculum is concerned. Both have the same kind of pressure to get through the core curriculum content to prepare the students for high school leaving exams,” he explained. But, he added, courses like the Advanced Placement program at St. George’s is a decided advantage. “Private schools have the connections students need to have if they plan on applying to universities outside Quebec.” The community-service component of the private school curriculum is another key, differentiating ingredient.

At Queen of Angels Academy, for example, community service – dubbed Angels in Action – is an integral part of the Secondary IV and V curriculum. QAA graduate Allison Sibthorpe volunteered as a Sunday school teacher for her final two years of high school.

“I taught kids aged 6 to 8 years old,” said Sibthorpe, now in second year science at John Abbott College; she has continued her volunteering as a counsellor at a Youth in Action summer camp. “The first year my mom helped me out but the second year, I did it myself. I really liked teaching the little kids. I felt like I … had a connection with them.”

ADVANTAGES OF PRIVATE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

When parents opt to send their child to a private school, there are certain expectations that come with that. And since money is involved in that decision (annual tuition fees can range from $4,000 to $17,000 for Montreal-area schools) schools have an accountability factor that is reflected in the programs they offer.

“There’s tremendous competition amongst private schools,” said Michael Hayes, founder of School Advice, an online service for parents looking for help negotiating through the maze of private school choices. “It’s a buyers’ market, So schools are being more creative with their curriculum.”

Hayes thinks schools that offer Advanced Placement programs are a definite curriculum plus. On top of that is the fact that many private schools have student monitoring programs with teachers often tracking students’ progress throughout their high school lives.

“Teachers in the private school tend to be working longer hours developing a relationship with students. It’s a more personalized environment,” Hayes said.

Nathalie Bossé, St. George’s assistant head of curriculum, said students at that school are all part of a staff advisory program whereby a group of students meets daily with their staff adviser.

“Teachers help students with course selection and monitor their academic progress throughout the year, accompanying them and encouraging them over the years,” she explained.

Michael Canuel of Learn Quebec, which provides resources, tools and service to English schools in Quebec, acknowledges that private schools have found competitive and creative ways to enrich their curriculum. “They (privateschools) have to back up their tuition fees with enriched programs,” said Canuel. “This is something public schools may not have the resources to do.”

For Jean Filipovich, Sacred Heart’s assistant head of academics, it is the engagement of the faculty that is a distinct advantage. “The teachers are the ones that drive the curriculum,” she said. “They are responsible for the success of our electives. Every year we revise and rework our courses. We always have a backup plan if one doesn’t work.”

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