Our approach to curriculum is framed by cura personalis — care for the person. Our entire pedagogical process revolves around the needs, talents and potential of the individual student, and their movement from Kindergarten to Grade Twelve. The plan is based upon three strategic priorities across grades K–12 that are intended to foster the formation of each student:
Continuity
Ensuring the seamless progression of learning outcomes across grade levels. The fact that St. Bon's is a K–12 school allows subject teachers from all grade levels to come together to develop an integrated plan for teaching a subject across the primary, elementary, junior high and senior high school levels.
Enrichment
Deepening of existing regional outcomes. All grade levels and subject courses are enriched at St. Bon's. The outcomes of the regional Atlantic Curriculum are enlivened through enrichment projects that allow for a deeper understanding of a concept or skill — an approach that challenges students to move into the significance level of the material under investigation.
Extension
Extending Atlantic outcomes into new knowledge domains. This ensures that students are able to go farther in their learning of a subject and to move at an accelerated pace if so desired — including Advanced Placement courses in the senior grades, in class and online through the Arrupe Virtual Learning Institute.
Higher-order thinking
All three pillars of the academic plan are undergirded by a focus on higher-order thinking — an approach that emphasizes the development of analytical skills from an early age, deepening in sophistication at each progressive grade level, through a problem-posing curricular approach that acts upon the rigorous content of the enriched and extended St. Bon's curriculum.
Each facet of the plan is achieved through collaboration within the Curriculum Committees — numeracy and literacy sub-committees, languages and humanities committees, and a Provincial Assessment Analysis/Academic Initiatives committee — bringing together educators from Kindergarten to Grade Twelve, with professional development that reaches to conferences and seminars inside and outside of Canada.