Appleby Curriculum

Mission, Vision and Six Pillars
Curriculum Principles
Academics
Arts

Athletics
Service
Intercultural Programs
Residential Life

Our Mission

To educate and enable young men and women to become leaders of character, major contributors to, and valued representatives of their local, national and international communities.

Our Vision

To develop intellectual curiosity, instil a love of learning and promote personal excellence in all areas of endeavour. To provide access to outstanding experiences, facilities, faculty and staff. To be an internationally recognized model of educational excellence and innovation.

Pillars of Strength

Appleby's program is an integrated liberal arts education comprising the humanities, natural and social sciences, the arts and information technologies. Appleby's six Pillars of Strength reflect its core attributes.
Appleby College is:

Academically Vital - Pursuing the highest standards of academic excellence in a challenging and supportive environment, Appleby College lays the foundation for university achievement and a lifetime of accomplishment.
Technologically Empowered - Integrating the most advanced technology into all facets of teaching and learning, Appleby College equips students to shape a continually evolving information and communication landscape.
Universally Diverse - Bringing the world to our school and our school to the world, Appleby College prepares students to respect differences and thrive in an intercultural world.
Community Spirited - Gathering students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff on a spectacular 60-acre lakeside campus, Appleby College builds one great community connected for life.
Actively Engaged - Educating mind, body and spirit through extensive arts, athletic and community service programming, Appleby College promotes comprehensive personal development.
Globally Responsible - Creating valuable opportunities for serving people and the planet, Appleby College inspires a lifelong commitment to civic responsibility, global understanding and environmental stewardship.

Curriculum Principles

Appleby College offers a distinguished curriculum. A diverse range of required components provides students with stimulating challenges and the opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills and values. The achievement: preparation for university and life. The defining characteristic of an Appleby education is the mandatory participation in each of its core curricular components, leading to an Appleby Diploma upon graduation.

Appleby College develops young men and women of personal integrity, who are prepared for university, societal change, responsible involvement and leadership in their local, national and global communities.
The curriculum focuses on:

critical-thinking skills
individual potential
self-discipline, respect, responsibility and commitment
spiritual and moral development
democratic principles
personal fitness and health
environmental awareness and stewardship
the role of gender, ethnicity, race and culture in building rich, diverse communities
student-centred experiences which create leadership opportunities

Academics

Appleby offers an academic curriculum which is student-centred, relevant for their lives and futures, comprehensive, stimulating and achievement-oriented, and which encompasses and inspires intellectual endeavour.

Education is facilitated by committed, responsible, highly motivated and academically well-qualified teachers.
Emphasis is student-oriented and placed on intellectual curiosity, problem solving, critical-thinking skills and a love of learning.
Preparation for university or comparable post-secondary educational experience is a primary focus.
The academic experience fosters self-discipline, initiative, responsibility, creativity, self-confidence and the highest personal standards of achievement.

Arts

Participation in dance, drama, music, theatre and the visual arts stimulates creative, expressive and performance potential and provides individuals and groups with the opportunity for skill development and the growth of an aesthetic sense.

The Arts Program cultivates expression through imagination, giving students pleasure and a sense of achievement.
The program develops critical thinking, creative problem-solving and teambuilding skills.
Outstanding arts facilities create a purposeful and stimulating environment for arts faculty to work intimately with students, individuals and groups.
Lifelong appreciation for the arts, and commitment to the arts as participant and audience are fostered.

Athletics

Athletics is an integral and required component in Appleby's curricular experience. The goal is to offer extensive developmental team, individual, and fitness and instructional programs coached by teachers in exceptional facilities.
The Athletics Program:

develops leadership, team and life skills.
promotes an understanding and respect for personal fitness and lifestyle choices.
fosters students' self-discipline, loyalty, commitment, sportsmanship and pride in representing the school.
provides Appleby with a strong sense of identity, unity and achievement.

Service

Appleby requires age-appropriate involvement in service, which provides students with the opportunity to enrich their lives through the giving of time and effort for the benefit of others locally, nationally and internationally.
Participation in the Service Program:

fosters patience, understanding, care and concern.
develops an awareness and appreciation of the local and global spectrum of need.
helps cultivate a lifelong commitment to volunteerism.
creates a strong sense of pride and achievement in individuals, groups and the whole school.

Intercultural Programs

Appleby College makes a commitment to enrich the students' educational experience by promoting international awareness and acceptance of diversity. Through cultural dinners, informative speakers, international awareness days, clubs, and other experiences, students can take advantage of all that Appleby has to offer as they strive to become globally accepting and responsible. These occasions, as well as additional opportunities, such as exchanges, conferences and service projects:

help to cultivate pride in students about their own traditions and backgrounds.
encourage students to develop an awareness of not only their local community, but also of global communities.
promote an understanding and appreciation of various cultures religions and customs.
empower students to make a difference in other people's lives all around the world.

Round Square

Appleby College is a member school of the Round Square. This unique organization, based on Kurt Hahn's educational philosophy (founder of Schule Schloss Salem and the Gordonstoun School, as well as numerous programs such as Outward Bound), helps students on the road to self-discovery in ways that go beyond the classroom. Hahn believed that community service and outdoor adventure foster an understanding of other people's cultures, education and environment. Every Appleby College student is a member of Round Square; therefore, it is important for students to strive to achieve the pillars of Round Square: Internationalism, Democracy, Adventure, Environment, Leadership and Service. Appleby has many programs and opportunities that allow students to explore these various areas and to meet the principles that Round Square was founded upon.

International Conferences

Through Round Square, students have the opportunity to take part in the Americas Regional Round Square Conference and the International Round Square Conference, held annually at Round Square member schools. Middle School students are welcome to take part in the Young Round Square conference, organized by North American schools. There are additional costs for participating in or attending Round Square events.

International Service Projects

International service learning encompasses key ideals for a student's personal growth and leadership training. It involves volunteering and cultural learning, teamwork and reflection, global understanding and hard work. Appleby College offers a wide breadth of international service project opportunities for its students. It sets up experiences that are worthwhile, safe and the perfect foundation for instilling compassion, understanding and perspective in our global community. Experiencing culturally diverse environments prepares students for future interactions locally, nationally and internationally. Service projects typically include some aspect of construction, environmental and social development. As part of the service learning curriculum, students engage in pre-project discussions, de-briefs throughout the project itself, and follow-up discussions about their experiences upon return to school.
Many service projects throughout the world are also sponsored either by Round Square itself or by other member schools. Students at Round Square schools are eligible for participation in these projects, subject to acceptance by the organizing school, or by Round Square's International Office. Applications become available throughout the school year. These projects are staffed by Round Square-approved leaders. In most cases, students work alongside local young people. After a project is completed, staff members accompany students on tours, allowing an examination of the local culture and sights.

Exchanges

Each year Appleby arranges for a number of students to spend time at other schools, both in Canada and abroad, in order to broaden their exposure to different educational systems and cultures, and to enrich the Appleby community upon their return. Some of these programs involve an exchange of visits between families, some are non-reciprocal home stays and some involve boarding house accommodation within a school. Students must have the support of their teachers, the permission of their Advisor and the approval of the Assistant Headmaster, Curriculum. Applications and information regarding these opportunities will be available during an exchange meeting in the spring. Students from around the world also attend Appleby on short-and-long term exchanges. These students are welcomed into the Appleby community and contribute their ideas and experiences, enhancing the lives of all students. Additional information on all programs is available from the Director of Intercultural Programs.

Residential Life

Boarding, with its mandatory Senior Two component, is an integral part of Appleby's curriculum. The Residential Life Program structures voluntary and required participation in a broad range of community activities that have academic, social and personal growth objectives for students.

Boarding life aims to promote the give and take required to live within the larger community and teaches responsibility, respect, self-discipline and confidence.
Students come from across Canada and from more than 26 countries around the world; Appleby students become part of a multicultural community.
Within a supportive and structured environment, students learn more about themselves as they grow together in a community while contributing to the residential life on campus.
By living away from home, students develop the responsibility and skills that enable them to succeed at university.
Boarding is a supportive academic environment and provides students the opportunity to network with peers and faculty.
Boarding develops lifelong friendships and a commitment to the school.

Residential Life Structure

Approximately 250 students live in four residence Houses on campus. There are two girls' (Baillie and Walker) and two boys' (Colley and Powell's) Houses. All residence rooms and classrooms have Internet access. Recreational facilities are available for boarders at designated times.

House Director/Assistant House Directors - Faculty members who live with their families in self-contained apartments within each residence:

supervise the Houses and ensure the needs of students are met;
establish House policy and discipline in consultation with the Director of Residential Life, other House Directors and the Assistant Headmaster, Student Life; and
develop programs with the Director of Residential Life.

Dons

Live in apartments in each House.
Assist House Directors in supervising the Houses and work with the students in each House.
Co-ordinate social activities and the weekend program.

Duty Teachers

Assist with student study during weeknights and weekends.
Build rapport between students and faculty members.

Residential Life Leadership Opportunities

Appleby College provides significant opportunities within its Residential Life curriculum for students to develop the leadership skills that will assist them in lifelong development of their individual potential. Students work closely with House Faculty to develop programs and activities within the Houses.

House Prefect: Students who apply for, and are appointed to a house leadership position, work with the House Faculty by helping to form policies and processes in each of the Houses as well as organize and run House events. House Prefects also work within the school leadership prefect group which provides leadership throughout the whole school.
Deck Captain: Senior students who supervise the evening routine, including study and recreational time. Working with House Prefects and House Faculty, they play a key role in orientation and in helping their peers adjust to boarding life.
Peer Counsellor: Trained students who listen and provide support to fellow students experiencing personal or academic difficulties.
Distant Student Representative: Students who apply for, and are appointed to a house leadership position, act as a liaison between international students and the faculty member responsible for the International Student Program. They help co-ordinate and plan special events and weekend activities.
Communications Representative: Students who apply for, and are appointed to a house leadership position act as a liaison between the House Faculty, Residential Life Council and House Prefects to promote events and provide information to the House and parents through publications, bulletin boards and other methods of communication.
Events Co-ordinator: Work with other student and faculty leaders in each House to conceive and implement the many special activities planned for the boarders. They encourage constructive participation by all boarders and react to the needs of the community.
Day Student Representative: Work with the Assistant House Director and the Day Student Co-ordinator in each House to foster a close tie between the day students and their House. By maintaining an open line of communication and developing programs and activities to introduce the day students to the House, they foster assimilation into boarding life.
Environmental Sustainability Representative: Develop and implement an appropriate 'green' program for each house, while demonstrating leadership and modelling environmental issues for the house. These students have a mandate to educate, inform and update the rest of the house on the status of school and house environmental initiatives, and liase with the Appleby sustainability initiative group.

Residential Life Curriculum

There are three main components of Appleby's Residential Life curriculum. They include the Evening Program, Weekend Program and Orientation Program.

Evening Program - Quiet study time is mandatory for each student with activities of an educational and social nature taking place at different times throughout the residential calendar.

Students are assured two hours of quiet, structured study time including the time when they can seek peer and/or teacher assistance and use academic facilities including the library, art studio, dance studio and music practice rooms Monday to Thursday evenings.
A number of evenings each reporting period are devoted to addressing educational and social issues relevant to today's young adults and supporting the academic curriculum. Workshops and speakers address a broad range of topics and issues related to living together with other students away from home.
Social events include theme dinners, movie nights, open houses and dances. The events foster a cohesive boarding community and help build lifelong friendships.

Weekend Program - Weekends at Appleby provide opportunities for all students to wind down from the rigours of the academic week. Events are included in the tuition for non-local boarders.

Students are exposed to a wide variety of cultural, sporting and recreational activities.
Events include sports, dining, shopping, live theatre or local attractions.
Some events are mandatory and others are offered on a voluntary basis.

Orientation Program - A special orientation is held in late August to introduce new boarders to Appleby life. Boarding students new to Appleby attend a two-week session. This orientation is only for students who are both new to Appleby and new to boarding. Support continues throughout the school year with periodic outings and close contact with the Dean of Residential Life and the Residence Faculty.