THE PARENTING BIZ – The Great Debate Continues . . . Hot Button Issues For Students And Parents . . . Part Two
In the September edition we published a Back To School article, in The Parenting Biz space, that looked at the pressing issues facing today’s schools such as bullying, virtual learning, religion, the importance of being bilingual, cell phone usage, and sex-ed.
If you need a refresher you can view the article here.
It featured UMEI Christian High School, Conseil Scolaire Catholique Providence and Lakeview Montessori School.
Moving along to this current edition, we continue to investigate these issues and many others, and reached out to Académie Ste-Cécile International School, the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board and the Greater Essex County District School Board.
Académie Ste-Cécile International School
Founded in 1993 at 925 Cousineau Avenue in Windsor, Académie Ste-Cécile International School (ASCIS) is a privately funded, co-educational, day and resident, elementary and secondary school, for students in junior kindergarten to grade 12.
ASCIS is run as a not-for-profit charitable organization and governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
“We are listed with and conform to the standards of the Ontario Ministry of Education and are also affiliated with the International Baccalaureate Organization and the Advanced Placement Program,” indicates Mark Butler, Chair of the ASCIS Board of Directors. “In addition to our academic courses, we have recently introduced a prep hockey program (we are a member of the Midwest Prep Hockey League) and a prep basketball program, as well as a soccer skills program. We also have a separate music school, the Academy of Music — one of the largest and longest standing music schools in the area — offering private music instruction to students of all levels and ages, as well as a dance studio offering instruction for toddlers, teenagers and adults.”
While ASCIS was founded and based on the principles of the Roman Catholic Church, their staff of approximately 80 are deeply committed to respecting the religious and cultural diversity of all students as they welcome students of all faiths.
“While ASCIS recognizes and respects the religious diversity of our faculty and students, the teaching of religion with an emphasis on imparting the Roman Catholic faith to our Catholic constituents, remains an integral part of the ASCIS program,” Butler tells Biz X. “As an integral part of their education, all children who have been baptized into the Roman Catholic faith, without exception, shall be required to take religion classes and participate in the school-organized Eucharistic and liturgical celebrations (school mass). During this time, attendance will be noted, and non-Catholic students will have the option of being in respectful attendance at the mass/liturgical celebration or attend and participate in an ethics class.”
ASCIS aims to support and maintain a positive school climate. This means students and staff must feel and actually be safe; healthy and inclusive relationships are promoted, students are encouraged to be positive leaders in their school community, and all school community partners are engaged.
“Bullying prevention messages are reinforced through programs addressing discrimination based on factors such as age, race, sexual orientation, gender, faith, disability, ethnicity, and socio-economic disadvantage,” says Butler. “Incidents of bullying will be addressed with an appropriate and timely response. Intervention will follow ASCIS code of conduct: a progressive discipline approach will be used, and strategies addressing such behaviours could range from early interventions to more intensive interventions, in cases of persistent bullying. The worst cases carry the possibility of referral to community or social service agencies.”
Butler goes on to explain that ongoing interventions may be necessary to sustain and promote positive behaviour, and specific infractions of the ASCIS code of conduct may be met with immediate suspension or expulsion — depending on the severity of the infraction.
When it comes to sex-ed, ASCIS leaves it up to the families of their students.
“At ASCIS, we respect the values of our families and especially those dealing with personal and sensitive matters,” Butler comments. “In matters focusing on decision-making about sexual activity, relationships, intimacy, gender identity, sexual orientation and gender expression, ASCIS respects the personal and private values of our families within our school community.”
Committed to academic excellence, ASCIS offers subjects and programs that provide opportunities for students to challenge themselves and excel both inside and outside the classroom.
“ASCIS provides a challenging and comprehensive education encouraging our diverse student body to be responsible, productive and ethical citizens, while emphasizing the skills to think creatively, reason critically, communicate effectively and respect people of all cultures and ethnicities,” Butler describes. “We offer an exceptional learning experience with small class sizes in first-rate facilities (classrooms, athletic, music, and dance facilities).”
Butler continues by mentioning that ACSIS allows students to interact with others from around the world in a supportive, nurturing, and motivating environment.
“With small class sizes and dedicated teachers, ASCIS provides an enriched learning experience with academic opportunities for our students’ futures,” he points out. “As an example, the 33 students in our 2024 graduating class received more than $1 million in scholarships from universities around the world.”
One of the biggest concerns facing educators in 2024 is the prevalence of large-language model Artificial Intelligence (AI) software.
“Although AI is permitted as a tool for learning, this is only used when students are instructed to do so,” expresses Butler. “Heads of school reserve the right to check AI content using content detectors in all submitted class work. Students are prohibited from claiming AI generated content as their own work; AI is not a substitute for school work that requires original thought. The use of AI for these purposes constitutes cheating or plagiarism.”
This year ASCIS has approximately 300 full-time students enrolled and new students can enroll at any time of the year.
For more information on the admissions process, the curriculum and more, visit online.
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