Programs

Junior School

JK – GRADE 5 (JS5)

The commitments and values of St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School are expressed in our mission statement:  “To engage each girl with a personalized, real-world learning experience within a nurturing community." This mission, our vision of empowered women challenging and transforming the world, and the "essence of SMLS" are highlighted alongside our school's priorities in our strategic plan, Aspire 2029. This is the framework that guides the Junior School’s ongoing development.

In the Junior School, our faculty work together to deliver rich and engaging programs that develop depth of understanding, encourage critical thinking, and allow for creative problem-solving. The end goal is that the girls are capable of, and committed to, making an impact in a very complex, challenging, and increasingly global world.

When SMLS students deeply understand a topic or concept, they cannot only reproduce knowledge and demonstrate skills, but they can also use their knowledge and skills in unscripted ways to apply their understanding in new and meaningful contexts.

Our commitment to the girls’ social emotional development can be seen in the “Positive Community Oaths” which are collaboratively created in each grade. These oaths remind us that it is important to be respectful of each other, be helpful to each other, take care of each other, listen to each other, to make new friends, and to be global citizens who are aware of the world around them. Our various school themes (i.e. courage), guide our messages during chapel. The school chaplain explores the theme’s meaning and what it looks like, during weekly chapels with the girls. 
Did You Know?

Our girls begin French classes in JK.

Junior School girls participate in Learn to Code sessions regularly throughout the school year. 

Our girls have the opportunity to take part in a variety of contests: math, writing, public speaking, spelling bees

Students in Grades 2-5 participate in Global Studies days.
 
All students in Grades 1-5 have time on the "bouldering wall" as part of their physical education program.

We have an outdoor classroom and outdoor garden as additional learning spaces.

List of 5 frequently asked questions.

  • Q. MATHEMATICS

    In the area of Mathematics, our teachers balance the direct teaching of fundamentals with opportunities for application. Students learn the basics, including their number facts, so that their brains can accommodate the greater demands of more complex math as they get older. This is balanced with opportunities to apply the math concepts, ensuring students understand their purpose and will be able to use the information in the appropriate situations. 

  • Q. FRENCH

    In our core French program, we continue to use the Accelerated Integrative Method (AIM) for the girls in JK through JS5. This is a conversational method of teaching French and is a stepping-stone to reading and writing in French.

    If you wish to explore more about the AIM method, please click here.

  • Q. LANGUAGE ARTS, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES

    In the Junior School, teaching for deeper understanding allows us to design an integrated program around the "Big Ideas" that emerge from the grade level curriculum expectations in Language Arts, Science and Social Studies. This approach offers students more opportunities to explore powerful questions and lines of inquiry connected to their individual experiences and interests. 

  • Q. EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

    Our world-renowned Global Citizenship Signature Program provides our students with another way to to make meaning out of their school activities. This in turn urges the girls contribute to things that they care about, to make purposeful choices, and to learn that every decision they make will have a consequence that matters.

    The girls in Grades 3 – 5, as part of the Global Citizenship Program, take part in the “Millie 100”, where they are asked to challenge themselves and engage in their community. The Global Studies department works closely with the faculty to provide real-world learning opportunities for the girls (i.e. Pioneer Day in Grade 3, Habitat Day in Grade 4, team building activities at Bronte in Grade 5 and the Grade 2 girls send their “Flat Millie” with the SS3 and SS4 girls to the global experience programs around the world.) 

    Click here for more information.

  • Q. CO-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

    Our Junior School Girls have the opportunity to participate in a variety of co-curricular activities, ranging from choirs (Primary and Junior Choirs), athletics (Cross Country, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Track and Field, Swim, Floor Hockey), after school clubs, and intramurals.

St. Mildred’s-Lightbourn School


1080 Linbrook Road, Oakville, ON L6J 2L1
T: 905-845-2386 | F: 905-845-4799
www.smls.on.ca

General Inquiries: contact@smls.on.ca
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Discover how your daughter will benefit from SMLS's superior academic program, our attention to each girl's social, emotional and physical wellbeing, and student leadership development - all designed for girls.