The Abelard School
Encyclopedia
The Abelard School is a small private school
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
, named after the 11th century scholar and philosopher Peter Abélard
, and its teaching philosophy is based on a Socratic approach. It is a small school, with a yearly enrollment of 45-50 students, 7 full-time faculty members, and 3 part-time faculty members.
: Brian Blair, Michelle Lefolii, Shai Maharaj, and Alina Rossinky.
In September 2006, The Abelard School moved to a new location at the intersection of College St. and Beverly St., on the top floor of a 5-story office building on the southeast corner. During the summer of 2010, the school once again expanded by acquiring a large portion of the fourth floor of that building.
Abelard offers many courses, with classes ranging in size between one and ten students. The actual list of courses offered, however, often depends on interest and the importance of taking a certain course. Additionally, Advanced Placement courses (AP) are offered to students who excel in certain areas, and who consistently achieve outstanding results in said areas. Some students may even choose to stay an extra year (commonly referred to at the Abelard School as "grade thirteen") in order improve their grades and/or take more courses. Students are strongly encouraged not to specialize while in high school, and thus end up taking courses as varied as Physics and Latin concurrently.
The classes taken by Abelard students differ greatly from those taken in a standard Canadian high school. In addition to the standard mandatory French language
language class in grade nine, students must take French in grade ten (though some students, especially those to whom English is a second language, are exempted). In a similar vein, Latin
is also a mandatory course for grade nine students. These grade nine students must also take a Foundation Studies in the Sciences course, which covers both grade nine and ten science, and which emphasizes the interconnections between all the scientific fields, instead of simply taking a single grade nine science course. The nature of Foundation Studies in the Sciences allows students who wish to take Biology
, Chemistry
and Physics
until grade 12 to only take two science courses a year (instead of the usual three), which allows students to diversify their course makeup, and makes writing AP exams easier. Grade 10 English students take a specialized course. In addition to teaching the ministry
requirements, the course also requires students to read a wide survey of classical texts
so that they can better understand the foundations of all of modern literature.
Note that students arriving in grade ten still need to take Foundation Science
Students are rarely in a single traditional grade. This is because many students take courses at other grade levels. Although some students will take a course at a lower grade level than their current one (such as Foundations studies in the Sciences), many, by virtue of excelling in a certain subject, or by virtue of having the capacity to understand a certain subject, take courses above their grade level. Thus, to an Abelard student, one's grade is only a measurement of how many years one has to graduate.
This unique atmosphere and philosophy has often led the Abelard School to be featured in articles about progressive education.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, named after the 11th century scholar and philosopher Peter Abélard
Peter Abelard
Peter Abelard was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician. The story of his affair with and love for Héloïse has become legendary...
, and its teaching philosophy is based on a Socratic approach. It is a small school, with a yearly enrollment of 45-50 students, 7 full-time faculty members, and 3 part-time faculty members.
History
The school was founded in 1997 by a group of four teachers from Thornton HallThornton Hall
Thornton Hall Private School was an incorporated Canadian co-educational private high school that operated for half a century from 1948 to 1997. It was founded by Stuart E...
: Brian Blair, Michelle Lefolii, Shai Maharaj, and Alina Rossinky.
In September 2006, The Abelard School moved to a new location at the intersection of College St. and Beverly St., on the top floor of a 5-story office building on the southeast corner. During the summer of 2010, the school once again expanded by acquiring a large portion of the fourth floor of that building.
Education
The education provided by the Abelard school has several distinguishing traits.Abelard offers many courses, with classes ranging in size between one and ten students. The actual list of courses offered, however, often depends on interest and the importance of taking a certain course. Additionally, Advanced Placement courses (AP) are offered to students who excel in certain areas, and who consistently achieve outstanding results in said areas. Some students may even choose to stay an extra year (commonly referred to at the Abelard School as "grade thirteen") in order improve their grades and/or take more courses. Students are strongly encouraged not to specialize while in high school, and thus end up taking courses as varied as Physics and Latin concurrently.
The classes taken by Abelard students differ greatly from those taken in a standard Canadian high school. In addition to the standard mandatory French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
language class in grade nine, students must take French in grade ten (though some students, especially those to whom English is a second language, are exempted). In a similar vein, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
is also a mandatory course for grade nine students. These grade nine students must also take a Foundation Studies in the Sciences course, which covers both grade nine and ten science, and which emphasizes the interconnections between all the scientific fields, instead of simply taking a single grade nine science course. The nature of Foundation Studies in the Sciences allows students who wish to take Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
until grade 12 to only take two science courses a year (instead of the usual three), which allows students to diversify their course makeup, and makes writing AP exams easier. Grade 10 English students take a specialized course. In addition to teaching the ministry
Ministry of Education (Ontario)
The Ministry of Education is the agency of the Ontario government in the Canadian province of Ontario responsible for government policy, funding, curriculum planning and direction in all levels of public education, including elementary and secondary schools.This Ministry is responsible for...
requirements, the course also requires students to read a wide survey of classical texts
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
so that they can better understand the foundations of all of modern literature.
Note that students arriving in grade ten still need to take Foundation Science
Students are rarely in a single traditional grade. This is because many students take courses at other grade levels. Although some students will take a course at a lower grade level than their current one (such as Foundations studies in the Sciences), many, by virtue of excelling in a certain subject, or by virtue of having the capacity to understand a certain subject, take courses above their grade level. Thus, to an Abelard student, one's grade is only a measurement of how many years one has to graduate.
This unique atmosphere and philosophy has often led the Abelard School to be featured in articles about progressive education.