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Overview

Welcome to Académie Ste-Cécile International School Secondary Programme.

Our commitment to the ASCIS community is to provide a safe and intellectually challenging environment that will empower students to become innovative thinkers, creative problem solvers and inspired learners prepared to thrive in the third millennium.

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Academic performance, co-curricular participation and responsible citizenship based on Catholic principles are the foundation of a solid education. We hold these high standards and ask each of our students to commit to maintaining the extraordinary record of achievement and contribution that has been the legacy of ASCIS students over the last 20 years. Full participation in academic and co-curricular programs and a willingness to act responsibly as an individual within our educational environment are the factors that enable all to have a successful and enjoyable year. Below are our beliefs regarding teaching and learning.

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We believe that successful students:

  • Communicate meaningfully for a variety of purposes and audiences;

  • Grow in written, visual, and aural mediums through knowledge, inquiry, communication and application;

  • Employ critical and creative thinking skills to become effective problem solvers;

  • Pose questions, examine possibilities, and apply skills to find solutions to authentic issues;

  • Make positive choices related to physical and mental wellness and

  • Collaboratively and respectfully contribute to the local and global communities.

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We believe that effective teachers:

  • Create opportunities for student risk taking, collaboration, problem-solving and application in the classroom;

  • Implement strategies that promote ownership and engage student learners;

  • Design instruction to integrate a variety of innovative technological tools and resources to enhance learning;

  • Demonstrate ongoing professional development in order to increase the quality of instruction;

  • Collaborate with colleagues to share and discuss exemplary practices and

  • Interpret student performance data and design assessments to promote third-millenium skills.

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Academics

GRADUATING FROM AN ONTARIO SECONDARY SCHOOL

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Earning an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or OSSD is usually the accumulation of four years of study in Ontario secondary schools. Upon successful completion of three main requirements, the Ontario Secondary School Diploma is awarded.

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These three requirements include successful completion of the following:

  • a minimum of 30 credits (18 compulsory and 12 optional)

  • 40 hours of community involvement activities

  • the provincial literacy requirement

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30 Credits:

  • a single Ontario credit is the equivalent of 120 hours of instruction in a particular subject.

  • 18 of the required credits are compulsory and prescribed according to subject area

  • 12 of the required credits are optional and are selected by the student from the school’s course

  • The chart below shows in more detail the breakdown of subject areas and number of courses needed

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COMPULSORY CREDITS (TOTAL OF 18)

4 credits in English ( 1 credit per grade)

3 credits in mathematics (at least 1 credit in Grade 11 or 12)

2 credits in science

1 credit in the arts

1 credit in Canadian geography (Grade 9)

1 credit in Canadian history (Grade 10)

1 credit in French as a second language

1 credit in health and physical education

0.5 credit in career studies

0.5 credit in civics

3 additional credits, consisting of 1 credit from each of the following groups:

 

       Group 1: English (including the OSSLC), French as a second language, classical languages, international languages, Native languages, Canadian and world studies, Native studies, social sciences and humanities, guidance and career education, cooperative education

       Group 2: French as a second language, the arts, business studies, health and physical education, cooperative education

       Group 3: French as a second language, science (Grade 11 or 12), computer studies, technological education, cooperative education

Plus 12 Optional Credits from the School Course Offerings

 

To meet this requirement, students are expected to take and successfully complete the Ontario Secondary Literacy Test (OSSLT) in Grade 10. Students who do not successfully complete the OSSLT will have additional opportunities to meet this requirement before graduation.

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40 Hours of Community Involvement Activities

Students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities, as part of the diploma requirement. The purpose of this requirement is to encourage students to develop an awareness and understanding of civic responsibility and of the role they can play and the contributions they can make in supporting and strengthening their communities. Students will plan and select their community involvement activities in consultation with their parents

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The Provincial Literacy Requirement

All students are required to meet the secondary school literacy graduation requirement in order to earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). The requirement is based on the expectations for reading and writing throughout the Ontario curriculum up to and including Grade 9.

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Athletics

Participation levels in our sports program is extraordinary. Every year, approximately 70% of ASCIS students are involved on one or more teams. It is not unusual for an athlete to participate in as many as five sports in one year! This is unique to our school and is special. In addition, there is a complementary core of students who participate as scorekeepers, timers and managers or by performing other functions that help the athletic program.


It is safe to say that athletics at ASCIS holds a special place in campus life.

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Our teams and individuals have developed a reputation as aggressive, hard-nosed, tough performers who go all-out, all the time. At the same time, our students are known for being true sportspeople who are always enjoyable to watch.

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ASCIS competes in  Windsor-Essex County Secondary School Athletic Association (WECSSAA) leagues. We are a “Single A” school (schools are placed in separate leagues according to enrolment), and generally compete against other “A” schools in the team sports (basketball, volleyball and soccer). In the individual and dual sports, all of the WECSSAA schools compete in the same category, regardless of size.

The top teams and/or individuals in WECSSAA competitions proceed to the  Southwestern Ontario Secondary School Athletic Association (SWOSSAA) level, which amounts to a “district championship” and includes schools from Lambton and Kent counties. Success at this advanced level permits high-achieving teams and/or individuals to compete in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association (OFSAA) provincial championships, which include schools from approximately 20 districts throughout Ontario.

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For most sports, practices are held daily, Monday through Friday, from 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. Swimming and golf usually have different schedules as off-campus facilities are used. All participants are expected to attend every practice session.

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Games are, for the most part, held after school. Normally, we play a home-and-away schedule with each participating team, so some travel is involved. Individual sports are generally contested via a “tournament” type of competition.

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All of the sports listed above are “Senior level” sports, but we do offer Junior teams when there are enough Juniors available. Basically, everyone who wishes to play any sport and is willing to make the commitment can be accommodated. This is one of the big benefits of attending a “small school.”

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University and Guidance

All students at Académie Ste-Cécile International School are supported by the Student Services Department. This department is staffed by teacher-counsellors who develop and implement a student-centred guidance and career education program throughout the four years of secondary school. The goals of this program are to assist students in acquiring the knowledge and skills required to learn effectively, live and work cooperatively and productively with a wide range of people and set and pursue education and career goals.


The guidance and career education program has three areas of learning: student development, interpersonal development and career development. Depending of each student’s individual needs, some areas may be emphasized more than others at certain times.

Student development includes the development of habits and skills necessary for learning, while interpersonal development focuses on the development of knowledge and skills needed in getting along with others.

 

Finally, career development involves the development of knowledge and skills needed to set short-term and long-term goals related to planning for the future.

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In keeping with our emphasis of the development and well-being of our students, student services provides the following services as an ongoing plan for each individual student:

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- Guiding students’ course selection, researching and career planning
- Directing students to community involvement activities available in our community
- Monitoring each student’s academic achievements and OSSD requirements
- Counselling students who are struggling academically and require supports related to topics such as but not limited to study habits, tutoring, organization and time management
- Making available resources such as college and university presentations in order to help with postsecondary goals
- Providing short-term personal counselling
- Granting access to long-term personal counselling if required
- Conducting transition and exit planning from one educational environment to another
- Applying for scholarships and bursaries
- Testing English language proficiency
- Assisting with the SAT, ACT and other standardized tests


ASCIS Student Services support the needs of our students, our parents and our colleagues.

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Leadership and Opportunities

Are you a student who needs to spice up your university or scholarship applications? Nowadays, leadership and service opportunities are coming far and few between, but we have been working diligently with a very special camp in British Columbia to come up with a jam-packed mission trip! Camp Qwanoes is a non-for-profit camp that aims to serve children who are a part of the commities in need living in mainland British Columbia and Vancouver island. They do fundraising and an array of diverse events to keep prices low and sponsor children who wouldn't normally be able to afford an overnight camping experience on their own. This volunteer opportunity gives your child an amazing hcance to experience the beauty of Canadian nature, while simultaneously helping those who are less fortunate.

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This trip will include three days of service to help get Camp Qwanoes ready for their summer season, including tasks such as painting, maintenance and beach cleanup, etc. The trip will be over our March break. There will be fun activities on the camp premises each evening, including high ropes climbing events and wilderness hikes, as well as additional excursions to see beautiful Vancouver. Experience the joy of giving back and getting in touch and grounded with our country's beautoful landscape. Costs for food at the camp, accommodation, transportation and activities will be covered for this trip based on the base cost of the trip package.

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Students registered at ASCIS participate in the annual ASCIS Ganatchio Trail Cleanup where they spend the day cleaning up garbage along the trail. The students clean up the park and trails to honor Sara Anne Widholm’s memory.  Sara was 76 years old and cleaned up garbage on the trail every day she walked. She was assaulted in 2017 and succumbed to her injuries in hospital. Every year there is a cleanup in her name by ASCIS students to honor her memory.

Angela

"I have been a student at ASCIS since JK and my experience throughout the past 12 years has been wonderful. We have a rather small and tight-knit community which not only creates a very welcoming learning environment with great teachers but has also allowed me to form very meaningful relationships with my peers. The challenging programs at our school have pushed me to pursue various academic opportunities over the years, such as a myriad of math, science, and coding competitions."

Tala

"Attending Académie Ste-Cécile for the past 14 years of my life has been an experience I would gladly do all over again. Outside of academics, I have been a part of many of the sports teams here at ASCIS every year and each team becomes like a family to me. There are so many opportunities at this school for us to take to make our experience more enjoyable and rewarding, such as clubs, math competitions, and volunteer/service trips."

Kemi

"I've been a part of the Ste-Cécile community for about 9 years. The time spent at the school has been amazing and the opportunities I've gotten have been priceless. The personalized approach to learning, with the smaller class sizes, allows teachers to tailor their teaching methods to individual student needs. Some of my favorite trips the school has offered include New York, and Denver. These trips not only exposed me to different cultures and perspectives but also gave me a sense of social responsibility."
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