Bishop Carroll High School (Calgary, Alberta)

Bishop Carroll High School is part of the Calgary Catholic School District in Alberta, Canada, and offers a unique program that allows students to work at their own pace in an individual environment. This self-directed learning is part of the constructivist model of student-centred learning advocated by member schools of the CCSDL (Canadian Coalition of Self-Directed Learning). Students receive learning guides from certain resource rooms and start to work on these packages. The students each have a TA (teacher advisor) who helps to assist students in keeping them on track through one-on-one meetings. Students meet with their TA everyday for fifteen minutes first thing in the mornings and at least once a week throughout the year based on student needs. Students who are in Grades 10 to 12 come from all over the city because of the unique program BCHS has to offer.

The school is named after Bishop Francis Patrick Carroll, the Bishop of Calgary from 1935 to 1966. The school welcomes people who are not Roman Catholic; however, all students are expected to complete religious studies courses.

Bishop Carroll's athletic teams are nicknamed the Cardinals.

Academics

Bishop Carroll students consistently exceed provincial and local standards of excellence. Students are some of the most successful scholarship recipients, receiving over $340,000 in 2014. Through a partnership with Mount Royal University students can take a first year University class in English called English 1101. It is a Dual credit opportunity where students receive credits for High School as well as University credits. Richard Harrison is the first professor from MRU to teach the course at BCHS.

Further assistance

Self Directed does not mean self taught. Students can access the entire faculty at any time for one-on-one help, or access seminars or academic assistants. Teacher advisors guide students through their academic goals and objectives through weekly meetings and planning sessions.

Despite the self-directed nature of the school, some optional programs exist to provide a more traditional environment. Some courses (such as English 30-2) have been offered in a more or less traditional environment. Also, students in the mainstream courses may queue for personal assistance from a teacher or attend optional seminars (usually stand-alone lectures) on each topic of study.

The Math department offers a program called "S Cubed: Structured Seminar Series", in which students attended a constant flow of seminars and scheduled tests. These seminars, unlike others in the school, are always directed by the same teacher, and attended by the same student body. This eliminates the need for Math to be done individually, which some students find difficult.

Fine arts and performing arts

Music department

Bishop Carroll is well known for its music program. The Bishop Carroll Music Society (BCMS) is an independently run organization directed by parent volunteers and faculty from the department of music at the school; it funds, promotes, and supports the music program and all its members. Parents of the musicians are responsible for volunteering with the society each school year through fundraisers, off-campus activities, and in-school activities such as the popular "All That Jazz" event featuring the auditioned jazz ensembles.

The music program consists of a Concert Choir & Auditioned Chamber Choir, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Sassy Jazz Ensemble, Beginner Strings, Auditioned Intermediate Strings and Advanced String Ensembles, a Concert Band, Auditioned Touring Band, Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, 1:00 Jazz band and 2:00 Jazz Bands and in 2014 added a Symphony Orchestra. This is the only high school in Calgary with an Orchestra. These ensembles make the "core" music options offered at the school. Music Directors are Andrea Ciona (Choirs & Vocal Jazz), Chris Herard (Dept. Head, Bands, Jazz & Winds) and Christina Visy (Strings).

Other ensembles include Percussion Ensemble, Woodwind and Brass Ensembles as well as Jazz Combos, fiddle club and guitar club, and numerous small ensembles. There are over 20 performing ensembles.

Students in the wind program receive private lessons from some of Calgary's finest teachers and players. Most are on faculty at universities or perform with the CPO.

The program travels every year. In April 2011, the music program traveled to Beijing and Xi'an China as well as Italy in 2014. In 2015 they will travel to New York. Band students are expected to practice on their own time as well as attend regularly scheduled rehearsals throughout the week.

Drama department

The drama department offers students a chance to improve their acting skills and work on a more professional level. The drama department head is Shanna Hedley. The school has its own theatre where the drama department puts on two shows a year. The fall show is more professional and is the primary show of the year. The spring show is also professional but it is a chance for students who haven't had a chance to participate in the fall show to act on stage. The spring show is taken by the Drama department to the Calgary Drama festival.

School of Alberta Ballet

Bishop Carroll is one of just two Calgary schools with a special relationship to The School of Alberta Ballet.^[1] Ballet students at Bishop Carroll and Queen Elizabeth High (in the public system) may receive credit toward their high school diploma for the instruction they receive at ballet school, even though the instruction is done outside the school. Bishop Carroll, in addition to its normal flexibility, specifically ensures these students will be free to attend their regular ballet classes, which is facilitated by the school's lack of a rigid schedule.

Student body

2008 Lockdown

Bishop Carroll was locked down for approximately 4 hours on December 12, 2008. No threat was found and students were released.^[2][3]

Notable alumni

• Anastasia Bucsis - Speed Skater. Competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver in the Women's 500 metre.
• Erin Chan and Shayna Nackoney - Synchronized swimmers who won a bronze medal at the team event at the 2001 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.^[4]
• Mark Dewit - Was drafted in the 6th round, 42nd overall to the Toronto Argonauts in the 2008 round.^[5]
• Leslie Feist, known as Feist, singer/songwriter, founded a punk band named Placebo at Bishop Carroll before switching to Alternative High School.
• Warren Kinsella - Lawyer, author, and political consultant; who advised former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.^[6]
• John Kucera - Currently on the Canadian National Ski Team. Member of the 2006 Canadian Olympic Team. 2005/2006 National Super G Champion. 2005 National Downhill Champion. 2006 National GS Champion^[7]
• Dana Murzyn - An NHL defenceman who, in 1985, was the first round draft pick of the Hartford Whalers. He was later traded to the Calgary Flames where he was a member of the 1989 Stanley Cup championship team.^[8]
• Curtis Myden - Olympic bronze medalist swimmer in three consecutive Summer Olympics starting in 1992.^[9]
• Nattie Neidhart - Professional wrestler^[10]
• Alison Redford - Premier of Alberta and leader of Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta from 2011 to 2014.
• Chris Renaud - Medal winning swimmer in the 1994 and 1998 Commonwealth Games. He also competed in the 2000 Olympics and has won multiple Canadian championships.^[11]
• Jeff Schultz - NHL defenceman with the Washington Capitals. Played with the Calgary Hitmen while attending Bishop Carroll, and graduated in 2004.
• Tyler Seitz - Competed in the 1998 and 2002 Olympics in luge.^[12][13]
• Tyler Sloan - Professional hockey player with the Washington Capitals, Milwaukee Admirals, Hersey Bears. Graduated in 1999
• Danielle Smith - Journalist, broadcaster and leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party of Alberta.
• Courtney Sokal - 2-time Canadian silver medalist in figure skating.^[14]
• Mark Tewksbury - Olympic gold medalist in 1992 Summer Olympics in 100 meter backstroke
• Hayley Wickenheiser - Olympic gold medalist with the Canadian Women's National Hockey Team at the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter games.^[15][16]
• Ryan Yip - Professional Golf Player on the Canadian Tour. Played on Kent State Golf Team. Quarter-finalist in the 2005 U.S. Amateur.^[17] Semi-finalist in the 2006 U.S. Amateur^[18]
• Amanda Billings - Figure skater.^[19]
• Lindsay Ell - [Country Music Singer/Songwriter]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bishop Carroll High School (Alberta).

• Bishop Carroll High School Website
• The Canadian Coalition for Self-Directed Learning - A Canadian organization of high schools based in part on similar principles.
• Coalition of Essential Schools - Bishop Carroll (as of 2005) is the only Canadian member of the U.S. based organization.