Academics

STEAM

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM)

Athletics and Extracurriculars

High Performance Athletic Program

Scholarships and Awards

At James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School, we believe in developing our students academically to their highest potential, and also in providing them with opportunities to have a fun and fulfilling student life outside of their classes. We offer a diverse range of co-curricular opportunities that our students can participate in, from sports to the arts to the sciences to community service.

Our high quality coaching staff has earned multiple league and state-level Coach of the Year recognitions while our parents, teachers, administrators, and fans are passionate supporters, playing an important role in the success of our programs.

Some of the athletic opportunities offered at James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School include:

In addition to our athletic opportunities, learn more about the High Performance Athletic Program.

The JCM weight room is open to all our students!

Rules for using our weight room are as follows:

• Clean shoes only.

• Adult supervision at all times.

• Do not leave weights on the floor.

Here are some of the ways that working out benefits your life.

• Reduces your risk of getting heart disease.

• Increases your lever of muscle strength.

• Improves the functioning of your immune system.

• Helps you to more effectively manage stress.

• Improves the likelihood of survival from a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

• Can help relieve the pain of tension headaches.

• Improves your body's ability to use fat for energy during physical activity.

• Helps preserve lean body tissue.

• Reduces the risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure).

• Increases the density and breaking strength of ligaments and tendons.

• Improves coronary (heart) circulation.

• Increases circulating level of HDL (good) cholesterol.

• Assists in efforts to stop smoking.

• Reduces your risk of developing Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.

• Can help improve short-term memory in older individuals.

• Reduces your anxiety level.

• Helps control blood pressure in people with hypertension.

• Reduces the viscosity of your blood.

• Reduces vulnerability to various cardiac dysrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).

• Lowers your resting heart rate.

• Helps to boost creativity.

• Reduces your risk of having a stroke.

• Helps you to burn excess calories.

• Increases your cardiac reserve.

• Increases the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat.

• Improves your self-esteem.

• Reduces your susceptibility to develop a clot in an artery that supplies the heart with blood.

• Helps you to relax.

• Reduces the risk of developing breast cancer.

• Improves your overall quality of life.

Some of the many school clubs and activities we offer include:

• Badminton

• Choir

• Fitness Club

• Stage Band

• Student Council

• Student Grad Committee

• Students' Leadership

• Yearbook

• Prom Committee

• Homework Club

• Breakfast Club

• Chess Club

• Math Club

• The Breakfast Club

• Science Club

The JCM Breakfast Club began as a vision inspired by the memorable World Youth Day events during the summer of 2002. Pope John Paul II called us forward to become “the salt of the earth and the light of the world”. A small group of volunteer staff and students answered this call and we joined together to form the JCM Breakfast Club Program Committee. We have celebrated many anniversaries since!

The volunteers dedicated their time before and after school to develop an action plan to transform our vision into a viable program. Teachers began to see the great merits of this alternative extracurricular activity. Dedicated students also volunteer their personal time, as this program is not at all connected to any school course curriculum. As well, students are able to gain valuable community service hours to meet their graduation requirements, because all activities are before and after school.

Together, our volunteer staff and students perform all of the necessary tasks on a daily basis. We serve breakfast between 8:00 to 8:30 AM on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the cafeteria throughout the school year. Our special thanks go to the staff in the school cafeteria who have been extremely supportive of our activities!

Many of our students come to school each day without having breakfast. The goal of our program is to provide a nutritious and warm breakfast to all of our school community on a regular basis. As statistics have shown, students who start their day with nutritious food have a greater chance of succeeding academically.

Since the start of our program, we have been successful in improving student nutrition. We have also seen a great improvement in our sense of school community. Staff and students have been able to build stronger, and more positive, relationships as we interact together outside of the “classroom setting”.

Our program could not continue without the regular donations we receive from local community organizations. In particular, our sincere thanks go to our local business partners Cho's Specialized Embroidery, Happy Bagel, and Pita Break. They support our program by offering us discounted rates for their products and services. As well, our thanks go to all who have made personal monetary donations which help with the daily grocery expenses. Many thanks also go to The Angel Foundation For Learning and Breakfast For Learning, because it was their support which helped us transform our vision into reality.

Every year in June, we hold our Volunteer Appreciation Banquet to celebrate another successful year and honour our volunteer staff and students. Without our dedicated volunteers, the program could not continue. We thank them and the entire JCM school community for the continuous support!

The JCM Science Club promotes community-building and student success through various objectives. Students become intrigued and develop a genuine interest in science-oriented careers, they learn leadership skills, and experience the rewards of giving back to their community. For approximately 2-3 hours every Thursday after school, students are exposed to a variety of differentiated teaching tools and learn to use the most up to date technology available in science education. They perform a variety of designed activities specifically geared towards teaching the proper care and use of sophisticated science equipment applied to all three major disciplines of science; biology, chemistry, and physics.

Students have access to:

• Vernier® Probeware and Logger Pro® software for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Water Quality, Human Physiology, and Environmental Science.

• A variety of biology, physics, and chemistry teaching tools, such as gel electrophoresis, 3-dimensional models, optics and electricity kits, and spectroscopy equipment.

• Wireless laptop technology, and computer-animated web tutorials.

The Science Club at James Cardinal McGuigan High School creates a dynamic and highly effective learning environment that motivates students to learn, empowering them by giving them a leadership role in their community. Science club students organize and facilitate science demonstrations during Grade 8 Information Night, as well as run the science labs during “Science Day” for our grade 7 and 8 students in our feeder school communities. By doing this, students become engaged while gaining the necessary manipulative skills and training techniques to channel them towards 21st century science-oriented careers.

Subject areas explored in our Science Club include:

Biology

• Body Systems, Health and Physical Fitness

• Digestive System and Nutrition

• Cardiovascular Systems and Exercise Science

• Defense Against Infectious Disease

• The Human Body Machine

• Cell Biology and Biotechnology

• Genetic Engineering

• Forensic Science

Sustainability and Biodiversity

• Basic Ecology

• Water, Soil, and Air Quality

• Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystem Profiling

• Population Dynamics

Chemistry

• Matter and Its Properties

• Pure Substances and Mixtures

• Industry and Refinement of Mineral Resources

Chemical Reactions

• Chemistry and Its Impact on the Environment

Physics

• Energy

• Conservation

• Renewable Sources

Dynamics

• Simple Motion

• Forces, Simple Machines, and Efficiency

Light

• Properties

• Mirrors, Lenses and Their Application