A student whose absence from a test or examination is not warranted may be marked zero. Students who are legitimately but frequently absent from tests or examinations can be graded only after due consideration by the Vice-Principal. The evaluation of students who are legitimately absent from June House Examinations will be determined by the Vice-Principal in consultation with the subject teacher. Students who are absent from provincial examinations set by MELS must present a doctor’s certificate, a subpoena, or a letter attesting to the student’s participation in national competitions. This is forwarded to MELS.

St. Thomas High School has an enviable record of athletic achievements in City, Regional and Provincial competition. Our extramural programs provide strong teams in golf, track and field, field hockey, volleyball, soccer, rugby, hockey and swimming. The minimum operating fee is levied per student per sport. Our gymnasium and athletic fields provide opportunities for the development of excellent physical conditioning for all our students. Good personal hygiene, health habits and diversified sports activities are all developed by a well-trained and well-staffed department. The entire athletic program is based upon the principle of developing a sound body to support a sound mind. Every pupil is encouraged to excel at his or her own level and to achieve beyond the levels of personal expectations.

Diplomas will be awarded to students who meet the certification criteria: a minimum of 54 credits obtained in Secondary IV and V (of which 20 must be from Secondary V), as well as the successful completion of the following courses:

Secondary IV:

• 4 credits in History and Citizenship
• 4 credits in General Science & Technology OR 6 credits in Applied Science & Technology
• 4 credits in Mathematics (CST) or 6 credits in Mathematics (TS or SN)
• 2 credits in Arts Education (Art, Drama, Music or Dance)

Secondary V:

• 6 credits in English
• 4 credits in French
• 2 credits in Ethics and Religious Culture OR Physical Education and Health

NOTE: Students who pass a course with a 60% or higher will obtain all the credits for the course. No partial credits are given.

For students planning to attend CEGEP: 
The minimum requirement for entrance into CEGEP is the Secondary School Diploma. However, CEGEP application is a competitive process, and certain CEGEP programs have additional course and grade requirements. Students planning to apply to CEGEP will benefit from obtaining the highest possible grades in all their subjects.

Students may access computers at lunch or after school. They must sign the Computer Lab and Internet Usage Protocol Agreement. To use a specific computer, the student must sign in and leave his/her ID card. Students will be charged for any damage to a computer or a peripheral. Students who do not respect The Computer Lab and Internet Protocol Agreement will be subject to sanctions including the loss of Computer Room privileges. The Computer Lab – Room 203 - is open after school, Monday – Thursday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The Lester B. Pearson School Board has authorized a Consumable Fee for St. Thomas. This fee is based on the cost of consumable material (workshop courses, workbooks and paper). The St. Thomas Governing Board approved yearly student and course fees. Each student will be billed individually.

The courtesy telephone in the Student Services Office is reserved for emergency use only. Please ensure that you have coins or a phone card in order to use the public pay phones in the school.

St. Thomas operates on a 6 day, 6 period (50 minutes each) calendar. A cycle calendar indicating the monthly date and the cycle date can be found on this website. The cycle calendar remains fixed for the entire year.

From time to time it may become necessary to close the school unexpectedly during the day. A power failure, a burst pipe or a number of other reasons may require that students be sent home during the day. In such cases, the buses are recalled and the students who are bused are taken home by the usual routes. Parents are urged to make the necessary arrangements to deal with such emergencies.

Students will be provided with evaluation procedures at the beginning of each term by the subject teacher. Current evaluation practices in Quebec’s Secondary Schools require a distinction be made between evaluation periods and examination periods. The MELS, the Lester B. Pearson School Board and individual secondary schools will continue to schedule and administer traditional formal examinations held within a set examination period. Normally, these periods are set twice per year in the form of mid-term examinations in January and end-of-year summative exams in the month of June. Those periods will include uniform examinations produced by the MELS, complimentary examinations produced by the Lester B. Pearson School Board and local examinations produced “in house” at the school level.
 
 In addition to traditional formal examination periods, current practice also calls for extended evaluations to take place at the end of semesters within the regular student timetable. These extended evaluations will often take the form of Learning Evaluation Situations, extended learning projects generally completed over a series of classes in the weeks leading up to the end of semester. They are applied across the curriculum in all subject areas. In addition to formal Learning Evaluation Situations, some areas of the curriculum (particularly Mathematics) evaluate using a combination of formal examination and evaluation situation which is scheduled in the weeks leading up to the examination period.
 
 In all instances, parents should consider that the end of term and the end of semester are critical times for evaluation. Although students are evaluated formatively over the course of terms, semesters and school years, parents must always consider the summative during evaluation periods is critical. The introduction of extended examinations and learning evaluation situations at all grade levels makes consistent student attendance critical during the evaluation period. 
 
 Absences during the evaluation periods can only be excused for the following reasons:

• Serious illness or accident confirmed by a medical report or certificate.
• Death of a close relative.
• A Court summons.

Personal or immediate family crisis confirmed through meeting with school administration.
 
Accommodation will be made for students with valid absences during an evaluation period. Students with unjustified or invalid absences during those periods will be marked accordingly by classroom teachers.

Parents of students enrolled at St. Thomas High School for the current year are advised that the election of candidates to the Governing Board will be held in September. The date and time will be announced. The participation of parents is essential to the formation of a Governing Board. A commitment to the Governing Board involves time, effort and flexibility.

A full-time Guidance Counsellor provides personal, vocational, and academic counselling to students of all grade levels. Parents and teachers are also welcome to contact the Guidance Counsellor at any time regarding a student’s progress. 
 
Personal counselling is a confidential process available to all students who are experiencing personal difficulties (e.g. conflicts, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, grief, etc.). Vocational counselling helps students learn about themselves and the world of work, and guides them towards establishing career and educational plans. Information on vocational training programs and post-secondary educational institutions (CEGEP and university) is available in the Guidance Office. 
 
Students who wish to see the Guidance Counsellor can request an appointment in the Guidance Office during recess or lunch. 

Students must wear running shoes and appropriate gym clothes, including a St. Thomas T-Shirt to participate in gym classes. All change of clothing must be done in designated areas only. T-shirts may be purchased through the Physical Education Office ($10.00). A gentle reminder, students must put a lock on the gym locker to safeguard their belongings. Without a lock, the students’ belongings are at risk for theft. The school is not responsible for stolen property.

The use of any equipment or Physical Education Area must be approved by a member of the Physical Education Department. Students must follow the directives of the Physical Education teacher when in a Physical Education area. Students and teachers must report all injuries to the level vice-principal and complete an accident form. No jewelry or breakable glasses should be worn during Physical Education activity.

Emergency first aid services are provided by the school Emergency Response Team. Parents are reminded that should transportation by ambulance be necessary, they are responsible for costs incurred. (Some family insurance plans cover this cost). Parents should not send their child to school ill. They should notify the school if their child has a health problem that would interfere with functioning at school and leave a parental emergency phone number at school for use in urgent situations. A “Parent Emergency Medical Request” form is to be completed at the beginning of every school year and returned to the school. Students requiring the use of the elevator for medical reasons must place a $20.00 deposit for the key and return the key when no longer required. 

Aspirin and medication are not administered by school personnel. St. Thomas is assigned a nurse from the Lac Saint Louis CLSC for two days per week. The role of the nurse is one of health education promotion and counselling, not first-aid.

The purpose of the Honour Society is to grant recognition to our top students as well as to provide them with responsibilities and opportunities commensurate with their interests and abilities. Students are awarded a Gold Pass if their average is at least 85% with no mark below 70%. The Gold Pass will allow Honour Students to absent themselves from classes to do independent study or research in the library. The students, however, must seek prior permission from the appropriate teacher when they intend to miss a class. This privilege cannot be requested from a substitute teacher. Furthermore, they are not to use the Gold Pass as a lever to miss any class test, assignment or project. Graduates are recognized as Honour students at the Closing Exercises if they have obtained a summery average of 85% after Term 2 and have no failing average in any course.

St. Thomas offers the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme from grade 7 to grade 11.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers quality programmes of international education to a worldwide community of schools. There are more than 656,000 IB students at 2,400 schools in 129 countries.

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. The I.B. offers challenging programmes of international education that encourage students to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) is one of three programmes offered by the IB. It is designed for students aged 11 to 16.
 
More detailed information on our IB programme is listed in the menu.

Concentrate on your work as distractions lead to accidents. Treat apparatus with care. Wear safety classes when using burners or chemicals. Know where extinguishers and eye washers are located. Never put solids or paper into sinks – use garbage cans. Please report broken glassware. Never carry hot equipment or dangerous chemicals. Do not touch gas and water taps when not in use. Leave laboratory clean and dry.

The Library has a wealth of information for projects and recreational reading. This includes English, French and Spanish encyclopedias, newspaper clippings in vertical files, magazines, a full-text magazine database, and a new graphic novel collection. The library is open after school, Monday through Thursday until 3:40 p.m. Students present their St. Thomas I.D. to borrow books, magazines, or items from the vertical file. For help locating a book, see the Librarian or one of our parent volunteers. If they have signed the school’s Internet Policy, students may use a computer by signing their name, time-in, and time-out in the computer log book. Library computers are for PROJECTS AND RESEARCH ONLY.  

Please click here for more information on our Library Services.

There is a procedure for the examination of complaints for parents or students of the LBPSB. More information can be found at www.lbpsb.qc.ca.

Formal interviews are held in December and March. In addition to these scheduled times, parents are encouraged to communicate with the teachers and administration at any time. Parents should phone to make an appointment to discuss any concern regarding the education of their child.

The academic year is divided into three formal terms. There will be an Interim report sent home at the end of October with teacher comments. The June report card will be available for pick up at the school at the end of June.

The Lester B. Pearson School Board believes that everyone in our community is entitled to a safe, secure, respectful and caring environment. This policy governs all member of the LBPSB community and can be found in its entirety here.

The school communicates with parents in the following ways:

• By phoning the home or the office.
• By interviews to discuss student progress.
• Through this website.
• By progress report cards.

While there are many benefits for a student seeking part-time work after school hours, parents and students are urged to monitor the effects a part-time job may have on the student’s school achievement. It is important to emphasize that school work is a priority.

The school building is equipped and under surveillance by security cameras.

Each year scholarships and bursaries are available to deserving members of the graduating class. The criteria for these scholarships include academic excellence and participation in school and community life. Throughout the year the Guidance Counsellor will inform students of available scholarships through the morning announcements, and provide the necessary information for those who wish to apply.

A hallmark of St. Thomas is the program of activities in which the students are invited to participate. Springing from the precepts of Social Justice, a program of community activities unfolds along the two-pronged theme: Responding to the needs of the neighbour we can see (in our community) and the neighbour we cannot see (in the larger community).

Students are provided with the required textbooks for all courses. Students are asked to make a real effort to care for these books that must last for several years. The cost of lost or damaged textbooks will be charged to parents.

Students experiencing academic difficulties may benefit from the support of a private tutor. The Guidance Counsellor can provide the names of private tutors, including CEGEP and University students, certified teachers, and Senior St. Thomas students. Please contact the Guidance Counsellor to discuss what type of tutoring can best meet the needs of the individual student.

Parents, grandparents, former students and members of the community are welcome. Volunteers are needed in the following areas: LIBRARY; TUTORIALS; MENTORSHIPS; COMPUTER LAB; GUEST SPEAKERS; WALKATHON; GOVERNING BOARD; CLERICAL WORK, i.e. International School, Special Education, General Office, etc. Interested persons should call the office of the principal. Volunteers, coaches or parents who are in a direct supervisory role with students are required to pass a background police check before working with our students.

All visitors to St. Thomas must check-in at Reception and obtain a Visitor’s Pass.