 |
|||
|
Why is the school called The Dragon Academy? The dragon is a universal mythological creature. In most fables, they guard treasures, have the power of flight and are powerful, wise and intelligent. We chose the dragon as our mascot because it suggests the quest for self-discovery and also excellence. Also, coincidentally we founded the school in the Chinese Year of the Dragon. We are inspected and accredited by the Ministry of Education. Our students receive academic credits for all our courses, and graduate with the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The transfer of credits between The Dragon and other schools is not problematic. We meet all of the curriculum requirements, but we enrich the courses well beyond these requirements. We are not a martial arts school! Isn't The Dragon a new school? The Dragon was founded in 2000, and we have already gained a reputation for academic excellence and innovation. What qualifications do your teachers have? Our faculty have both academic qualifications and specialist experience. Four of our teachers of academic subjects hold doctorates, while the others are pursuing graduate work in their fields. Our arts teachers are practicing professionals. All have significant teaching experience at both the high school and post-secondary levels. We also bring in notable experts from the academic, professional and artistic communities to implement special projects. Is your school a school for the gifted? The Dragon Academy is inclusive and accomodates diverse learning styles. It is a school that promotes academic excellence and many bright students are attracted to The Dragon Academy. Nevertheless, the school is for all who wish to challenge themselves to intellectual and academic growth. Does The Dragon Academy have any religious association or affiliation? The Dragon Academy is secular and non-denominational. Our moral and social vision comes from an ancient educational tradition that emphasizes the fulfilling of human nature and preparing students not only to make a good living but also to cultivate a good life. Is there a school uniform? There is a school dress code designed to convey respect for the educational process and The Dragon Academy community. Is it a school for the arts? Yes. It is also a school for the sciences and a school for the humanities. We believe that all of the traditionally distinct subject fields are valuable, and no subject is given priority over another. In the service of opening and engaging the minds of our students, we offer what is invaluable: a true liberal, humanistic education, studying all the subjects it befits a free human being to know. How serious are the math and science offerings at The Dragon? The required curriculum of The Dragon mandates math and sciences through the senior levels for all students. Our teaching supports the centrality of mathematical reasoning beyond puzzle solving, and our integration of work in the sciences and mathematics with work in the arts and humanities counteracts fractured specialization. We offer a balanced and intellectually rigorous education, with equal emphasis on and strength in the sciences and mathematics. We reject the customary dualism of art and science, and work from the principle that science has an aesthetic dimension and art a cognitive one.
Students need an inspiring teacher, not an inspiring lab, to do relevant and memorable experiments, but we do take students to the laboratory facilities at the University of Toronto for demonstrations and work with volatile substances. We also reproduce historically significant experiments, such as those of Galileo and Newton.
Most subjects are connected to each other, conceptually, imaginatively, historically and culturally. In an integrated curriculum, subjects are not studied in isolation from each other. Instead, concepts across all subject areas are drawn together, linked to central themes, questions and ideas, and organized in each grade through its designated historical period. The material learned in one course is relevant to the other courses. Our teachers have interests and knowledge in related, and apparently unrelated, fields. The model is a living web, not a straight road. What is museum-based learning? Students are members of Toronto's key museums and achieve advanced skills of inquiry and research through exploration of the treasures they contain, access to reserve collections and specialist curators, attendance at performances, academic seminars and workshops, as well as through special projects with guest artists and academics. What is the typical workload at The Dragon Academy? Instead of a "homework policy" stipulating any set number of hours of homework, the students learn time management and resource allocation. They can minimize their homework by using the time given to them in class, as well as in choosing what can be done at home and what is best accomplished in school. What is the size of The Dragon Academy? The Dragon Academy is a small school (about 50 students are enrolled at present), but this is a deliberate choice. Extensive research supports the connection between small class and school size and lifelong achievement and skills mastery. An intimate environment for learning ensures that no one slips through the cracks. There are no cliques or outsiders—students make friends across grade levels and through entire classes. Bullying and conflict are identified before they become problems. In the words of one of our students, "The friends I’ve made here are friends I hope to keep for the rest of my life, even where they’re people who wouldn’t have become my friends if I’d met them in a different context. Our shared experience of the Dragon is a glue." What about sports and physical activities? Our physical education focuses on developing viable strategies fro lifelong fitness. We concentrate on building strength and healthy awareness through the exploration of martial-arts and dance. In place of competitive sports and costly equipment, we concentrate of self-development and community. Team sports at school are always friendly and inclusive. What about extra-curricular activities? Students, teachers, and parents generate these activities based on their present interests and needs—we have initiated chess and role-playing groups, an e-zine website club, garage bands, skiing and snow-boarding groups, dance classes, film clubs and many more. Is The Dragon co-educational? Yes, although we do seem to have more boys than girls at present. But our close community encourages friendships, not romantic pursuit. Our students have the opportunity through each others’ circle of friends to meet "the other", but the atmosphere within school is not so overheated, and is more relaxed and productive than it is in many schools where dating is a key issue. What happens after graduation? |
|||
