Academics
Academics at St. Andrew's Regional High School
If you can't "walk the talk" when it comes to increasingly competitive university entrance requirements, you might as well go home early.
At St. Andrew’s, superior academics is a huge part of what we do. We prepare students emotionally and intellectually so they can excel at post-secondary studies.
There Are No Shortcuts To This Finish Line.
Our commitment to learning means we believe in our students and we insist on hard work. We instill a sense of pride and teach our students to be independent thinkers. We start with passionate teachers who specialize in their teaching areas. We recognize that not everyone learns in the same way, or at the same speed, so we keep our class sizes small and encourage a dialogue that keeps everyone involved.
Academic Programs
Inspiring A Love of Language…
At St. Andrew’s, our English instructors go above and beyond words on paper, stimulating students with relevant short stories, essays, plays, poetry, novels and multi-media texts that engage and entertain. Not every student that passes through our doors is going to write Hamlet someday, but many of them will be inspired to try. And for the remainder of us, rest assured that St. Andrew’s English courses provide the critical reading, writing and research skills that cross over into every area of study.
It all adds up to a good time…
High School math these days is like university math used to be when your parents were your age – it takes the right kind of teaching to master the ins and outs of linear functions and quadratic equations. St. Andrew’s High School’s Math department has the answer with distinct streams of study to help you find your way.
Advanced students can be challenged throughout the programs and aim for Calculus where the sky is the limit. For those of us who haven’t built a time-machine in our closet yet, there’s Workplace and Apprenticeship Math 10 and Foundations and Pre-Calculus 10 – offering different paths to take you up the y-axis at your own pace, laddering up to higher coursework when you are ready.
Success in math will do more than just help you balance those student loans and get the taxes you paid from your summer job back – St. Andrew’s math teachers work with all levels of math students to give them a solid foundation to carry forward at the post-secondary level.
Pig’s Hearts, Chemistry Equations, Black Holes… Lots to Explore and Investigate.
St. Andrew’s High School provides a comprehensive program of science courses ranging from the general to specific, offering courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Earth Science. Science 10 courses cover the basics, giving a foundation in living systems, electromagnetic energy and chemistry. Courses in Biology, Chemistry and Physics at the grade 11 and grade 12 build on this. Quantum Physics provides a steeper challenge for our dedicated lab rats.
St. Andrew’s Regional High School has been recognized as a Wetland Center of Excellence working with the expertise of the Swan Lake environmentalists, the enthusiastic support of Ducks Unlimited and the financial backing of Talisman Corporation. The high school Science Department and its students are taking on leadership roles as environmental stewards of Swan Lake.
Students are involved in projects and research such as:
- Grade 10 Science students research on bats and birds that use Swan Lake as a home or feeding ground. Building nesting boxes for Violet Green Swallows and bat boxes as summer roosting sites for some of the smaller bats was next on the agenda. (To date seven bird houses and two bat boxes have been completed.)
- The Grade 11 science students are learning about invasive species in this wetland. With clippers, loppers and protective gloves, they then set out to do battle with Himalayan blackberries and English Ivy.
Future plans involve, enhancing turtle nesting sites, monitoring water quality and helping to develop a sense of awareness and appreciation of our wetlands. Many thanks go out to our sponsors in these endeavors.
The purpose of Social Studies is to assist in the development of the student as an individual who will function as a member of an increasingly complex society. Responsible citizenship is the ultimate goal of Social Studies.
Understanding the past brings a better future…
St. Andrew’s High School’s Social Studies department aims to develop critical thinkers who can look at the world with a multi-dimensional perspective. Through studies in Canadian history, students consider Canada from Francophone and Aboriginal perspectives in order to make sense of world events and political economies. Throughout the high school program, they have opportunities to learn about European history, Geography, Psychology and Law. These programs help students prepare for post-secondary studies in the social sciences.
Prepare yourself for life after high school! With courses this interesting, the hard part is choosing which to take. Business Education allows you to embark on serious exploration of your future career options while you develop technology-related and employment skills that you can use to get a head start on your post secondary studies or direct entry into the working world.
Students can explore a variety of professional areas like law, marketing and accounting.
Young minds are already hardwired for today’s technology. Technology is woven into the fabric of the school, as a tool for instruction and research, as a means for student expression and demonstration of learning, and the link that unites our students, teachers and families. By integrating communication and technology training within the core subjects and by offering a wide variety of technology elective courses, St. Andrew’s students build competency, creativity and confidence.
The availability of SmartBoard Technologies, digital projectors, PC and Apple computer labs, laptops, media arts software, and on-line research data bases fuse technology with an active learning environment.
Many students are focused on career opportunities and want to get a head start on acquiring the hands-on skills that employers demand. Technology Studies offers courses in IT to start one out on the road to many options. Whether one is interested in Digital Photography or robotics, take a leap and stretch the limits of your imagination and creativity.
An internationally great experience!!!
Learning new languages stimulates a passion in our students and encourages them to explore international learning opportunities, engage in world events and learn about the history and culture of far-away lands. It also helps your English language skills, improving grammar, spelling and composition.
With a stream for students coming into our courses, the French and Spanish courses do more than just conjugate verbs — they prepare students for bilingual studies at the post-secondary level.
Library Resource Centre
Resources and programs
St. Andrew’s High School Library offers a friendly and academically rigorous environment that provides high quality learning resources that reflect the diverse interests and learning needs of students; the library program teaches information literacy skills, reinforces intellectual freedom, promotes reading for enjoyment, and presents speakers, displays and materials that encourage an appreciation for cultural diversity.
The educational and information cornerstone of the Library Program is to facilitate an Inquiry Based approach to research that is:
- student-centered,
- curriculum based
- collaboratively planned and implemented by teachers and the teacher-librarian,
- requires the use of a range of materials (print and electronic),
- includes high quality assessment, and
- showcases student achievements and creativity.
Popular units of study include: The Middle Ages, The Renaissance, Genetic Diseases, Endangered Species, World War II, First Nations in Canada, and Intellectual Freedom.
A second essential component of the Library Program focuses on students developing an Appreciation for Literature. Students are exposed to superior reading materials in a variety of genres which reflect various themes and cultures.
Popular literature activities include: Book clubs, Literature Circles, Seasonal Reading Contests, Drop Everything And Read Day, the Teachers As Readers Contest, and the annual, grade level Battle of the Books Competitions.
Special Education Services
Counselling Services
Student Services at St. Andrew’s is committed to understanding student needs, informing and guiding, and assisting all individuals in finding their own road to success.
Serving as the “heart center of St. Andrew’s” our staff is geared toward providing exceptional services in the areas of educational, post-secondary and career counseling.
Through classroom visits, one-one-one meetings and large group sessions, we pride ourselves on connecting personally with each and every member of our student and staff community.
We are here to assist you glean the most out of your time at St. Andrew’s – so come by and see us, drop us an email, or give us a ring. We look forward to hearing from you!
