Grade Nines! - Join us for Heading to High School -- Grade 9 Orientation is happening SOON! -- Wednesday, August 27th, 2025 -- 8:30 am to 3:00 pm
“Nil Veretur Veritas”
“The Truth Fears Nothing”
Silverthorn Collegiate’s mission is to create a school environment dedicated to excellence and love of learning. Our goal is to challenge each learner to reach their full potential and become a positive, responsible contributor to society. Silverthorn is a friendly, safe learning community committed to relevant and innovative programs. We encourage growth through opportunities for student involvement that go outside the doors of the classroom. Our aim is to educate and equip students with the tools and resources they need to make informed and healthy choices in school and in life.
Silverthorn is a caring, fully composite, and progressive school where active participation in all aspects of school life and the community is encouraged. At Silverthorn we also focus on the Arts through our Specialist High Skills Major in Arts and Culture and we support elite athletes by offering a flexible academic schedule through the High Performer Program. The school boasts a fully network state-of-the-art computer labs, a career resource centre, and a library learning commons.
At Silverthorn all learners are supported in their efforts to achieve to the best of their abilities, in both outstanding academic programs and the wide spectrum of innovative co-curricular activities which include leadership programs, championship sports teams, arts programs, and a wide variety of clubs.
When Markland Wood was developed in the early 1960s, the Etobicoke Board of Education decided to build a secondary school for the area. The school was to be named Silverthorn Collegiate Institute after the family who had first settled the area. The cornerstone was laid in 1963 and the school opened in September 1964 with a teaching staff of 24 and a support staff of 7. Murray Young was the first principal. The school had only grades 9, 10, and 11 in 1964. In the next two years it added grades 12 and 13. In 1968-69 the school was doubled in size, with the addition of an auditorium, the library, science labs and technical and business areas. A second gym was added later on.
Silverthorn’s colours are garnet, green, and silver and our mascot is Spartacus the Spartan. The school’s motto is “Nil Veretur Veritas” which is Latin for “The Truth Fears Nothing”.
Silverthorn Collegiate is proud to be serving the Markland Wood Community and the surrounding area.
SPECIALIZED PROGRAMS OFFERED AT SILVERTHORN
Students and staff members of Silverthorn Collegiate are highly focused and enthusiastic about the arts! We provide instruction in Visual Arts, Dance, Drama, Media Studies, Music and Photography. The Silverthorn Arts Programs provides various activities, studies, programs and workshops as highlighted below:
Annual Arts Showcase featuring visual arts, photography, dance and drama
Partnership with Arts-Etobicoke
Annual participation in OCAD workshops
Participation in ‘Dare 2 Create’ & ‘Dare 2 Dance’
School drama/musical productions
Sound & lighting, stage management, costume and set design crew trained by industry professionals
Participation in music festivals, competitions and performances in the community
Annual participation in the Ontario Drama Festival
Our Technology Infrastructure is extensive. Silverthorn is equipped with the following:
WiFi throughout the entire school
11 computer labs with over 350 instructional computers & access to over 60 educational software titles
A fully equipped Television Production Studio
An Auto Shop with 3 hoists that service the community
A Manufacturing and Wood Shop
A Robotics Lab
A Computer Networking facility
We strive to offer a digital environment that extends communication and collaboration beyond the classroom. This is achieved through our integration of online classrooms (Google classroom and Brightspace) and web based applications (Google Suite) that offer an engaging approach to learning.
Our High Performer Program is an academic program for students who are elite athletes involved in regional, provincial, national or international competition.
We offer students with intense training schedules, the opportunity for a more flexible timetable in order to balance their out of school commitments, so that they may strive for both academic and athletic excellence. Features & Benefits of the Program include:
Open to students outside of TDSB school boundaries
Semestered timetable offered to students in grades 9 to 12
Customized courses with flexible timetables
A dynamic and supportive learning environment
Alternative course options (E-Learning & ILC)
Support with Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
NCAA College Board (PSAT/SAT/ACT) support
Access to community mentors and motivational workshops
Convenient access to training facilities
Our extensive athletic program provides an enriching and rewarding experience for everyone. We offer both intramural sports and intercollegiate sports teams. Our intramural sports are offered during the lunch period and are open to all Silverthorn students, regardless of level of ability.
Intramural sports include: badminton, basketball, floor hockey, soccer, volleyball, and our weight room – with two days a week for girls’ only. As is Spartan tradition, we offer a variety of intercollegiate sports to compete at championship levels within Toronto and Ontario! Our proud Silverthorn intercollegiate athletic teams include:
Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Volleyball, Badminton, Cross-Country, Track and Field, Tennis, Golf, Ultimate Frisbee, and Skiing.
Opportunities for students to develop leadership skills and attributes are plentiful at Silverthorn. Our SAC (Students Activity Council), SAA (Spartan Athletic Association), Social Justice, and Equity Committee all provide experiences for students to improve their planning, problem solving and interpersonal skills. Further, our senior student leaders take on key roles in special events such as grade 8 student visits and our four day grade 9 orientation program “Head Start to High School”.
Grade 10 students attend a four-day trip to Camp Manitou in Muskoka. Here, our students make important connections with peers and teachers through new experiences which facilitate personal growth in a safe, supportive environment. With a comprehensive year-long training program, one hundred grade 11 and 12 student-leaders, plan and run the camp. Manitou shapes the school community and provides a foundation for our students to develop self-esteem and confidence.
A great way for our students to be engaged in school is to be part of school life outside the classroom. We offer a wide variety of clubs, activities and sports. Taking part in a co-curricular activity allows our students to develop their interests while contributing positively to the greater school community. Co-curricular activities take place before school, at lunch and after school and are supervised by a staff member who shares the passion of its members.
Our SCI Clubs include: Art & Photography, Library Council, Business Club (DECA), Chess Club, Dance Club, Math Club, Prom Committee, Relay For Life, S. A. A. – Spartan Athletic Association, S.E.P.A. – Silverthorn Environmental Protection Agency, Silverthorn Debate Society, Social Justice, Sound & Lighting, Student Activity Council and Yearbook Club
We value good character and we use our character Education program, along with positive messages in our classes, to encourage character building. Using the school athletic symbol of the Spartan, we have identified a set of values using “SPARTANS” as our acronym to recognize those characteristics which we want to develop in our students. Each month an attribute is presented to our students in a variety of ways, including announcements, meaningful quotations, posters, and special events. School wide assemblies are also used to share information about healthy teen relationships, anti-bullying strategies, school safety, and cyber safety. The aim of presentations such as these is to educate and equip our students with the tools and resources they need to make informed and healthy choices in school and in life.