About

Cardinal Carter Catholic High School: An Education with a Difference

In September 1989, Cardinal Carter Catholic High School consisted of 200 students and 13 teachers. Cardinal Carter was here when the current building was blessed and opened in 1992. We still remember his words from that occasion: “A school without a spirit is nothing”. The school today serves the King, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Nobleton and Maple communities. The present enrolment of Cardinal Carter CHS today is approximately 1300 students and there is a staff complement of 90 teachers and support personnel.

The Cardinal Carter Catholic High School community is characterized by the sharing of talents and a devotion to the service of others. We strive to educate Cardinal Carter students not only in terms of knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the world of work or post-secondary education but also in terms of values, attitudes and actions that adhere to the foundations of a Catholic curriculum.

Our teachers have established a strong tradition of rigorous academic standards. Achievements in athletics and co-curricular activities are part of our well-earned reputation for excellence. Involvement is characteristic of this school and an essential quality of both our history and our tradition.

In May of 2011, Cardinal Carter Catholic High School received approval from the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva Switzerland to offer the IB Diploma Program.

Cardinal Carter Catholic High School Mission Statement

Cardinal Carter Catholic High School is a Christ-centered community called to help each person achieve their full potential in a supportive and caring environment.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is a world-renowned pre-university course of studies, offered during the last two years of secondary school (Grades 11 and 12). The IB Program was first conceived by the International School of Geneva, Switzerland in the early 1960s. Its comprehensive curriculum has a dual purpose:

To prepare bright, highly motivated, intellectually curious students for an internationally recognized university entrance.
To provide a curriculum which will challenge the whole student beyond the traditional realm of the high school experience.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Mission Statement

to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect;
to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment;
to encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences can also be right.

Programme Features:

The intellectual rigor of the IB curriculum insures that students are well prepared for challenging undergraduate programs.
The curriculum has an international flavour and focus that helps the student to understand and appreciate the values of other cultures.
The student experiences a liberal arts education, studying English, a Foreign Language, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Experimental Sciences and an Arts course.
Community volunteer experience is required through which students receive self-fulfillment rewards beyond the strict confines of studies-oriented curricula.

Advantages of the IB Programme:

Specialized teachers provide students with an enriched learning environment where they develop the intellectual skills and philosophical background necessary to evaluate and effectively use the knowledge they have acquired.
Students will earn two diplomas at the same time - an internationally recognized International Baccalaureate Diploma, and an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).
The IB Diploma streamlines access to Canadian, American and European Universities. The IB Diploma is recognized by post-secondary institutions as an excellent credential for admission.
Most Universities give preference to IB Diploma holders and most will grant first year university credits for up to three subjects.
For students who take their studies seriously, it is invigorating to be in a class that is composed of others who have the same focus.
The curriculum promotes critical and analytical thinking.
Students become aware of the importance of developing strong time-management, study, and exam-writing skills

Preparation for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is undertaken by students in the final 2 years of their high school career.
However, successful completion of the IB Programme depends largely on the preparation students are given during their first two years in high school.
The staff of Cardinal Carter C.H.S. will prepare its students for the IB Programme by stressing certain skills and by creating a timetable for the student, which ensures that all educational requirements are met.
Students entering Cardinal Cater C.H.S. in Grade 9 will complete the IB Diploma Programme and the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) concurrently in 4 years.
In Grade 9, a student’s timetable consists of a combination of compulsory subjects - English, French, Geography, Mathematics, Religion, and Science. Students will also select two elective courses. The recommendation is to complete one Health and Physical Education course and/ or Arts course to meet graduation requirements.
In Grade 10, a student’s timetable consists of a combination of compulsory subjects – English, Mathematics, Science, French and Canadian History – along with a second Mathematics course in the second semester. The second semester course satisfies the requirement of a Grade 11 Math course for OSSD purposes and introduces students to the Mathematics component of the IB Diploma program. Students in Grade 10 will also select one elective course. In addition to these courses, all Grade 10 students will take a Grade 11 World Religions course.

Biology

Chemistry

During Grade 9 and 10, emphasis is placed on:

study skills
reading, writing and research skills
time management
skills in constructing experiments
essay and exam writing techniques

More concretely for the IB Programme, the following skills will be stressed:

how to work with original documents
how to write effectively and efficiently
how to discuss issues, not argue about them
how to make effective classroom presentations
how to avoid procrastination
how to prioritize one’s work
how to deal with ‘perfectionism’

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