St. Michael's Choir School (elementary--Grade 3 to Grade 8; and secondary Grades 9-12)

Secondary School, 67-69 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1X2
Junior School, 67 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario

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Three Schools In One                                             

Three schools in one – elementary, secondary and the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music (PISM) share facilities, faculty and a common purpose – the service of God through liturgical music.  Boys of different ages interact with each other;  classroom doors are open; students and faculty know each other by name, and parents  are welcomed as active partners in the educational process.

History and Tradition

St. Michael’s Choir School was founded in 1937 by Fr. John Edward Ronan to facilitate the training  of  a boys’ choir for St. Michael’s Cathedral.  The official name of the school at the time was “Cathedral Schola Cantorum.” On May 17, 1955, St. Michael’s Choir School was accorded an affiliation with the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Rome -- only six other Choirs and Choir Schools in the world share this privilege. In 1987, the Choir School completed an astounding fifty years of service, and in recognition of this milestone, Mr. Art Eggleton, the mayor of Toronto at the time, declared June 15, 1987, as the official St. Michael’s Choir School Day.  

St. Michael’s Choir School was formed from humble beginnings as a privately run institution. In 1967 a partnership was formed with the Toronto Catholic School Board that is still in existence today.  From the very beginning the school has provided parishes in the Toronto Diocese and beyond with organists, cantors, conductors, and professional singers.  Choir School students have unique responsibilities. They sing at over 200 masses in St. Michael’s Cathedral during the school year and act as organist, cantors, and floor workers for the National Television Mass, which is broadcast daily from the Cathedral. During Lent, the boys provide the music for the weekday noon masses and during Holy Week, the choirs sing 8 out of 9 days beginning on Palm Sunday.  The boys also provide music for 30 to 50 funerals annually and at other celebrations held at the Cathedral and throughout the Archdiocese.  In addition to all of these responsibilities, all students study piano and theory with the option to study organ, so that they can serve as parish musicians after they graduate.  The students also share their music with a wider audience through recordings, media appearances and annual concert tours.  It is the combination of these various activities and requirements that make the Choir School program rigorous and challenging. We hope that you and your son will embrace the challenge and make the Choir School community your community.

How We Meet the Diversified Needs of Our Students

At the Choir School, your son will learn in an environment that gives him every opportunity to excel. We offer an enriched academic program that provides a solid foundation in core subjects such as English and Mathematics, that will afford him the necessary skills to study selected subjects in greater depth. The Choir School is unique in that the complete academic program is integrated with a lively ministry of sacred music in a school environment  that reinforces the values of Catholic education. The St. Michael’s Choir School community operates on the premise that life is guided by faith and is lived according to Gospel values. Central to these values is the idea that each person has great dignity and deserves the highest respect.

Our students acquire the skills and discipline necessary for success in life after graduation. They earn a place in the university they choose and many go on to professional and graduate degrees. It is our hope that our graduates will also be well-rounded individuals –-- confident, caring, and committed to the well-being of those around them, with the knowledge that they belong to a community that will be with them throughout their life.  Once a chorister  always  a chorister.

Finally, we believe that the education of our students is a partnership of parents, school faculty and the parish community. Together, we share the responsibility for the formation of our students. Our parents are committed to the mission of the Choir School. They soon come to realize that St. Michael’s Choir School is a very special place for their sons to learn, grow, and thrive. Our parent community is very active in the life of our school and collectively support the school by volunteering, fundraising and providing a warm and nurturing home environment for their sons. St. Michael’s Choir School is a caring and exciting community with a clearly stated set of values.

School Organization

St. Michael’s Choir School is unique in its administrative and instructional organization. The school is a partnership between the Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, represented by the Director, and the Toronto Catholic District School Board,  represented by the Principal.  It extends from Grade 3 through to 12. Liturgical choir music is at the centre of the school’s busy life. Every weekend, for 10 months of the year, all the boys from Grades 5 through 12 sing in one of the four cathedral choirs. As well, all students study piano and theory with a view to learning organ, guitar or strings.

It is a condition of enrolment at St. Michael’s Choir School that students participate fully in the Choir obligations of the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and in the music program.  The music program of the school is provided by the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music and is under the authority of the Director acting on behalf of the Catholic Archbishop of Toronto.  The instruction of these courses is provided for the most part by private school teachers.  Music courses may earn credits recognized by the Toronto Catholic District School Board, the Ontario Ministry of Education, and, in some cases, by the Royal Conservatory of Music.  The Principal and the Director work jointly  to ensure that the courses taught and the credits granted meet Board and Ministry requirements.   

The school offers a full academic program, including French immersion, with a complete slate of subjects in all areas—language, social sciences, mathematics and science, at both the elementary school and secondary school levels.  The Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music fee and the music program are mandatory above and beyond courses mandated by the Ontario Ministry of Education, and are a condition of enrolment at St. Michael’s Choir School.

Admission Process

Admission to St. Michael’s Choir School is based on a successful audition and written examination.  Auditions can be arranged by contacting Mrs. Barbara Grisé @ (416)  397-6367

If you wish to find out more about our music or academic program, please visit our school website @ http://www.smcs.on.ca or click on the above link. 

School News 

Music of the Americas
April 26
7:30 p.m.
St. Michael's Cathedral
65 Bond Street Toronto
May 2
7:30 p.m.
St. Isaac Jogues Parish
1148 Finch Avenue
Pickering
Details

June 26
PA Day

Junior W5H
Congratulations to the team from St. Michael's Choir for finishing third in the TCDSB W5H tournament.

French Public Speaking
Congratulations to Liam Benson for placing 2nd in the grade 4-6 semi-finals of the French Public Speaking Contest for the south region in the French Immersion category, Ryan Nunes who took 1st place in the grade 7-8 Extended French category, Adam Tillie who finished 2nd in the French Immersion category for grades 7-8 and Joseph Gauvreau who finished 1st in the FSL Plus category for grades 7-8.

School Learning Plan -- 2007-2008

EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics:

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT):

The OSSLT shows the extent to which Ontario students are meeting the minimum literacy standard expected by the end of Grade 9. The test assesses the reading and writing skills as they apply to all subjects as out-lined in the Ontario Curriculum. Students must pass the OSSLT as one of the 32 requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.

School Learning Plan -- 2007-2008

EQAO Assessment Results

EQAO: