West Island College (Montreal)

About School

WIC is two schools under the same roof: a French school and an English School. Both schools deliver an enriched curriculum with mother-tongue language courses and seamlessly coexist to offer the ultimate bilingual experience for students of all backgrounds. For over 40 years, we have been defining the educational experience through innovative teaching methods delivered in a technology infused environment.

Reviews

User-submitted reviews (none submitted)

Submit a Review

Location

851 Tecumseh, Montreal (DDO), Quebec, H9B 2L2

Gallery

School Life Gallery

Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of West Island College (Montreal).

Academics

Academics Summary: [Hide summary]

Curriculum: Traditional
- Mathematics: Equal Balance
- Science: Inquiry
- Literature: Equal Balance
- Humanities and Social Sciences : Equal Balance
- Foreign Languages: Equal Balance
- Fine Arts: Equal Balance
- Computers and Technology: Heavy integration
- Physical Education:
- Advanced Placement courses :
- Sex and health education: Quebec curriculum
Curriculum Pace: Standard-enriched
Academic Culture: Rigorous
Developmental priorities: Balanced
Special needs support: No support
Gifted learner support: In-class adaptations
Language: French
Homework Policy:
Report Card Policy:

Curriculum Traditional
[Show definition of Curriculum]

Central to your child's school experience is the underlying curriculum taught in the classroom. "Curriculum" refers to both what is taught and how it's taught. When considering the different curricula outlined in the next few pages, keep in mind that few schools fall neatly into one category or another. Most schools' curricula comprise a blend of best practices drawn from multiple curriculum types. Having said that, most schools do have a general overall curriculum type. These are identified for each school on OurKids.net.

Curriculum approach at School: Traditional
School has a Traditional approach to Curriculum (as opposed to Liberal Arts, Progressive, Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf approach).
[Show: About Traditional?]
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 uni?ed 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.

Curriculum at schools on OurKids.net

Traditional - 43%
Liberal arts - 16%
Progressive - 25%
Montessori - 15%
Reggio Emilia - 0%
Waldorf - 1%

What School says: MISSION To provide an innovative learning culture in a bilingual environment, in which each student develops the skills necessary to excel in post-secondary education and in life. VISION We are a lead school redefining the educational experience through innovative teaching and learning. The school, established in 1974, offers a rich tradition of achievement and an enviable reputation as being progressive, innovative, and committed to excellence. At WIC, we provide a stimulating learning environment that is both nurturing and challenging in all areas. Our excellent academic, sports and cultural offerings afford every individual the opportunity to shape their development as well-balanced, happy and contributing members of the community. Our school combines excellence in teaching, creativity in curriculum, and a highly personal experience in a technology-enriched learning environment. At WIC, extraordinary opportunities such as international travel, extracurricular activities, arts and athletics are accessible to all students, and within our small school environment, they are able to participate and excel in a variety of fields.

Approach:

Focus

Academic
Pedagogies and subject courses:

Mathematics Equal Balance

Mathematics approach at School: Equal Balance
School has an Equal Balance approach to Mathematics (as opposed to Traditional Math , Discovery Math approach).
[Show: About Equal Balance?]
These math programs feature an equal balance of “Traditional” and “Discovery” methods.

Mathematics at schools on OurKids.net

Equal balance - 67%
Traditional math - 26%
Discovery math - 7%

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Textbooks and supplementary materials: This information is not currently available.

Calculator policy: This information is not currently available.

Science Inquiry

Science approach at School: Inquiry
School has an Inquiry approach to Science (as opposed to Expository , Equal Balance approach).
[Show: About Inquiry?]
Inquiry-based science emphasizes teaching science as a way of thinking or practice, and therefore tries to get students “doing” science as much as possible -- and not just “learning” it. Students still learn foundational scientific ideas and content (and build on this knowledge progressively); however, relative to expository science instruction, inquiry-based programs have students spend more time developing and executing their own experiments (empirical and theoretical). Students are frequently challenged to develop critical and scientific-thinking skills by developing their own well-reasoned hypothesis and finding ways to test those hypotheses. Projects and experiments are emphasized over textbook learning. Skills are emphasized over breadth of knowledge.

Science at schools on OurKids.net

Inquiry - 28%
Expository - 6%
Equal balance - 66%

Teaching approach: This information is not currently available.

Topics covered in curriculum:

Subject offered
Biology
Chemistry
Ecology
Geology
Meteorology
Physics
Physiology
Zoology

Treatment of evolution:

Subject offered
Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught

Literature Equal Balance

Literature approach at School: Equal Balance
School has an Equal Balance approach to Literature (as opposed to Traditional , Social Justice approach).
[Show: About Equal Balance?]
These literature programs draw in equal measure from “Traditional” and “Social Justice” programs.

Literature at schools on OurKids.net

Equal balance - 73%
Traditional - 23%
Social justice - 4%

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Humanities and Social Sciences Equal Balance

Humanities and Social Sciences approach at School: Equal Balance
School has an Equal Balance approach to Humanities and Social Sciences (as opposed to Perennialism , Pragmatism approach).
[Show: About Equal Balance?]
These programs represent an equal balance between the perennialist and pragmatic approach to teaching the humanities and social sciences.

Humanities and Social Sciences at schools on OurKids.net

Equal balance - 79%
Perennialism - 11%
Pragmatism - 10%

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Foreign Languages Equal Balance

Foreign Languages approach at School: Equal Balance
School has an Equal Balance approach to Foreign Languages (as opposed to Audio-Lingual , Communicative approach).
[Show: About Equal Balance?]
These programs feature an equal blend of the audio-lingual and communicative styles of language instruction.

Foreign Languages at schools on OurKids.net

Equal balance - 60%
Audio-lingual - 2%
Communicative - 38%

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Fine Arts Equal Balance

Fine Arts approach at School: Equal Balance
School has an Equal Balance approach to Fine Arts (as opposed to Receptive , Creative approach).
[Show: About Equal Balance?]
These programs have an equal emphasis on receptive and creative learning.

Fine Arts at schools on OurKids.net

Equal balance - 60%
Receptive - 1%
Creative - 39%

Program offers:

Subject offered
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts

Visual studio philosophy:

Expressive
Disciplined

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Computers and Technology Heavy integration

Computers and Technology approach at School: Heavy integration
School has a Heavy integration approach to Computers and Technology (as opposed to Light integration , Medium integration approach).
[Show: About Heavy integration?]
A major effort is made to integrate the development of digital literacy throughout the curriculum and in everything students do. Digital literacy is understood to be a fundamental skill in the 21st century: it therefore follows, the idea goes, that teachers should find ways to connect every lesson back to technology. Effort is made to ensure the use of technology is meaningful and advances students’ skills beyond what they would otherwise be from using computers outside the classroom.

Computers and Technology at schools on OurKids.net

Heavy integration - 30%
Light integration - 23%
Medium integration - 47%

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Program covers:

Subject offered
Computer science
Robotics
Web design

Physical Education

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Advanced Placement courses

This information is not currently available.

Sex and health education Quebec curriculum

Sex and health education approach at School: Quebec curriculum
School has a Quebec curriculum approach to Sex and health education (as opposed to Does not follow prrovincialcurriculum approach).
[Show: About Quebec curriculum?]
The structure, pacing, focus, and tone of the sex education curriculum reflects that of the provincial one, taught in public schools.

Sex and health education at schools on OurKids.net

Follows provincial curriculum - 54%
Does not follow prrovincial curriculum - 46%

Approach to sex and health education:
School has a approach Mostly value-neutral (as opposed to Fairly value-based approach).
[Show: About Mostly value-neutral?]
By and large, students are taught about sex free of any particular moral or ethical standpoint. The school doesn't impose any particular values or value systems (such as social, political, or ideological values) on students when teaching sex and related issues.

School's approach to sex-ed: Integrated and part of the Science and Technology Program as mandated by MESSR
Jump to:

Mathematics

Science

Literature

Humanities and Social Sciences

Foreign Languages

Fine Arts

Computers and Technology

Physical Education

Advanced Placement courses

Sex and health education

Focus
Academic

Subject	offered
Biology
Chemistry
Ecology
Geology
Meteorology
Physics
Physiology
Zoology

Subject	offered
Evolution as consensus theory
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories
Evolution is not taught

Subject	offered
Acting
Dance
Drama/Theatre
Graphic Design
Music
Visual Arts

Subject	offered
Computer science
Robotics
Web design

Curriculum Pace Standard-enriched

[Show definition of Curriculum Pace]

This refers to the rate at which students move through the curriculum (e.g., topics, textbook material, skills, etc.). Curriculum pace is often defined in comparison to provincial standards.

Curriculum Pace approach at School: Standard-enriched

School has a Standard-enriched approach to Curriculum Pace (as opposed to Accelerated, Student-paced approach).

[Show: About Standard-enriched?]

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.

Curriculum Pace at schools on OurKids.net

Standard-enriched - 57%
Accelerated - 16%
Student-paced - 27%

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Flexible pacing style

Flexible pacing style	offered
Subject-streaming (tracking)
Multi-age classrooms as standard
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace)
Regular guided independent study opportunities
Differentiated assessment

What School says about flexible pacing: This information is not currently available.

Academic Culture Rigorous

[Show definition of Academic Culture]

Through the collective mindset of teachers, administrators, students, and parents, each school develops and maintains its own academic culture. This generally relates to the norms and expectations created around academic performance. Many parents look to private schools because they want a specific type of culture. Some want a rigorous environment that will elevate their child to new heights. Others want a nurturing environment that will help their child develop a passion for learning.

Academic Culture approach at School: Rigorous
School has a Rigorous approach to Academic Culture (as opposed to Supportive approach).
[Show: About 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”.

Academic Culture at schools on OurKids.net

Rigorous - 46%
Supportive - 54%

What School says: This information is not currently available.
Developmental priorities Balanced

[Show definition of Developmental priorities]

Schools have specific goals regarding how they want their educate and develop their students. This is part of a school's overall philosophy or vision, which is contained in its mission statement. While they tend have several developmental aims, schools tend to priortize certain aims, such as intellectual, social, spiritual, emotional, or physical development.

Primary Developmental Priority: Balanced

"Equal emphasis is placed on a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social and physical cultivation."

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Special needs support No support

[Show definition of Special needs support]

Schools offer a wide range of approaches and services to support students with special needs. This may include individualized learning, one-on-one support, small classes, resource rooms, and learning aids. These supports may be provided in a number of different environments such as a dedicated special needs school or class, an integrated class, a withdrawal class, or a regular class with resource support or in-class adaptations.

School offers No support

School offers no/limited support for students with learning difficulties or special needs.

Academic Support:

Subject Ttype	offered
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties

Mild but clinically diagnosed ADHD:

Subject Ttype	offered
Accommodations
Modifications
Extra support

A - Forms of Support

Accommodation:

Modification:

Remediation:

B - Environments

Indirect Support:

Resource Assistance:

Withdrawal Assistance:

Partial Integration:

Full-Time Class:

Special NeedNeed

Forms of SupportA

EnvironmentsB

ADHD

Learning disabilities

Dyslexia (Language-Based Learning Disability)
This is a learning disability that can limit a child's ability to read and learn. It can have a variety of traits. A few of the main ones are impaired phonological awareness and decoding, problems with orthographic coding, and auditory short-term memory impairment.
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
This is a sound differentiation disorder involving problems with reading, comprehension, and language.
Dyscalculia
This is a kind of specific learning disability in math. Kids with this math disorder have problems with calculation. They may also have problems with math-related concepts such as time and money.
Dysgraphia
This is a kind of specific learning disability in writing. It involves problems with handwriting, spelling, and organizing ideas.
Language Processing Disorder
This is characterized by having extreme difficulty understanding what is heard and expressing what one wants to say. These disorders affect the area of the brain that controls language processing.
Nonverbal Learning Disorders (NLD)
These involve difficulties interpreting non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language. They're usually characterized by a significant discrepancy between higher verbal skills and weaker motor, visual-spatial, and social skills.
Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit
A characteristic seen in people with learning disabilities such as Dysgraphia or Non-verbal LD. It can result in missing subtle differences in shapes or printed letters, losing place frequently, struggles with cutting, holding pencil too tightly, or poor eye/hand coordination.
Developmental

Autism
Refers to a range of conditions that involve challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and speech and nonverbal communication. They also involve unique strengths and differences. For instance, there are persons with both low- and high-functioning autism (some claim the latter is identical to Asperger's syndrome).
Asperger's Syndrome
On the autism spectrum, Asperger's is considered quite mild in terms of symptoms. While traits can vary widely, many kids with Asperger's struggle with social skills. They also sometimes fixate on certain subjects and engage in repetitive behaviour.
Down syndrome
his is associated with impairment of cognitive ability and physical growth, and a particular set of facial characteristics.
Intellectual disability
This is a condition characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning (e.g., reasoning, learning, and problem solving). Intellectual disabilities are also known as general learning disabilities (and used to be referred to as a kind of mental retardation).
Williams syndrome
This is a rare genetic disorder present at birth. It is characterized by intellectual disabilities or learning problems, unique facial features, and cardiovascular problems.
Behavioral and Emotional

Troubled behaviour / troubled teens
roubled teens tend to have problems that are intense, persistent, and can lead to quite unpredictable behaviour. This can lead to behavioural and emotional issues, such as drug and alcohol abuse, criminal behaviour, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.
Clinical Depression
This is a mental health disorder also called "major depression." It involves persistent feelings of sadness, loss, and anger. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms are usually severe enough to cause noticeable problems in relationships with others or in daily activities, such as school, work, or one's social life.
Clinical anxiety
This is a mood disorder involving intense, relentless feelings of distress and fear. They can also have excessive and persistent worry about everyday situations, and repeated episodes of intense anxiety or terror.
Suicidal thoughts
This involves persistent thoughts about ending one's life.
Drug and alcohol abuse
This involves the excessive use of drug and/or alcohol, which interferes with daily functioning.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
This is a disruptive behavioural disorder which normally involves angry outbursts, often directed at people of authority. This behaviour must last continuously for six months or more and significantly interfere with daily functioning.
Physical

Multiple sclerosis
This is a condition of the central nervous system. It affects the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord. Symptoms can include fatigue, loss of motor control, memory loss, depression, and cognitive difficulties.
Cerebral palsy
his refers to a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. CP is caused by abnormal development or damage to the parts of the brain that control movement, balance, and posture.
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a neuromuscular disorder which weakens the body's muscles. Causes, symptoms, age of onset, and prognosis vary between individuals.
Spina Bifida
This is a condition present at birth due to the incomplete formation of the spine and spinal cord. It can lead to a number of physical challenges, including paralysis or weakness in the legs, bowel and bladder incontinence, hydrocephalus (too much fluid in the brain), and deformities of the spine.
Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder)
This is a Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Also known as "sensory integration disorder," it affects fine and/or gross motor coordination in children and adults. It may also affect speech.
Blindness
Visual impairment is a decreased ability or inability to see that can't be fixed in usual ways, such as with glasses. Some people are completely blind, while others have what's called "legal blindness."
Deafness
Hearing impairment, also known as "hearing loss," is a partial or total inability to hear. The degree of hearing impairment varies between people. It can range from complete hearing loss (or deafness) to partial hearing loss (meaning the ears can pick up some sounds).
Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited genetic condition, which affects the body's respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems. It affects young children and adults.
Multiple physical
Accommodating a wide range of physical conditions and disabilities.

Read our guide to special needs schools and special education

Gifted learner support In-class adaptations

[Show definition of Gifted learner support]

Schools support students with gifted or advanced learning abilities in a several ways. Whether they offer a full-time gifted program or part-time support, they normally provide some form of accelerated learning (delivering content at a faster pace) or enrichment (covering content more broadly or deeply). Many schools also offer a wide range of in-class adaptations to support advanced learners, such as guided independent studies, project-based learning, and career exploration.

Dedicated gifted programs:

Program	offered
Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school)
Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class)

Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)

In-class adaptations:

Program	offered
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement)
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement)
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement)
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement)
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others)
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement)
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement)
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement)
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement)

What School says: This information is not currently available.

Language French

School offers English as the primary language of instruction.

Language of enrollment include: This information is not currently available.

School offers French as the primary language of instruction.

Language of enrollment include: This information is not currently available.
Homework Policy

[Show definition of Homework Policy]
Homework is work that's assigned to students for completion outside of regular class time. There's a long-standing debate over homework. Should homework be assigned to school-age children? If so, in what grades? And how much homework should be assigned? In selecting the right school for your child, it's important to look closely at a school's homework policy.

In grade Gr. 11, School students perform an average of 1.5 hours of homework per night.

Nightly Homework

7 8 9 10 11
School 90 mins 90 mins 90 mins 90 mins 90 mins
Site Average 52 mins 57 mins 69 mins 80 mins 96 mins

This school frequently "flips the classroom": asks students to learn material at home and do the "homework" in-class (with teacher support).

What School says about their flipped classroom policy: This information is not currently available.
Report Card Policy

[Show definition of Report Card Policy]
While all schools measure individual progress and achievement in students, they have different ways of doing this. For instance, many traditional schools gauge progress through report cards, which give students lettered or numbered grades. Other schools, meanwhile, measure progress in other ways, either in addition to or instead of giving grades. For instance, they may offer prose-based feedback (i.e, comments), academic achievement reporting, habits and behaviour reporting, and parent-teacher meetings. In choosing the right school for your child, take a close look at its policy for measuring the individual progress of students.

How assessments are delivered across the grades:

Lettered or numbered grades Gr. 7 to Gr. 11
Prose (narrative)-based feedback Gr. 7 to Gr. 11
Parent-teacher meetings Gr. 7 to Gr. 11

	7	8	9	10	11
School	90 mins	90 mins	90 mins	90 mins	90 mins
Site Average	52 mins	57 mins	69 mins	80 mins	96 mins

Extracurriculars

[Show definition of Extracurriculars]

While academics remain the priority for most private schools, many also place a strong focus on a well-rounded education and encourage participation in extracurricular activities such as sports, music, arts, or clubs. Involvement in extracurriculars helps stimulate students in their studies, makes them more motivated to learn, and can make school more enjoyable and fulfilling. Extracurricular activities can also provide students with a much-needed break from the stresses of academics, while helping them to develop skills and allowing them to take part in valuable social situations.

Sports Offered	CompetitiveComp	RecreationalRec
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Downhill skiing
Football
Golf
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Martial Arts
Rowing
Rugby
Running
Soccer
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Tennis
Track & Field
Volleyball
Weightlifting

Clubs Offered
Foreign Language Club
Musical theatre/Opera
Online Magazine
Outdoor Education
Photography
Robotics club
School newspaper
Science Club
Student Council
Yearbook
Yoga
Art Club
Band
Chess Club
Community Service
Debate Club
Drama Club
Environmental Club

Tuition & Financial Aid

[Show definition of Tuition & Financial Aid]

This can depend on a number of factors, including the type of school, living arrangements, what’s included in tuition, school location, resources, and facilities. Many private schools in Canada have tuition that ranges between $6,000 and $12,000 a year. While some schools, such as schools which provide room and board, can be more expensive, many of these schools provide ways to defray the costs of tuition. For instance, they may offer merit-based scholarships or needs-based financial aid (often referred to as “bursaries” or “subsidies”).

	7	8	9	10	11
Day	$12,080

What School says about their tuition: Please refer to the Admissions section of our website for a full breakdown of fees. http://wicmtl.ca/admissions/fees/

Need-based financial aid

This information is not currently available.

Merit based Scholarships

This information is not currently available.

Enrollment

[Show definition of Enrollment]

Private schools come in all shapes and sizes. Some larger schools have enrollment numbers in the thousands, while some smaller schools have only a few dozen students. Boarding schools tend to be on the larger side, while alternative schools, such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and Waldorf, are normally smaller. Besides the overall size of school, there are other important facts you’ll want to know about a school’s enrollment. For instance, here you can learn about a school’s enrollment for separate streams (if they have them), such as day and boarding, its average class size, and its average enrollment per grade.

Enrollment Details:

	Grades	Gender	Living Arrangement	Enrollment
Group 1	Gr. 7 to Gr. 11	Coed	Day	400

Additional Statistics:

Total enrollment	400
Average enrollment per grade	80
Average class size	8 to 22
Gender (grades)	Gr. 7 to Gr. 11 (Coed)
Boarding offered	No

International Students:

Percentage of students are international students
Number of different nationalities within student population	0
Five-day boarding programs offfered

Student distribution:

This information is not currently available.

Admission

[Show definition of Admission]

Private schools in Canada have admissions policies. All schools have some required application materials, though these vary between schools. These may include letters of application, application fees, essays, and exams (such as the SSAT). Many schools also require interviews with prospective students, either with their parents, on their own, or both. Schools also have different standards and priorities when evaluating student applications, different acceptance rates (which may vary between grade levels), and target different kinds of students. To improve your child’s chances of acceptance, you should find out everything you can about a school’s admissions policies and how they assess applicants.

Application

Admissions Assessments:

Assessment	Required	Grades
Interview		7 - 11
SSAT
SSAT (out of province)
Entrance Exam(s)		7 - 11
Entrance Essay
Entrance Essay
Application Fee

Application Deadlines:

Day students: Rolling

What School says:

Evaluation for English School on Sunday, October 22, 2017

Students will write the evaluation for the English School on Sunday, October 22, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Students should arrive at the school at 8:00 am.

Evaluation for French School on Saturday, October 14, 2017
Students will write the evaluation for the French School on Saturday October 14, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Students should arrive at the school at 8:00 am.

Acceptance

Acceptance Rate: N/A

Type of student School is looking for:
This information is not currently available.

Student Entry Points

Student Type	7	8	9	10	11
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate)	0	0	0	0	0

University Placement

[Show definition of University Placement]

Where graduates of a school do their post-secondary studies can be an important factor in choosing a private school. Do you want your child to go to a Canadian university, an Ivy league school in the US, or some other institute? Regardless of your inclinations, take a look at a school’s university placement record, and the services they offer to support university applications and decisions.

Services	Offered
Career planning
Internships
Mentorship Program
University counseling

Key Numbers
Average graduating class size	N/A
*Canadian "Big 6" placements	N/A
**Ivy+ placements	N/A

*Number of students in the past year who attended one of McGill, U of T, UBC, Queen's University, University of Alberta, or Dalhousie University.

**Number of students in the past 5 years that that attended one of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford or Cambridge (UK)

Notable Alumni

[Show definition of Notable Alumni]

Many private schools in Canada have numerous graduates who have gone on to great things. Learn about a school’s most influential, important, successful, and famous alumni.

Alumnus	Grad Year	Accomplishment
Craig Hutchison	1992	Olympic swimmer - freestyle. Competed in Sydney in 2000.
Joey Saputo	1981	Joey Saputo is the President of the Montreal Impact and Stade Saputo.
Sasha Roiz	1990	Sasha is a Hollywood actor, best known for his portrayal of Captain Sean Renard in the American dark fantasy television series Grimm.
Jeff Roop	1990	Hollywood actor

Stories & Testimonials

Below, find stories and testimonials about West Island College (Montreal).

TOP 12 Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Private High School in Montreal For Your Child:
According to Headmaster, Michel Lafrance, whether you are just beginning to think about high schools for your child or you have been lamenting over the choices for years, there are very critical issues you need to consider when choosing the right school for your child.

Does the school you are considering:
1. Prepare your child for the reality of Quebec by offering mother-tongue calibre courses in English and French?
  WIC offers the ultimate bilingual experience through the choice of 2 distinct programs: A French Immersion curriculum for students who meet the English eligibility requirements OR a French language curriculum for those who prefer or are required to take all of their courses in French. Both programs offer mother-tongue calibre English and French language courses.
2. Ensure that your child will be engaged in their learning?
  The small class size (average of 21 students per class) helps to optimize learning and ensures a more individualized rapport with teachers. In addition, the progressive teaching strategies and use of digital technology in the classroom help to engage our studentsâ interest, and provide them with dynamic and interactive learning opportunities.
3. Contribute to your child's development of the life skills necessary for success?
  The wide variety of extra-curricular activities and outdoor education trips are designed to help our students face different challenges than they do in the classroom. These activities enable them to develop their leadership skills, work collaboratively with their peers while facing adversity and enable them to exceed their expectations of themselves. All our activities are supervised by faculty members and promote our vision of mutual respect and collaboration during the pursuit of excellence.
4. Provide a safe and encouraging environment that is conducive to your child's personal growth?
  We are very proud of the Collegeâs âfamilyâ atmosphere. The foundation of our core values rests on the premise of mutual respect between students, their families, our faculty and administrators. The school rules and code of conduct help to enforce this respect by outlining acceptable behaviour. Our full-time Guidance Counsellor works very closely with students and organizes several age-appropriate guest presentations throughout the year to address important issues such as bullying, self esteem issues and team building exercises, to name a few.
5. Communicate and share information with you regarding the progress of your child?
  At West Island College, we place a high importance on open communication between parents and the school. You may also follow your childâs progress through our intranet site, see the homework on the teachers' Wikis** and easily find news about other school events in the weekly Au Courant news bulletin. ** A Wiki is a website that allows the collaborative creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages using a simple markup language and a web browser. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki)
6. Prepare your child for post-secondary education?
  The option courses in secondary V are specifically linked to the different programs of study found at the CEGEP level, for example: physics, chemistry, philosophy, introduction to calculus, sociology, modern world history and a compulsory course in economics and finance. In addition, courses in secondary IV and V are offered in a semestered timetable, the same structure that is found in CEGEP and university. Feedback from past graduates has shown that this prepares students to organize their time and manage stress, thus enabling a much smoother transition to post-secondary education.
7. Consider it important to celebrate your child's success?
  We feel that celebrating our student's successes in the pursuit of excellence is critical. As a result, we have a variety of awards to highlight various accomplishments. Our Honour Rolls and Awards of Merit celebrate not only our students' academic achievements, but also their level of effort and involvement in student life. Recipients of these honours are visibly recognized by the school tie that they wear.
8. Challenge students' abilities to help them reach their full potential?
  Our school motto is the « The Pursuit of Excellence ». This means that each student is encouraged to develop their unique potential and surpass their expectations of themselves. Our students are taught early on that their success is directly tied to the efforts that they put into their learning. Our students are evaluated and receive feedback on their level of effort and the development of various competencies. A report card is distributed 4 times annually to the parents.
9. Implement and encourage the use of technology as a beneficial learning tool?
  Each student and educator at the College is equipped with a laptop computer through our laptop rental program. This tool becomes an important element in their educational journey. Each classroom is equipped with a projector and the school is supported by an extensive and efficient wireless network. This infrastructure allows us to use digital media and various software to create dynamic teaching strategies, as well as educate students on how to assimilate information and get the best out of the digital world.
10. Foster individual attention and support through a low teacher/student ratio in each class?
  The average class size is 21 students and is often lower in certain secondary V options courses. This ratio helps to facilitate and optimize learning, fosters solid student-teacher relations and enables the use of progressive teaching strategies in the classroom. In addition, as part of their mandate, each of our teachers has an extra help schedule during which time they are available to answer questions on course material or help students prepare for exams.
11. Inspire students to broaden their interest through extracurricular activities and courses such as study methods and philosophy?
  Our students can get involved in more than 43 extra-curricular activities supervised by our faculty members. They can contribute to student life by getting involved in our student council or join our student leaders in the Green & Grey society.Students with an interest in social responsibility can contribute to their local or global community by taking part in our interact club. They can sharpen their intellectual abilities by participating in the debate or science club.The more athletically inclined can develop their team and competitive spirit, motor skills, physical fitness and sense of fair play by taking part in any of our 30+ team sports and clubs. Finally, they can explore new interests in areas such as philosophy, introduction to calculus, sociology, anthropology, contemporary world history, graphic design, as well as economics and finance.
12. Validate the success of the school's program? If so, how?
  On an annual basis, we survey our graduates in order to determine their overall satisfaction with the education received and gather feedback on our different programs. Based on their responses we make adjustments to our programs and course offerings, as needed. In addition, we analyze various statistics on our graduating classes. We currently have a 100% graduation rate, and we are extremely proud of the fact that 98% of last yearâs graduates were accepted to the CEGEP and program of their 1^st choice.
...
Leaders’ Camp

West Island College student leaders (House Council, WIC Athletic Association, Grad Committee, Interact Club and Yearbook Committee) returned to school on August 20^th, to take part in a Leaders’ Camp to ensure a smooth transition for new students and to plan a fun-filled year ahead. The Leaders’ Camp, led by Mr. Glenn Neill (Master Educator at WIC), included team building, leadership training and planning activities. On Friday, August 24^th, the student leaders also helped new students settle in during Orientation Day. Leaders showed this year’s incoming students where to find everything at the College, how to tie a school tie, how to use their locks and they also helped them get their books for the first day of school on Monday, August 27^th. Not only did they make the new students feel welcome but they set the tone for a positive year ahead.
...
THANK YOU!

THANK YOU….MERCI…
On behalf of Leehi and our group CaUSE I want to extend our sincerest Thank You to the “WIC Family” for supporting our journey.

Thank you for supporting the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital.

Thank you for recognizing that the fight against breast and gynecological cancers continues.

Your very generous gift will help save lives and will give me encouragement to continue my personal fight against my gynecological cancer. I am presently trying my best to keep up with some physical activity so that I can train for the Walk. It’s not easy, but with the support of friends like you, I know I’ll succeed.

Leehi, our group CaUSE and myself will be keeping all of our donors in mind, and in our hearts, as we walk The Weekend on
August 25-26, 2012. Without your generosity, none of this would be possible.

Sincerely,
Vincenza Caldareri (Retired WIC Arts Teacher)
...
Theatre Showcase at WIC

The Secondary III & IV Theatre Classes performed for peers and parents for their Theatre Showcase this past week (June 2012). Mr. Merritt's secondary III class wrote and performed Transylvania Nights. After winning a radio contest for a dream getaway, four friends travel to Transylvania. Upon their arrival they are greeted by the proprietor of their hotel, Dr Winkle, and his creepy servant, Klaus. As the four guests get acquainted with their surroundings they begin to realize that things are not quite right in Dr. Winkle's castle. Through a series of twists and turns the four guests must try to escape Dr. Winkle's evil clutches with their sanity and their lives. Transylvania Nights Directed By: Mr. Merritt Miss V.'s secondary IV class performed Henry for classmates and parents. The creation of Henry was a class project, and students were involved in all aspects of the production. The play was written and edited by students, and they worked collaboratively to direct it. We certainly learned a lot from the experience and we had a lot of fun in the process!
...

Principal's Message

Michel Lafrance, Headmaster

As West Island College's sixth Headmaster, it is an honor and privilege to be associated with this exceptional school and community. The school, established in 1974, offers a rich tradition of achievement and an enviable reputation as being progressive, innovative, and committed to excellence.

At WIC, we provide a stimulating learning environment that is both nurturing and challenging in all areas. Our excellent academic, sports and cultural offerings afford every individual the opportunity to shape their development as well-balanced, happy and contributing members of the community. Our school combines excellence in teaching, creativity in curriculum, and a highly personal experience in a technology-enriched learning environment.

At WIC, extraordinary opportunities such as international travel, extracurricular activities, arts and athletics are accessible to all students, and within our small school environment, they are able to participate and excel in a variety of fields.

Our students play an important leadership role within our community and graduate ideally equipped for post-secondary education and success as exemplary citizens in our global society.

The heart and soul of WIC is a highly-qualified, committed and passionate faculty and staff that strives to empower all our students to develop to their full potential, and attain the acumen, values, character and self-confidence to flourish as adults. Programs combine the learning traditions and modern best practices. Effort and ethics are as highly valued as intellectual growth, and all teachers are dedicated to instilling in our students the ideals of honesty, empathy, perseverance, and respect. They serve as mentors and trusted advisors for our students with whom they develop meaningful relationships.

I invite you to explore West Island College's website and join us on campus for a visit, in order to fully appreciate the "WIC Experience" and learn more about how we are redefining the high school experience through our Advantage 21 Program.

I look forward to welcoming you to WIC.

Michel Lafrance

Headmaster

In the News

May 16, 2016
CHOOSING A HIGH SCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD

Get the tips, tools and strategies to help you navigate through the journey and enjoy the process with your child. ...

August 25, 2015
SPECIAL EVENT Montreal: Choosing a High School For Your Child

Free Bilingual Information Session about how to choose a high school. ...

March 11, 2015
Anti-Bullying Campaign Gets National Recognition

WIC Students created a video as part of an anti-bullying campaign and the video is now a resource on a nationwide anti-bullying website. ...

Associations

Social Feeds

Visit our YouTube channel