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Everything you need to know before getting into St. Andrews College!
St. Andrews College is an independent school situated in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It was established in the year 1899.
Initially, the school was located in the northeast corner of the Toronto neighborhood, Rosedale, in Chestnut Park. However, nearly after six years, in 1905, the school moved to Rosedale.
In 1926, St. Andrews College made its final shift to Aurora, its current campus, in a suburban environment. The institution is designed as a preparatory university school for boys.
The institution is considered the best boys school in Canada due to its academic and cultural inputs. The school building represents Georgian architecture, built around the traditional quadrangle form.
St. Andrews College is also commonly known as SAC. It grants admission into Middle School (grades 5-8) and Upper School (grades 9-12).
The institution’s prime focus is not just academic achievements but the complete development of men.
That is, it focuses on overall development, including academics, athletics, personality development, and leadership development.
The School’s teaching and learning setting is based on how a young man would best learn. And this is what makes St. Andrews College a unique learning space, and it stands out as one of the best.
Andrew College provides the best facilities and a fulfilling educational experience to its students. Both as a parent and as a student, one should have the luxury of selecting a school.
To evaluate this school for your child, click here.
St. Andrew’s College: 8 Exciting Things To Know
So here are eight reasons why Andrew’s College would be your best choice.
1. Education and Academics
Andrews College carries on with one prime vision: Dedicating ourselves to the development of the complete man, the well-rounded citizen. And to support this mission, the school offers a well-set curriculum in an activity-based environment.
The students are provided a fulfilling educational experience with fully air-conditioned classrooms and wireless internet access. The institution is fully committed to educating the boys to be physically healthy and emotionally and spiritually.
The environment challenges the students and prepares them to face the neverending competition in the world. Moreover, students are offered a broad selection of courses to choose from, whichever suits their interests the best.
The college offers an activity-based environment, channelize the energy of the students on the right path. It encourages the students to work hard as well as enjoy the learning process.
The staff members make sure that the students are well prepared to meet the requirements at the university level they would be entering.
2. Sports and Culture
Since the beginning of the year, i.e., in 1899, sports have been an integral part of St. Andrews College. Sports are as important as academics.
At St. Andrews College, the students are offered various athletic programs. And the school has its affiliation with the Conference of Independent School Athletic Association (CISSA).
The sports tradition has been with the school since its initial days and still lives through middle school.
They offer a multi-sport program, allowing the students to work on different areas of their developing character, such as sportsmanship, leadership, team spirit, cooperation, discipline, time management, and tolerance.
The program is divided into three athletic seasons: the fall season, the winter season, and the final spring season.
Various sports are played during these three seasons. During the fall, students are offered soccer, volleyball, and cross-country running.
In contrast, students are engaged in basketball, hockey, squash, swimming, or alpine skiing in the winter season. In the final season, spring, students are involved in lacrosse, rugby, softball, badminton, and more.
3. Cadet Corps
St. Andrews is known for preserving its culture and age-old traditions. College Highland Cadet Corps is one of the oldest traditions the school still follows efficiently and passionately.
In 1905, the Cadet Corps program was established in the school, and ever since then, it has been followed. The program is designed to teach the students or members leadership skills and teamwork.
St. Andrews has the second-largest Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps in Canada.
This teaching starts from grade 8 and is allowed until level 12, the upper school. However, the middle school students from grades 5-7 are not members of the corp.
They are provided with practical training, teamwork, outdoor educational skills, and many more.
The upper school members of the Cadet Corps are taught various lessons during their training periods, such as military skills, fitness training, leadership skills, community service activities, and most important, lifeguard and first-aid training.
The training brings the culture and sporting spirit together in its members.
4. Performing Arts
St. Andrews College believes that in building a complete man, arts play a significant role. It is believed that arts develop a sense of critical thinking, imagination, and a broad perspective of seeing the world around us differently.
Hence, a creative arts program: visual arts, music, and drama, is an integral part of St. Andrew College’s culture.
The institution is about academics and athletics and about the vision they have towards encouraging performing arts. Students from grades 5-12 are invited to explore their interests in the arts.
The art program provides different areas to choose from, including visual arts, music, drama, debating, robotics, media, and middle school band.
Every year the school organizes a three-day arts festival of plays, dramas, and music. It encourages every student to present and explore their abilities. On the other hand, the regular visual arts program provides an excellent platform for budding artists.
The program is specifically designed to build confidence in the students to stand out and shine. You might be interested to know about top art schools in Canada.
5. Community Service
St. Andrews College aspires to make its students responsible citizens. The vision is to build a sense of duty and responsibility in their students towards their respective communities.
The community service program offers the middle school graders minimum hours by the end of 8th grade. T
he students can volunteer once from levels 5-8, and their activities are recorded on the Community Service recording sheet.
To help through this program, the school introduced a Middle School Community Giving Project in 2015. It allows students to go out into their communities and learn about the world around them.
This unique community service project is now very much a part of the school’s curriculum. Six afternoons a year, students have to volunteer for various work, such as cleaning or helping at the shelters.
The program’s primary goal is to inspire compassion, respect, and a sense of engagement in the students toward the community.
6. Advisory Program
At St. Andrews, an advisory program is hosted for Middle School students.
The advisory aims to create a home-to-school contact for all the students. To develop trust between the students and the school, an advisory is set up.
The advisor discusses every aspect of the student’s life related to his academic and overall achievements. The school regularly organizes an advisory activity period, through which essential topics and matters are discussed and delivered.
It helps Middle School students grow trust in the authorities. The students and their parents can discuss their future, including degree colleges and their UG courses (undergraduate courses).
7. Explore boarding and ARE (Andrean residential experience)
St. Andrews has boarding facilities for its boys. Boarders enjoy the environment of the school outside of their classrooms by participating in various activities.
The full-time boarding students are engaged in various events and activities of their choice. Weekend events are organized to make their hostel life enjoyable.
The students are offered a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Through a series of events and activities, the boarders develop lifelong relations and friendships.
The institution has a Residential Life Curriculum, under which the Andrean Residential Experience (ARE) program is introduced.
ARE program provides an opportunity for the day boys to move into boarding for a half year in grade 8 or a full year in grade 12.
The boarding experience helps students to be prepared for their journeys in life away from home.
Residence life is strictly monitored by the head of houses and on-duty teachers. The residential program also offers an academic support system through a night of mandatory study prep.
8. A Chance to Explore the World
St. Andrews believes that learning outside the classroom is crucial for practical experience.
St. Andrews Society for Service Around the World (SASSAW) offers students a chance to explore the outside world once each academic year.
The trip takes place for around three weeks over the summer. Many students and some faculty members are taken to the following destinations like Kenya, Peru, and Nepal. The trip involves a service project and cultural tourism experience.
Students raise funds throughout the year to support their service projects. The students are assigned different roles and responsibilities in the planning and preparation of the trip.
These are just a few facilities that St. Andrews College provides. Evaluate and choose the best school.
If you are a St. Andrean, comment on your experience in the school below in the comment section.
Last Updated on by somya909
