Extracurriculars at The Bishop Strachan School

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The Bishop Strachan School EXTRACURRICULARS

The Bishop Strachan School’s extracurricular offerings include a diverse range of competitive sports and an array of clubs and programs. Known for its inclusive policies in Grades 4-6 and development programs for Grades 7-12, families and graduates commend the school for encouraging students to explore various interests within comprehensive, supportive programs enhanced by excellent facilities.

Facts and analysis

SPORTS AND ATHLETICS

Sports at The Bishop Strachan School are diverse, with a stronger emphasis on competitive sports.

For comparison, other Canadian schools we cover typically offer around 7 competitive sports and 8 recreational sport options.

Competitive offered

Recreational offered

Signature sport

Uncommon sport

Archery
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Canoeing/Kayaking
Cricket
Cross-country skiing
Curling
Cycling
Downhill skiing
Equestrian
Fencing
Field Hockey
Figure Skating
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Ice Hockey
Ice Skating
Lacrosse
Martial Arts
Mountain biking
Racquet Ball
Rowing
Rugby
Running
Sailing
Skateboarding
Snowboarding
Soccer
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Tennis
Track & Field
Ultimate
Volleyball
Weightlifting
Wrestling

Why it matters

Beyond promoting physical fitness, school athletics teach life skills like discipline, teamwork, and resilience. A greater variety of sports creates more opportunities for students to develop these skills while building peer connections and a sense of belonging. While competitive sports encourage student-athletes to strive for excellence, recreational sports foster inclusion, exploration, and enjoyment.

CLUBS AND PROGRAMS

The Bishop Strachan School offers a highly diverse array of extracurricular clubs and programs.

Other schools we review usually provide about 14 clubs and programs.

Clubs offered

Clubs not offered

Signature program

all clubs and programs]

Animation

Art Club

Astronomy Club

Audiovisual Club

Ballet and Classical Ballet

Band

Chess Club

Choir

Community Service

Computer Club

Dance Club

Debate Club

Drama Club

Environmental Club

Foreign Language Club

Habitat for Humanity

Jazz Ensemble

Math Club

Musical theatre/Opera

Online Magazine

Outdoor Club

Outdoor Education

Paintball

Photography

Poetry/Literature club

Radio club

Robotics club

Round Square

School newspaper

Science Club

Scouting

Student Council

Yearbook

Yoga

Why it matters

Clubs and enrichment programs, including after-school clubs, extend learning beyond the classroom. They encourage creativity, leadership, and friendships while helping students explore passions, build skills, and gain confidence in a low-pressure environment.

Qualitative insights

These insights are based on conversations with parents, alumni, and school leadership. Handpicked and curated by our editor, they offer a close look at how the school is experienced and perceived by those who know it best.

Students are encouraged to pursue diverse interests and passions.

Observations from students and alumni at BSS reveal a nurturing environment that empowers students to explore a broad range of extracurricular activities, supported by committed faculty and administration who help facilitate personal and academic growth.

BSS offers its students a wide range of experiences, many of which are quite eye-opening. For example, our choir didn’t just perform at school events like Christmas concerts and Remembrance Day but also sang at venues like Roy Thompson Hall and even performed the National Anthem for the Raptors. The school constantly found ways to expose students to experiences they wouldn’t have access to elsewhere. This exposure wasn't limited to academics; it also extended to extracurricular activities, giving us opportunities to engage with the world beyond the school.

—Tiffany Lee, alum (see full discussion)

The culture at the Bishop Strachan School is that whatever you want to do, the faculty members and the heads of the school and the leadership there will be super supportive. So while I was at the Bishop Toronto School, I started a lego robotics team to help the inner-city schools in Toronto. They saw that I was really interested in robotics, so I actually started the robotics team, and then we were able to compete, and we actually made it to the international competition in Atlanta. I think definitely having had those opportunities helped to strengthen my application for later on when I studied biomedical engineering at Columbia. It also helped me gain the skills to really thrive there, and it helped set me up for success later on in my career.

—Wendy Sun, alum (see full interview)

At Bishop Strachan School they always believe that girls can do anything, and that’s really what I felt there. For a lot of the activities I was involved with, they didn’t exist when I first arrived, but I always thought, ‘Hey, I’m interested in this,’ and I was able to get in contact with the administration and the faculty members who are really able to help me kick it off the ground and start. I really felt like I could do anything coming out of BSS.

—Wendy Sun, alum (see full interview)

Folks at BSS are all very caring of one another. We feel like a family essentially, with the students there. And I think the coolest thing is that all of the students all had different interests. It was a very diverse population of students, and it was cool learning from my friends who loved musicals while another friend was really into dance, and another friend was really into debating. And so just learning from my friends and being together and learning along the way together was really wonderful.

—Wendy Sun, alum (see full interview)

For new students, my advice would be to get involved in everything you can. Even if you think you won’t like something, give it a try because BSS offers so many opportunities. Whether it's joining a club, trying out for a team, or starting something new, there’s no penalty for experimenting. Some of the most fun experiences and friendships come from trying new things, even if they don’t lead to awards or accolades. The key is to be open-minded and take advantage of the opportunities BSS provides.

—Tiffany Lee, alum (see full discussion)

Another reason that I would recommend the school is the amount of extracurriculars that are at the school. And I remember there was a Prefect who did a speech, all the Prefects do speeches. I distinctly remember this speech because it really spoke to me at the time …. BSS has allowed me to explore so many different opportunities. Sometimes people think, “Oh, I have to be the best at hockey, I have to be the best at one particular thing.” But this girl was saying, You know what? It's also just as beneficial to try a bunch of different things and see what you like best. After hearing that speech, I tried to emulate that as well and try as much as I could.

—Monika Steger, alum (see full interview)

There are specific traditions that follow throughout the whole year. You can do choir, and there are these nice traditions that only the people in the choir do. And there are so many things like that for all of the different clubs and houses and get to learn all the niche chairs. And so I think that having those really diverse opportunities is so meaningful.

—Monika Steger, alum (see full interview)

My daughter had actually never had the opportunity to really get involved in a community before we came to the school. And BSS offered such diverse opportunities for girls to get involved in community service, and really look outside of the classroom. That was a really nice feeling for us, to know that she would have those opportunities readily available to get involved in, as well as leadership opportunities.

—Vanessa, parent (see full discussion)

Their extracurricular programming was outstanding for me, at least. I really jumped into extracurricular programming head-on. I was in junior choir, I was in senior choir, I participated in sports, and I also participated in the plays.

—Nikki Kumar, alum, Lawyer (see full interview)

Students are encouraged to try sports, music, theatre, and other activities, even things they haven’t done before. These experiences create lasting memories, build camaraderie, and are celebrated in assemblies, chapels, and house games.

—Haley Dinel, alum, Educator (see full interview)

My top reasons to recommend BSS are the care and dedication of the staff, the sense of community, and the opportunities to explore, learn, and try new things.

—Haley Dinel, alum, Educator (see full interview)

I thrived in the extracurricular world at BSS. I played sports - which included multiple OFSAA trips both for soccer and swimming, I played French Horn in the senior band where I met one of my best friends, I was co-head of the Speakers Union club where I learned the art of debating and public speaking and qualified to attend competitions across Canada and in the United Kingdom, I was elected as a sports coordinator for Dupont house in grades 10 and 11 and served as Games Captain Prefect in grade 12 - a leadership position that has sadly and for reasons unknown to me - been eliminated. Of all the things BSS offers - the extracurriculars are the best.

—Joanne A, alum (2004-2010), Historian (see full review)

From our experience, I believe that there are many co-curriculars offered at BSS and have always felt that the school does a good job at encouraging students to get involved and try different clubs and teams. Throughout her Junior, Middle and Senior School years, our daughter has participated in a number of different co-curriculars and has had really positive experiences doing so.

—Jeffrey Brown, parent (beginning 2017) (see full review)

When I attended BSS, participating in extracurricular activities was highly encouraged, and it was truly one of the highlights of my time at the school. BSS offered a broad range of extracurricular options, allowing students with diverse interests to find something that matched their passions outside of the classroom. These options included sports teams, clubs, leadership roles, and creative pursuits. While some activities required applications, auditions, or tryouts, making them more competitive, many others simply required students to sign up. These opportunities not only allowed students from different grades to interact and build relationships but also helped them develop valuable skills in collaboration and leadership.

—Allison D., alum (2006-2019), Fashion Designer (see full review)

My experience in various clubs and extracurricular opportunities, I feel, prepares me very well to speak on this subject. I have played 3 sports, been a part of 5 student-run organizations, 1 academic team, and 3 student unions throughout my time at BSS. There is nothing I love more than a BSS club. These spaces have provided me with immeasurable chances to grow, learn about my surroundings, and develop meaningful connections with those around me. I feel as though BSS offers a very large multitude of clubs and activities, and additionally does a great job of providing space and opportunities for students to start their own clubs should they not exist previously. Also, BSS makes sure that students have the chance to build something meaningful within these spaces. Be it assuming a leadership position, creating a subgroup, or organizing additional meetings, BSS encourages student involvement across the board and makes sure that everyone has a chance to partake in something they love, are interested in, and find meaningful.

—Ava Comisarow, student (beginning 2019) (see full review)

The programs are comprehensive and supportive.

Feedback from students and former attendees points to the arts program at BSS as a key strength, providing opportunities for creative expression and innovation, supported by dedicated resources and teachers.

I really appreciated the arts program at BSS. I'm a very creative person, and music was a big part of my life. BSS had a wide variety of opportunities in the arts, and everything was housed under one roof, making it my playground. I would stay at school from 7:15 AM until 7 or 8 PM, and I was there willingly. Music became a universal language that helped me integrate, as it allowed me to connect with others despite cultural and language barriers. The arts program got me through high school and remains one of the most unique aspects of BSS for me.

—Tiffany Lee, alum (see full discussion)

A lot of the skills I use today, even at my current job as a federal government employee, started while I was at BSS. I participated in the debating club and public speaking competitions, where the school gave me significant support, both in coaching and financial resources. Through that experience, I gained confidence and learned to be comfortable speaking in front of others. ... The school ended up helping me in ways that allowed me to start giving back by the end of my time at BSS, which I think is really important.

—Tiffany Lee, alum (see full discussion)

I do wish that I had been able to experience maybe more of the art side of things a little bit more. I think I was so focused on the STEM courses and doing that. I ended up doing a life science degree at Queen’s afterwards, and I was striving for that. I wanted to take all the maths and sciences. And I think looking back, it would have been nice to maybe take a drama course as a course and experience those because BSS does have a really strong arts program that I think I maybe focused a little too much on the STEM aspect and maybe would have liked to broaden my horizons, especially at BSS, where it's more of a low-risk situation.

—Monika Steger, alum (see full interview)

Last year, when my eldest daughter was in Grade 5, she made a clay model of the brain. I learned so much about the brain through this process. It was amazing. It took her about three months to put it together and then present it to her peers. That was definitely a highlight. She’s also the lead in a play, which has been great for her confidence. It’s been a tremendous opportunity for her. Every day, they have smaller leadership opportunities, whether organizing a marketplace or helping younger students, like I mentioned earlier.

—SONA SHAH, parent (see full interview)

‘Courageous’ is another word I would use to describe BSS’s personality. As a school, BSS is not afraid to step into the unknown and explore it — whether it be trying out for a new sport, joining a new co-curricular, or even standing up and demanding change from officials. BSS inspires students to be courageous.

—Stephanie, alum (see full discussion)

There were many opportunities for extracurricular activities for students who are inclined towards athletics, arts or education. It is a good balance. I focused on art, as opposed to athletics or academic competition, in high school and felt there was support for students like myself to develop and there were wonderful teachers. I think some other schools emphasize the importance of athletic acheivement which would not have been a good fit for me.

—Allison Smith, alum (1990-2001) (see full review)

Our daughter has truly enjoyed her time at BSS and we have seen tremendous growth in both her academic and social and emotional skills. BSS has pushed her to step outside of her comfort zone and in turn, gain confidence in herself as a learner and a leader. I think our daughter appreciates her whole school experience. She appreciates the curriculum, co-curriculars, her teachers, and of course, the amazing friendships she has made. Together, all of these things have created an incredibly supportive learning environment that will give her the skills she needs for continued success in her post-secondary education and beyond. We are really thrilled with the school and our daughter's journey so far and look forward to seeing her continued growth in her final year this Fall.

—Jeffrey Brown, parent (beginning 2017) (see full review)

Facilities enhance the student experience.

Testimonials from alumni focus on the school's outstanding facilities, including unique sporting and recreational amenities, which contribute significantly to the overall student experience and engagement.

I think that the facilities themselves are so lovely. I remember walking in Grade 7 and I saw a rock climbing wall, and I was shocked. I didn't know schools were able to have rock climbing walls inside… And we went rock climbing a handful of times in gym class. There was a rock climbing club. The facilities are even better than they were when I was there. And having those opportunities, I'm so thankful to have had them growing up. And it was such a memorable experience for me. I think that any person would be able to find something that they love at the school.

—Monika Steger, alum (see full interview)

There are so many different extracurriculars that you can do at the school, that people thrive in the arts, they thrive in STEM, and there's truly something for everybody. And I think that that's so unique, especially in a high school, I was fortunate. I was able to try sports, and choir. There's a robotics team. There are so many different things that you can really find something that you love.

—Monika Steger, alum (see full interview)

We have an incredible athletics program, but we also make a really big deal of the yearly collaborative plays and musicals with UCC. We have week-long exhibitions to showcase the stunning work of our visual art students, and we take our STEM students to Science and Robotics competitions around North America. At BSS, no matter what you’re interested in, there’s always someone who wants to help you foster it. Students really do get a lot of support to thrive in whatever direction you choose.

—Ashley, alum (see full discussion)

I enjoyed my tour of BSS, enjoying meeting with an administrator, and I chose BSS because of its athletic strengths. At the time, I was a competitive, nationally ranked swimmer, and BSS really recognized that and wanted to help me ensure I could continue to compete at an elite level while also succeeding academically. Lastly, the school is quite beautiful - especially the front entrance with the heritage panels, and the chapel, with its lovely stained glass windows, really spoke to the younger me who was already interested in history.

—Joanne A, alum (2004-2010), Historian (see full review)

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The Bishop Strachan School EXTRACURRICULARS

Page Contents

Facts and analysis

SPORTS AND ATHLETICS

Why it matters

CLUBS AND PROGRAMS

Why it matters

DISTINCT EXTRACURRICULAR FEATURES

Why it matters

Qualitative insights

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My Shortlist

BUILD YOUR SHORTLIST

EVALUATE YOUR SCHOOLS

TRACK IMPORTANT DATES

The Bishop Strachan School EXTRACURRICULARS

Page Contents

Facts and analysis

SPORTS AND ATHLETICS

Why it matters

CLUBS AND PROGRAMS

Why it matters

DISTINCT EXTRACURRICULAR FEATURES

Why it matters

Qualitative insights

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