Student Support & Resources

The Academic Counselling Department provides advice for all grades on courses necessary for high school graduation. We also help students in grades 10, 11 and 12 prepare for the transition to post-secondary life. We give information on college and university entrance requirements, help students with the application process and provide information concerning post-secondary scholarship applications.

Starting in grade 8, students are exposed to career guidance which gives them direction in selecting an educational path. By grade 12, the students have a much clearer sense of direction and feel comfortable with their choices.

Students and parents are also encouraged to visit the Ministry of Education’s Education Planner Website.  It has online aids that allow students to do research into possible Careers and Post-Secondary Options.  Once registered on this site, students can re-visit it throughout their secondary school years.

Utilizing the school website, information evenings, class visits and office visits, the Academic Counsellors assist students in maximizing their STMC experience from an academic perspective.

The Academic Counselling office is located on the 2nd floor beside the Library.

The Personal Counselling Department can best be described in a simplistic fashion.  Whenever we feel ill, we try to remedy the situation by seeing our doctor. If our teeth are hurting us, we will see a dentist.  If we sustain a sports injury we will see a physiotherapist.

We understand the physical ways our bodies might break down.

So much of how God created us depends on our thoughts, our emotions and our behaviours. If any of these three areas break down, it can lead to a variety of struggles in one’s life, whether on the homefront, at work or at school. Personal counselling helps individuals who are struggling in any of these three areas.  The counselors are here to help any student or family reach their maximum potential.

Referrals for counselling may come from parents, friends, teachers, administration or individuals themselves when they recognize that they are struggling in some facet of their life.

The Personal Counselling office is located on the main floor across the hall from the Administration Office.

For more information, practical tools, and other resources regarding mental health and personal counselling, click here:  Online Counselling Resources

St. Thomas More Collegiate, as a Catholic school with Saint Thomas More and Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice as our role models, endeavours to form a welcoming Christian community recognizing and respecting the value of each individual leading all to grow toward their full potential in their faith, knowledge and love. STMC is committed to the education of the whole child. It is our goal to accept, support and meet the diverse needs of our students.

We strive to create an inclusive and diverse special education program that is student-centered and focused on developing each individual holistically. Through collaboration and meaningful consultation we develop individual education plans based on each student’s strengths and their challenges and barriers to learning. We develop attainable goals and implement programs with adapted and modified curricular expectations that enables all students to succeed and achieve their full potential. The school team works collaboratively with families and professionals in order to provide the learning support that each student requires.

At STMC, we aim to ensure equity in our learning opportunities and experiences for students. We teach and build the skills needed to support learning both in and out of the classroom. Through adaptations in the classroom and for assessments we support and allow our students with diverse learning needs to meet curricular expectations and ensure all students have access to the same opportunities.

In learning-support blocks we focus on building learning, studying, test taking and executive functioning skills with our students. Our goal is to provide a strong foundation for our students to become confident in their abilities and for them to build the self-advocacy skills they may need in the future to ensure that their needs are recognized and met.

STMC also provides students with opportunities to learn functional academic skills, social and communication skills, functional behaviour skills, self-determination and independent living skills. Through working with a board-certified behaviour analyst, STMC applies the principles of applied behaviour analysis and positive behaviour support to implement evidence-based practices in the classroom.

In our commitment to students who have diverse needs we recall the words of Pope Saint John Paul II at BC Place in 1984: “The value and dignity of the human person does not arise from the physical or mental qualities, from efficiency, productivity, or, speed in one’s actions. It comes rather from the fundamental fact that each individual is created by God and redeemed by the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ.”

If you have any questions or would like information on the learning support programs that STMC offers please contact: