Andrean Diploma with Honours Awarded Distinguishing boys who best live the School’s mission
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new SAC-specific diploma in recognition of educational and co-curricular excellence was awarded for the first time at Prize Day 2015. The Andrean Diploma with Honours is the product of many years of discussion around the concept of the best way to celebrate the unique breadth of students’ SAC experience, given the mission of the School. The new diploma was recognized as a priority in SAC’s 2011-2016 Strategic Plan and complements both the Andrean Diploma and the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The program launched three years ago, when Class of 2015 members were in grade 10 and is now well embedded in the fabric of the Upper School. The rationale behind the creation of this type of recognition was twofold: first, to celebrate boys who live the School’s mission, not only in academics but also in their respective sports and co-curricular endeavours; second, to provide boys with a means of differentiating themselves from their peers in the university admission process. While every graduate receives an Andrean Diploma, those who meet with the mission statement going forward will receive the Andrean Diploma with Honours. As outlined in the omnibus (www.sac.on.ca/omnibus), the honours diploma is awarded on the basis of a student’s performance and involvement in grades 11 and 12 in all areas of achievement. A student must receive a composite score of 3 out of 4 in order to earn this distinction. This score is tabulated based on student results, participation, and commitment to each of the five areas of achievement: academics, athletics, co-curriculars, leadership, and community service. A zero in any category will preclude a student from receiving the award regardless of his cumulative scores in other categories. In June, approximately 40% of the 124 graduating students received this special distinction. This program and its accompanying certificate serve to validate and document accomplishments throughout a boy’s SAC career.
Now that this program is entrenched, it becomes another marker in measuring student success. Mr. Michael Paluch, Assistant Headmaster, Academics, hopes that more boys will come to understand the value of involvement in every facet of SAC life, and that after graduation, they will look back and realize that they didn’t miss any opportunities by sticking to the safe and familiar. In visits with universities, the premise of the Andrean Diploma with Honours has become a discussion point with admission officers. “In a world where mark inflation is rampant, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate one student from another; this diploma may serve to provide valuable insight into the candidacy of our students,” asserts Paluch. “We are codifying the intangibles,” he says. “It is so difficult to measure a boy on the basis of his marks alone because you might miss the sparkle in his eye, his capacity for giving, his talent on the stage, or his strength of character as a leader on the soccer pitch. We owe it to our students to find ways to show the world just how distinctively talented they are.” CINDY VEITCH WWW.SAC.ON.CA 27