“We don’t jump on their weak areas,” says Angela Burgos, head of school. “If your child struggles with math, we’re not going to pounce on math right away — a sure recipe for failure and discouragement. Instead, we work on developing strengths to get some traction and then tackle those harder areas.” That approach accounts for much of the value that Centennial can offer, and the success that it has. The typical student arrives after struggling within a traditional academic setting. Most often, that struggle is a result of linguistic disruption—dyslexia, dysgraphia—or executive functioning issues, as common in children with ADHD or autism spectrum disorders. For them, the approach taken at the school can feel like a breath of fresh air. Instruction is empathetic, using strategies appropriate to the students' unique needs. An environment in which students find themselves as part of a majority, rather than an academic or social minority, can also create unique opportunities for the development of a positive self-concept than might previously been available to them. “School results increase because their confidence increases," says Burgos. Celebrating their 50th anniversary, Centennial Academy is also unique within Montreal in that it offers a full curriculum in both English and French.
We questioned the school adminstration
1. Who are you, as a school?
"Centennial Academy is the only co-ed bilingual private independent high school for students with learning challenges, leading to high school diploma (DES) in 5 years.
L'Académie Centennial est la seule école secondaire privée indépendante mixte bilingue qui s'adresse aux élèves ayant des défis d'apprentissage et qui conduit à l'obtention d'un diplôme d'études secondaires (DES) en 5 ans."
Highly-trained faculty
18-20 students per class
Diverse teaching strategies
Specialized support services
Direct instruction on learning strategies
Organizational training
Leadership and community service programs
Supervised homework period built in to the regular school day
Bilingual learning environment
2. What do you do differently and uniquely well?
"Centennial is the only high school in the province of Québec that helps students master their learning challenges, graduate on time, and become autonomous and resilient learners...(more)
"Centennial is the only high school in the province of Québec that helps students master their learning challenges, graduate on time, and become autonomous and resilient learners – without the help of parents or outside tutors."
3. What tradeoffs has your school made to serve families in this way?
Information not yet available.
4. What key junctures in your school's history have most shaped its present?
Information not yet available.
5. What type of student is a good fit for your school?
Information not yet available.
6. Under what conditions would you advise a family against choosing your school?
Information not yet available.
7. To your knowledge, why do families choose your school over others?
"Every parent wants to give their child the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. Centennial helps put that success within reach for children with learning challenges....(more)
"Every parent wants to give their child the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. Centennial helps put that success within reach for children with learning challenges. Parents rely on us to provide a rigorous, supportive, accessible academic environment for their child."
8. How would you characterize your school's image amongst the public?
Information not yet available.
9. What aspect of your school is underappreciated?
Information not yet available.
10. What might families find surprising about your school?
"We are early adopters of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a scientifically-driven educational framework that addresses the main barrier to learning: an inflexible,...(more)
"We are early adopters of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a scientifically-driven educational framework that addresses the main barrier to learning: an inflexible, one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. UDL reaches all types of learners by providing multiple means of representation, expression and engagement."
11. What improvements or changes has your school made recently?
Information not yet available.
12. How will your school change in the next 5 years?
Our son Philip completed his entire secondary school cycle at Centennial, and we are very happy with the results. We selected Centennial because of its mission to produce independent learners. Philip required a lot of our help after school hours to complete primary, and we knew he had to become more self-reliant. Centennial’s approach to support and a focus on getting as much done during school hours helped free up evening time for Philip. He did very well in the ministerial exams, giving us the confidence that Centennial provided the academic rigour to graduate high-school and enter CEGEP and ultimately university. Philip just completed his first year at Vanier CEGEP and was named to the honour roll, achieving marks over 90% in Calculus, Statistics, and Macroeconomics. Philip says that the techniques and skills he obtained from Centennial were a major contributing factor to his success at Vanier. In summary, the Centennial philosophy, its small class sizes, and the dedicated team of teachers and support staff prepared Philip to be a life-long learner.
The Trusted Source for Families since 1998
