Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board

SCHOOL PROFILE AND ACADEMICS Opened in 1998, Westwood Senior High School is part of the Lester B. Pearson School Board and its mission is to allow students to play an active role in their education. The school is located in the French-speaking province of Quebec, and while the school’s curriculum is fully taught in English, it offers French Immersion to students looking to further their knowledge of the French language. Westwood also offers an advanced math and technology program, “Matrix,” offering an academically challenging curriculum along with fun field trips to New York City, Boston, and Ottawa. FACILITIES Students at Westwood Senior High School have access to modern classrooms, a library, a computer lab, open green space, and more. ARTS AND DRAMA Students are encouraged to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular programs such as mural painting and ceramics. A wide variety of art courses are also offered including woodworking, art plastique, and digital photography. The school’s drama program produces a musical each year. Students will be learn subjects such as acting, rehearsing, directing, set design, promotional advertising, and more. Each year, the students also perform in a play. MUSIC The music program at Lester B. Pearson offers lessons in wind, percussion, and string instruments such as acoustic guitar. Singers can take a rock band course where they explore and learn about rock ‘n’ roll, pop music, R&B, hip-hop, rap, and more. COMMUNITY INFORMATION Hudson, situated on the southern shores of Lake of Two Mountains, celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2015. Located less than an hour away from the historical city of Montreal, it’s a great place to live, work, and visit. The town offers an unrivaled combination of natural beauty, heritage, culture, and arts in a beautiful waterfront setting. Visit School Site: <a href="westwood.lbpsb.qc.ca">Westwood Senior High School</a> Visit City Site: <a href="hudson.quebec/en">Hudson, Quebec</a>

Founded in 1811, Thornton Academy is one of New England’s oldest college preparatory schools. Its comprehensive curriculum consists of 200 courses, including seven foreign languages, 30 arts classes, and more than 60 AP, dual enrollment, and honors courses. The school’s collaborations with both the University of New England and the University of Maine School of Engineering allows students to bypass freshman year at both schools. <center><iframe allowtransparency="true" title="Wistia video player" allowFullscreen frameborder="0" scrolling="no" class="wistia_embed" name="wistia_embed" src="https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/jcug9fpmgq" width="400" height="225"></iframe></center> FACILITIES Campus facilities feature a STEM Center with brand new laboratories, an engineering lab, a foreign language building, an art center, an observatory, and a 500-person theater. Athletic facilities include sports fields, an outdoor track, basketball courts, tennis courts, and four large multi-purpose stadiums. SPORTS AND ARTS As a member of Maine’s top athletic league, Thornton Academy offers several competitive varsity sports. Their football, tennis, golf, swimming, and volleyball teams consistently place top in the state or region. Thornton’s dramatic arts are regarded as a highly developed program that includes courses in theater basics, acting, and technical theater with a focus on media arts. DORMITORIES AND STUDENT LIFE Thornton Academy has two dormitories that have Wi-Fi, kitchenettes, laundry facilities, modern bathrooms, and lounges with big screen TVs. International students can also enjoy many weekend activities held on and off campus. Cooking classes, skiing lessons, movie sessions, and shopping excursions are a few activities international student can participate in. Visit School Site: <a href="https://www.thorntonacademy.org/">Thornton Academy</a> Visit City Site: <a href="https://www.sacomaine.org/">Saco, Maine</a>

SCHOOL AND ACADEMICS Founded in the 1800's, the Ottawa Catholic School Board is located in Ottawa, Ontario which is the capital city of Canada. In addition to five foreign languages and ESL, students have the opportunity to take a wide variety of arts, honors, and dual credit courses. The Ottawa Catholic School Board also offers courses in skilled trade, with the opportunity for students to earn a Technological Education Certificate in areas such as Computer, Green Industries, Health care, and more. Another Specialty Program in the Ottawa Catholic School Board is the Specialist High Skills Major program for students to focus on a career path that matches their skills, interests, and talents while working towards their high school diploma. Students in the Ottawa Catholic School Board are also offered a number of extracurricular activities, featuring both academic based clubs such as Girls in Engineering Club and interest based clubs like Boat Racing. FACILITIES The Ottawa Catholic School Board hosts varying facilities at each of its schools around Ottawa. These facilities support students success and include technology labs, art studios, music rooms, dance rooms, gymnasiums, photography studios, chapels, and more. SPORTS AND ARTS Students in the Ottawa Catholic School District have the option to play a number of different sports. The varying sports teams compete against other schools in the Ottawa area. Other sports options include intramural sports which provide students with a fun alternative to the competitive varsity athletic program. Students have the opportunity to develop their artistic talents through art courses at the schools. Some examples of courses students can choose from are Dance, Drama, Media Arts, and Visual Arts which are all of varying levels. There are also different art based extracurricular activities in which students can choose to participate in to further their artistic development. COMMUNITY INFORMATION Located in the nation's capital, the Ottawa Catholic School Board is in a great community for international students. With a population of a little less than one million people, Ottawa has many options for all types of people. In the city, there are a huge number of museums, art galleries, and historic sites for students to learn about the history and culture of Canada. During the winter months, students can ski or snowboard at the many ski resorts located nearby. Ottawa is also home to the Rideau Canal, the longest outdoor ice skating rink. Visit School Site: <a href="www.ocsb.ca/international">Ottawa Catholic School Board</a> Visit City Site: <a href="https://ottawa.ca/en">Ottawa, Ontario</a>