Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School
Encyclopedia
Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School (abbreviated Mary Ward C.S.S. or simply Mary Ward) is a Roman Catholic
secondary school
of the Toronto Catholic District School Board
in Scarborough, Ontario
, a district of Toronto
. Mary Ward is a unique centre of self-directed learning and a member of the Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning. It is one of only two self-directed learning schools currently in Ontario and seven in Canada. The school was founded in 1985 as a conventional high school between two campuses in northeast Toronto until it moved into a new building at the northwest corner of Kennedy Rd. and McNicoll Ave., designed specifically for its self-directed learning program (formerly called Direction 2000) in January 1992. The school is named after Mary Ward
, a seventeenth-century English Catholic nun who founded the Loreto Sisters
.
per (non-semestered) year of 18 "units" each (20 in the old curriculum, which was terminated in June 2003). Each unit is a learning package consisting typically of readings, study questions, seminar attendance and/or tests—so long as the activities add up to an average completion time of about five to eight hours. Thus, the recommended amount of time of work for finishing a course is 110 hours. The 18th unit usually consists of a final examination
(an exam, portfolio, or other assessment) and generally, it is worth 30% of the final grade.
s and assist all students on a daily basis within subject resource centres. Each full-time teacher is also a teacher advisor.
Students at Mary Ward are still required to attend school despite the "self-directed learning" system. The school year usually begins on the day following Labour Day
, and it ends the last week of June, with statutory holidays and winter breaks in between. At school, students either finish their readings, attend seminars, finish tests, or other activities in order to finish their units, and eventually, their courses. Teachers are present at their scheduled time and subject resource area ("on the floor") to provide extra help, guidance, and seminars. Tests are taken in the "test centre" once the student receives a test authorization, which is usually given once the student complete the respective unit. Students have the option of when they will do a test (within a 6-school-day window). Several versions of tests are available for the same unit, so cheating is minimized and discouraged. Students plan their daily schedule in a school agenda book that has been custom-designed for the school. Each day, the teacher advisor will check the student's daily schedule, and may require the student to verify that they followed their schedule by obtaining initials from teachers in the resource areas where the student plans to work. Certain areas such as the library and the computer lab require a signature from the student's teacher advisor if they want to work there.
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Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
of the Toronto Catholic District School Board
Toronto Catholic District School Board
The Toronto Catholic District School Board is the publicly-funded Catholic school board for Toronto, Ontario, Canada, headquartered in North York. It is one of the two English boards of education in the City of Toronto, serving the former municipalities of Scarborough, North York, York, East York,...
in Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, a district of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Mary Ward is a unique centre of self-directed learning and a member of the Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning. It is one of only two self-directed learning schools currently in Ontario and seven in Canada. The school was founded in 1985 as a conventional high school between two campuses in northeast Toronto until it moved into a new building at the northwest corner of Kennedy Rd. and McNicoll Ave., designed specifically for its self-directed learning program (formerly called Direction 2000) in January 1992. The school is named after Mary Ward
Mary Ward (nun)
The Venerable Mary Ward, I.B.V.M., was an English Catholic Religious Sister who founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Loreto Sisters...
, a seventeenth-century English Catholic nun who founded the Loreto Sisters
Sisters of Loreto
The Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, more commonly known as the Loreto Sisters , is a women's Catholic religious order founded by an Englishwoman, Mary Ward, in 1609 at Saint-Omer in northern France...
.
Overview
As opposed to having a structured timetable, the emphasis is instead placed on the students to structure their own school days in conjunction with advice and guidance from their teacher advisor. Through encouraging the development of self-directed learning, Mary Ward attempts to ensure that students are actively engaged in shaping their own experiences and education. Each student completes up to 8 coursesCourse (education)
The very broad dictionary meaning of the word course is the act or action of moving in a path from point to point . There are multiple meanings for this word, some of which include: general line of orientation, a mode of action, part of a meal, a mode of action, and many more. This article focuses...
per (non-semestered) year of 18 "units" each (20 in the old curriculum, which was terminated in June 2003). Each unit is a learning package consisting typically of readings, study questions, seminar attendance and/or tests—so long as the activities add up to an average completion time of about five to eight hours. Thus, the recommended amount of time of work for finishing a course is 110 hours. The 18th unit usually consists of a final examination
Final examination
A final examination is a test given to students at the end of a course of study or training. Although the term can be used in the context of physical training, it most often occurs in the academic world...
(an exam, portfolio, or other assessment) and generally, it is worth 30% of the final grade.
Guidance and support
Each student at Mary Ward is assigned a "teacher advisor" ("TA"), who acts as a mentor, guide, and support for the students throughout their time at the school. On average, a teacher advisor group consists of 18 students from grades 9 to 12. The TA meets with their TA group typically three times per day: before classes, after lunch, and at the end of the day. The TA will schedule an interview with each "advisee" on a biweekly (once every two weeks) basis. At these individual interviews, the student and the TA complete an update form that is organized by course, showing: completed number of units at the previous interview, completed number of units presently, and grades to date. TA comments, student goals, and other relevant information may be added. The TA forms are then sent home to be reviewed and signed by the student's parent or guardian.Teaching staff
Teachers at Mary Ward act in several roles. In addition to being responsible for the planning, the creation, and the evaluation of all the units for the courses of approximately 150 students to which they are assigned, they deliver seminarSeminar
Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
s and assist all students on a daily basis within subject resource centres. Each full-time teacher is also a teacher advisor.
Students at Mary Ward are still required to attend school despite the "self-directed learning" system. The school year usually begins on the day following Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
, and it ends the last week of June, with statutory holidays and winter breaks in between. At school, students either finish their readings, attend seminars, finish tests, or other activities in order to finish their units, and eventually, their courses. Teachers are present at their scheduled time and subject resource area ("on the floor") to provide extra help, guidance, and seminars. Tests are taken in the "test centre" once the student receives a test authorization, which is usually given once the student complete the respective unit. Students have the option of when they will do a test (within a 6-school-day window). Several versions of tests are available for the same unit, so cheating is minimized and discouraged. Students plan their daily schedule in a school agenda book that has been custom-designed for the school. Each day, the teacher advisor will check the student's daily schedule, and may require the student to verify that they followed their schedule by obtaining initials from teachers in the resource areas where the student plans to work. Certain areas such as the library and the computer lab require a signature from the student's teacher advisor if they want to work there.
Policies
In addition to the ten months of unit work, a student is allowed to take extra time of up to three weeks in the summer (summer school) or two months in the subsequent fall in order to finish a course without penalty. Finishing the course in the subsequent fall is known as a "carry-over". However, taking extra time delays the beginning of the next set of courses.Notable alumni
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(Cofounder) - Joshua Liu (attended 2002–2006), Our Kids Our Future (Cofounder) and Top 20 Under Twenty Awards recipient
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