About Us

Dear Parents and Friends,

We are an accredited independent school and we follow the Ontario Ministry of Education expected outcomes, as can be examined online or in paper form in the general office.  We use the Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools curriculum and generally follow their scope and sequences. The OACS curriculum meets and/or exceeds the Ontario Ministry of Education requirements. The Ontario Alliance of Christian Schools is a member of Christian Schools International of which we also are a member. OCS regularly receives Ontario Ministry of Education updates regarding ministry guidelines.

Our school presently has an enrollment of 82 students designated among five classrooms. The average classroom size and teacher to student ratio is 1:16. Currently all of our students are in a “double grade” class which enables the teacher to enhance a student’s program of studies as there is a wider scope of expectations adhered to.

We are pleased with our computer lab, which now hosts 24 computers, all with controlled Internet accessibility and networked programs. Classes have scheduled times on the web and designated periods for development of their keyboarding skills using Typing Pal software. The two computers located within each classroom serve as a supplement to in-class teaching. Our library collection is entered onto library software to provide opportunities for students to conduct research from our collection, electronic atlases, and encyclopedia or from the Web. Intermediate grades are taught the necessary skills to research books not housed within our collection, but obtainable through the public library system.

The academic success of our Grade 8 graduates is noteworthy, as we desire for our students to achieve success in later years of education as well as in life experiences. The recent list of 19 Ontario Scholars from Park St. Collegiate Institute contained seven OCS graduates. This translates into 36% of their Student Honour Roll coming from OCS Grade 8 graduates. The local High Schools come to OCS each January to help our students make careful course selections for their entry into High School.

Our school is located on approximately 5 acres of land with the appropriate safety fences around it. Our  playing fields and gym have hosted many Orillia inter-school games in addition to our participation within the Toronto District North Association of Christian Schools. Our “Wall of Fame” records the various areas of sports our students excel in as they prepare for high school sports participation. Our playground is an active place where students can exercise both their social and athletic needs under the supervision of our yard duty teachers. The students particularly enjoy our nine-station obstacle course.

I have outlined the academic, athletic and social highlights of OCS. However, I realize your priority for attending is our Christian worldview, which is integrated into the classroom through both formal and informal teaching opportunities. Each morning some time is devoted to prayer within the class to address various issues of importance to the students as well as a formal Bible teaching period. The Bible teaching period is the reason that our academic teaching calendar has 1000 instructional hours in contrast to the Ministry of Education requirement of 950 hours. Parents and students have discovered from this integrated teaching that students have become more aware of current events, have a greater understanding of differing cultures and an added confidence in who they are and what they believe. The resulting values of fairness, patience, politeness, and discipline prepare them to become responsible citizens of our society.

I truly appreciate any questions and a desire to gain a better understanding of what OCS stands for and how we operate as a community of Christian families who have joined together, over the past 30 years, to educate, train, and equip our children for a life of service. Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time for clarification of any of the above or other aspects of our Orillia Christian School.

Yours Sincerely,

Bill Freeman
Principal