515 Cougar Ridge Dr. SW, Calgary, Alberta, T3H 5G9, Canada
9711 Bayview Avenue, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4C 9X7, Canada
515 Cougar Ridge Dr. SW, Calgary, Alberta, T3H 5G9, Canada
9711 Bayview Avenue, Richmond Hill, Ontario, L4C 9X7, Canada
1985
1996
240
300
JK to 9
JK to 8
Coed
Coed
Day
Day
English
English
Academic
Academic
Waldorf
Traditional
Varies
15 to 25
$6,170 to $12,130
$10,200 to $12,800
Yes
No
0%
0%
Preschool to 9
None
$0
$0
20
27
0%
0%
0%
100%
JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Not available
Rolling
Not available
Not available
No
Yes
No
No
information not available
information not available
The program is established and proven, having been founded in 1985. Facilities are frankly excellent, having been purpose built for the CWS program in 2002, and created through consultation and cooperation with the entire school community. Spaces are ample, well appointed, and naturally lit. The aesthetic throughout is energizing. A wealth of outdoor space is a plus, to with more than four acres combining multi-use fields, play spaces, and sports fields. The proximity to the Canada Olympic Park isn’t perhaps meaningful in any substantive way, but is nice all the same. In the creation of the facility, to the day-to-day experience of the school, the school prides itself on the community that it both serves and represents, and well it should. There’s a village feel throughout, which only amplifies the academic work being done. Parents feel as much a part of the school as the students, which supports the work of the school in lots of overt and subtle ways. Staff are dedicated and experienced, and the daily routines—from drop off to aftercare—are friendly and sympathetic to the needs of parents and everything that can pop up in the course of a day.
View full reportRichmond Hill Christian Academy (RHCA) provides a non-denominational Christian education for Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. It follows a rigorous and accelerated curriculum with a biblical foundation. Its dedicated and highly qualified teachers focus on preparing students for service to God and their community while striving for academic excellence. More than 25% of the curriculum at RHCA is religion-based. The school provides a disciplined environment and a safe space for all kids to learn, one in which they’re always treated with love and respect. Teaching staff have close relationships with families and are committed to fostering kids’ spiritual, social, and physical growth.
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"Central to Waldorf education is a deep respect for childhood. Our enriched curriculum is designed to meet children where they are in their development. Movement and time in nature is built into every student’s daily rhythm. The Waldorf learning experience is hands-on, with unwired and low-tech classrooms. The arts — music, story, drawing, painting, and drama — are interwoven through all subjects. Students also learn two world languages, French and German."
"Richmond Hill Christian Academy (RHCA) is an independent, non-denominational, private Christian school. We are a member of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), and are listed as a private school on the Ministry of Education website."
"This whole-child approach to education is rooted in the Waldorf concepts of "feeling, thinking, willing," and "heart, head, hands." These concepts are based on Dr. Rudolf Steiner's philosophies, and adapted for a changing world. We strive to honour, nurture, and protect the childhood of our students; to guide them into healthy adolescence; and to help them mature in ways that go beyond the simply material aspects of our nature and our world."
"Abeka curriculum is used in all of our grades, and it is the foundational to our school's educational program. It is a thoroughly Christian curriculum that is tried and true since 1972 with real-world results (CAT-4). Abeka is the largest publisher of Christian curriculum in the world and is used by more than a million students in Christian schools around the world. In Ontario, there are 12 schools that use it exclusively and 45 that use it predominantly."
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"Our philosophy prioritizes the integration of arts, imagination, and movement into all academic disciplines. Our curriculum fosters intellectual flexibility and creative thinking, with an eye to ethics and morality. Knowledge is important, but understanding what to do with that knowledge is critical. We believe that becoming a successful human is a function of weaving together a rich tapestry of capacities and abilities."
"Top five reasons given for choosing RHCA:
1. High academic standards
2. Caring and supportive environment and staff
3. Observable changes in learning achievements and character developments
4. Affordable tuition rates
5. Structured learning environment"
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"The use of electronic media, particularly television, by young children is discouraged in Waldorf schools. So too is the over-emphasis of commercialism and busy extra-curricular schedules. The importance of a balanced and strong family life is emphasized, encouraged and supported at our school."
"As a Christian school rooted in the Biblical worldview, RHCA is a safe place for our students and staff. For many, that is an important reason why families enrol their children. For some, the protective environment can be viewed as a drawback due to its sheltering nature. For families who professed to Biblical Christianity, the formative years of a child's development are critical for establishing a sure foundation in their faith. Such faith strengthening environment is provided at RHCA."
"Waldorf class teachers build strong relationships with their students. Our methodology is rooted in rhythm and routine, and supported by having a Class Teacher. The teacher stays with their class for several consecutive years, acting as mentor, role model, and guardian. A Class Teacher is better able to assess each individual's development needs, and fosters shared experience and a strong bond between the teacher and the students and their families."
"Although considered by many as an academically advance school, our program is geared towards the average child who is willing to work hard and parents who are supportive of school's philosophy and policies. Parents are often amazed at the amount of learning students are able to achieve through a well developed, school-wide curriculum taught by highly dedicated teachers. Ordinary students are able to accomplish extraordinary results when they are provided the opportunities and training needed!"
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Welcome to Richmond Hill Christian Academy! We are a Christian school founded upon the Word of God. Our mission is to prepare the next generation for service to God and to our community, our country, and to our world. We accomplish this by using a thoroughly Christian school wide curriculum that is taught by dedicated and highly qualified teaching staff in a loving but structured environment that strives for excellence in the development of the whole student.
We provide a Christ-centred education with a clear, biblical worldview that allows children to learn of God’s great love for them! We welcome children from all backgrounds, whose parents/guardians are supportive of the school’s philosophy and policies, to come and discover what a difference Christ can make in their education!
Traditional
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Waldorf schools are available from preschool to Grade 12, though they are most popular at the younger ages. Waldorf schools are unmistakably "progressive". Rudolf Steiner, their intellectual forefather, believed the educator's first task should be to help students develop an aesthetic appreciation for life and learning. Sometimes incorrectly conflated with Montessori schools, Waldorf schools focus on developing the "whole child" - emphasizing collaborative, hands-on learning, along with the arts and music, which are integrated into other areas of study.
Traditional curricula tend to be very content-based and rooted in the core disciplines. It is a structured approach that involves the teacher delivering a unified curriculum through direct instruction. Students usually learn by observing and listening to their teacher, studying facts and concepts in textbooks, and completing both tests and written assignments - which challenge students to not only demonstrate their mastery of content but their ability to analyze and deconstruct it critically. Class discussions are also used to create critical dialogue around the content of the curriculum.
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Traditional Math
Traditional Math typically teaches a method or algorithm FIRST, and THEN teaches the applications for the method. Traditional algorithms are emphasized and practiced regularly: repetition and drills are frequently used to ensure foundational mastery in the underlying mathematical procedures. The traditional approach to math views math education as akin to building a logical edifice: each brick depends on the support of the previously laid ones, which represent mastery over a particular procedure or method. Traditional Math begins by giving students a tool, and then challenges students to practice using that tool an applied way, with progressively challenging problems. In this sense Traditional Math aims to establish procedural understanding before conceptual and applied understanding.
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Phonics-intensive
Systematic-phonics programs teach young children to read by helping them to recognize and sound out the letters and syllables of words. Students are then led to blend these sounds together to sound out and recognize the whole word. While other reading programs might touch on phonetics (either incidentally or on a “when needed” basis), systematic phonics teaches phonics in a specific sequence, and uses extensive repetition and direct instruction to help readers associate specific letter patterns with their associated sounds.
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Systematic approach
The systematic approach to teaching beginner writing focuses on directly imparting explicit sentence construction strategies, along with planning, revising, and editing skills. Students are asked to learn these explicit strategies and skills and practice them before applying them in more holistic writing assignments. Grammar and parts of sentences tend to have a central role in systematic writing instruction.
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Expository
Expository science is the more traditional method of teaching science: students learn scientific facts, theories, and the relationships between them through direct instruction by the teacher. These programs still incorporate hands-on experimentation and “live science”; however, relative to inquiry-based programs, expository science tilts towards content mastery and knowledge acquisition. Direct instruction ensures this acquisition process is efficient. Textbooks are emphasized (starting in earlier grades than inquiry-based programs), as are knowledge tests: students are asked to demonstrate they have thoroughly learned the content of the course, and can apply that knowledge to novel and challenging problems or questions.
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Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught
Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught
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Traditional
In traditional literature programs students focus on decoding the mechanics of texts: plot, characterization, and themes. These texts tend to include a balance of contemporary and “classic” literature. When studying a past work, students investigate its historical context -- but only insofar as this adds understanding to the work itself. Past works are therefore studied “on their own terms”, and not merely as historical artifacts to be deconstructed: traditional literature programs are firmly rooted in the humanities, and carry the belief that great literature can reveal fundamental and universal truths about the human condition. These programs emphasize class discussions and critical essay writing, and aim to develop in students critical thinking, communication skills, and a cultivated taste and ethos.
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Ancient lit
English lit
World (non-Western) lit
European (continental) lit
American lit
Canadian lit
Ancient lit
English lit
World (non-Western) lit
European (continental) lit
American lit
Canadian lit
Core Knowledge
Usually focused on teaching history and geography at an early age, the core knowledge approach uses story, drama, reading, and discussion to teach about significant people, places, and events. Breadth of content and knowledge is emphasized. The curriculum is often organized according to the underlying logic of the content: history might be taught sequentially, for example (as students move through the grades).
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Perennialism
Perennialism in the humanities and social sciences emphasizes the idea of education being a kind of “conversation” between generations, and so frequently turns to “Great Works” and “Big Ideas” for teaching-content. Perennialist programs approach past works on their own terms; as if they might actually help students understand “today” better. Past works are not viewed as mere historical artifacts, but as gateways to a deeper understanding of the human condition. History (and, by extension, the humanities in general) therefore plays a large role in perennialist curriculums, though social sciences like economics, psychology, and sociology can still be taught. There is a strong Liberal Arts bent to perennialist programs. The key goals are to develop critical thinking, a strong foundation of core knowledge (or “cultural literacy”), and persuasion skills through informed debate and extensive practice in essay writing.
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Audio-Lingual
The audio-lingual method of teaching foreign languages emphasizes the use of repetition and a system of immediate reinforcement and feedback. The method makes particular use of oral drills where students are expected to correctly imitate (or intentionally alter) an utterance made by the teacher in the target language. Quizzes and worksheets are also used extensively.
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Hebrew
ESL
Spanish
Russian
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Greek
German
French
Chinese-Mandarin
Chinese-Cantonese
Hebrew
ESL
Spanish
Russian
Latin
Japanese
Italian
Greek
German
French
Chinese-Mandarin
Chinese-Cantonese
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Receptive
Receptive arts programs emphasize art history (visual, music, theatre, etc) and appreciation over creating or “making” art. Students learn about various artistic works and movements, and are asked to reflect on their underlying aesthetic features and principles. The goal is to give students a core body of knowledge related to the arts, while developing their cognitive, emotional, and aesthetic sensibilities. Studio-work is still a component of most reflective programs, but it plays less of a role than in creative programs.
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Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts
Light integration
Computers are used in the classroom from time to time, but integrating technology into everything students do is not a dominant focus. Digital literacy is understood to be a legitimate skill in the 21st century, but not one that should distract from teaching the subject at hand, or more fundamental skills and literacies. The idea is today’s students, being “digital natives”, are likely exposed to computers and new media enough outside the classroom: the role of the school, rather, should be to develop competencies that may otherwise get missed.
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Web design
Robotics
Computer science
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Academic
Highly group-oriented and with a strong emphasis on creative and imaginative play, Waldorf preschool and Kindergarten programs have very little to no emphasis on academics. A Waldorf environment will often feel more like a home than a traditional classroom -- the goal being to instill comfort and and a sense of predictability in students’ day. This emphasis on comfort and predictability also manifests through a heavy use of repetition: for example, teachers might read the same story multiple days in a row. Waldorf schools ask parents to refrain from offering children TV or computers at home, and aim to develop in children a connection to the natural world. If you want to learn more about Waldorf education, check out our comprehensive guide.
Academic-based preschools and Kindergartens are the most structured of the different types, and have a strong emphasis on math and reading readiness skills. These programs aim to expose children to what early-elementary school is like. While time is still allotted to free play, much of the day is built around explicit lessons guided by the teacher. Classrooms often resemble play-based ones (with different stations set up around the room), but at an Academic program the teacher leads students through the stations directly, and ties these activities to a whole-class lesson or theme.
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Accelerated
Broadly-speaking, the main curriculum -- like that of most schools -- paces the provincially-outlined one. This pace is steady and set by the teachers and school. The curriculum might still be enriched in various ways: covering topics more in-depth and with more vigor than the provincial one, or covering a broader selection of topics.
The main curriculum accelerates beyond the pace of the provincial one; ALL students do the work of OLDER public-school peers in tangible and measurable ways. This accelerated pace is maintained by the teachers and school, (through textbook selection, topic selection, grading, assignment standards and expectations, etc).
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Rigorous
A school with a “rigorous” academic culture places a high value on academic performance, and expects their students to do the same. This does not mean the school is uncaring, unsupportive, or non-responsive -- far from it. A school can have a rigorous academic culture and still provide excellent individual support. It does mean, however, the school places a particular emphasis on performance -- seeking the best students and challenging them to the fullest extent -- relative to a normal baseline. High expectations and standards – and a challenging yet rewarding curriculum – are the common themes here. Keep in mind this classification is more relevant for the older grades: few Kindergarten classrooms, for example, would be called “rigorous”.
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Spiritual
The goal is to cultivate "individuals with inner resourcefulness, strong faith and respect for God or a higher power."
Intellectual
The goal is to cultivate "academically strong, creative and critical thinkers, capable of exercising rationality, apprehending truth, and making aesthetic distinctions."
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CompetitiveComp. |
RecreationalRec. |
CompetitiveComp. |
RecreationalRec. |
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Badminton |
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Baseball |
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Basketball |
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Canoeing/Kayaking |
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Cricket |
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Cross-country skiing |
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Cycling |
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Downhill skiing |
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Equestrian |
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Fencing |
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Field Hockey |
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Figure Skating |
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Football |
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Golf |
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Gymnastics |
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Ice Hockey |
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Ice Skating |
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Lacrosse |
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Martial Arts |
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Mountain biking |
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Racquet Ball |
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Rowing |
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Rugby |
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Running |
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Sailing |
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Skateboarding |
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Snowboarding |
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Soccer |
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Softball |
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Squash |
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Swimming |
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Tennis |
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Track & Field |
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Volleyball |
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Weightlifting |
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Wrestling |
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Archery |
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Curling |
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Ultimate |
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Yoga
Yearbook
Student Council
Scouting
Science Club
School newspaper
Round Square
Robotics club
Radio club
Poetry/Literature club
Photography
Paintball
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Club
Online Magazine
Musical theatre/Opera
Math Club
Jazz Ensemble
Habitat for Humanity
Foreign Language Club
Environmental Club
Drama Club
Debate Club
Dance Club
Computer Club
Community Service
Choir
Chess Club
Band
Audiovisual Club
Astronomy Club
Art Club
Animation
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Yoga
Yearbook
Student Council
Scouting
Science Club
School newspaper
Round Square
Robotics club
Radio club
Poetry/Literature club
Photography
Paintball
Outdoor Education
Outdoor Club
Online Magazine
Musical theatre/Opera
Math Club
Jazz Ensemble
Habitat for Humanity
Foreign Language Club
Environmental Club
Drama Club
Debate Club
Dance Club
Computer Club
Community Service
Choir
Chess Club
Band
Audiovisual Club
Astronomy Club
Art Club
Animation
Preschool - 9
0%
0%
$0
$0
0%
100%
JK, SK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Not available
Rolling
Not available
Not available
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
