Academic Departments

Guidance and Student Services

STEAM Program

Advanced Placement Program

Specialist High Skills Major Programs

With a commitment to providing students with an enriched learning experience in class and beyond, the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) program at St. Oscar Romero Catholic Secondary School nurtures students to grow as Catholic graduates and 21st century global citizens who can solve real-world problems, effectively communicate through multi-modal design, innovate, collaborate and be responsive in thinking and doing.

Through connected learning that values the importance of seeing students fully and providing learners with inter-connected experiential opportunities through unique partnerships and authentic learning tasks, the STEAM program at Romero motivates students to “show what they know,” and be self-directed learners who embrace schooling as an opportunity to excel in a multitude of ways.

STEAM provides students with an inquiry focused program that is infused with the multimodal transferable skills learners need to innovate and address real-world problems.

This includes students being responsible and responsive citizens, who not only thrive academically across a cohesive framework of study but understand and see the uniqueness in others.

To be a STEAM student is to work and learn from like-minded individuals along with being a leader who understands the world in which live and who yearns to grow as a whole student.

STEAM at Romero provides students with a connected experience where Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math intersect through innovative learning tasks and curriculum.

From students creating a professional cross-curricular digital portfolio to participating in workshops and competitions hosted by post-secondary and industry partners, the STEAM experience connects students to a variety of transformational experiences that takes learning beyond the classroom and textbook.

STEAM curricular programming takes place in grades nine and ten. During these two school years, students are enrolled in STEAM specific courses as part of a cohort. As such, students engage with like-minded peers who share in a consistent STEAM experience.

In grades eleven to twelve, STEAM students are encouraged to enrol in courses based on their self-directed pathways, which may include SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) programming and other experiential courses of study. These students will have opportunities to engage in a number of STEAM related extracurriculars including workshops and competitions.

As part of the STEAM program, students are responsible for the development of a professional digital portfolio. This digital portfolio, aligned with post-secondary and industry practices, allows students to “show what they know” in multi-modal ways as creative, organized, collaborative and digital citizens. This portfolio along with students’ ability to build a positive social media footprint, is supported by academic and industry partners from the worlds of marketing and public relations. As such, students will grow as effective communicators who can share within the context of today’s digital world.

Grade 9: Science, Exploring Technologies, English, Math

Grade 10: Science, Communications Technology, English, Math

At Romero students applying to STEAM do not write an entrance test. Rather, our process relies heavily on student performance in Grades 7 and 8 with references from the students’ teachers/principal, review of most recent report card and the submission of an application where students demonstrate who they are as a learner and their STEAM mindset.