Louis St. Laurent School

Louis St. Laurent is considered to be a fine-arts based Catholic School, though it is also known for its athletic teams, especially volleyball. Every year near the end of October, the school holds a volleyball tournament called "S.M.A.S.H". Teams from various places in Alberta and British Columbia participate in this three-day event. It allows the junior and senior high students to unite and cheer for their varsity men's and women's volleyball high school teams. Students are also in control of some aspects of the tournament. The Student Union hosts the tournaments. A student from the high school art program has their design become the logo for the year. To show school pride, the students of Louis St. Laurent can usually be seen wearing green and yellow and/or their halloween costume to support their team. Every student in the school watches the opening ceremony of the tournament and the first game with a LSL team playing against one of the visiting teams, before being dismissed to regular classes.

• Drum battle - a drum battle between a few high school students
• Smash Dancers - a group of students who perform a dance routine
• Louis Crew - the hip hop dance crew
• Teachers' Dance[3] - a dance performance by a few teachers and staff

Green and Gold Classic is the high school basketball tournament. It takes place a week after the Christmas break. Unlike S.M.A.S.H., the opening ceremony is not attended by the whole school. Only the junior high students participate in the events. Teams from all over Alberta come to participate. It features mostly provincially ranked 3A[4] teams.

• Louis Crew - the hip hop dance crew
• Dance - students from the dance class

Louis St. Laurent hosts Big Band Night.[5] It is an event in which a few schools' Jazz band performs. It is a concert in which students can come and dance to the music performed by Louis' Instrumental Jazz Band and other bands.

• Art - this program offers a chance for students to learn about art. Comes in various levels and abilities. A couple of showcases throughout the year.
• Dance - allows students to learn about different types of dance and different styles. Has various performances throughout the year. Comes in various levels and abilities. An Intensive program is available.
• Drama - a class that teaches students about the world of acting. Has various performances during the year. Comes in various levels and abilities. An Intensive program is available.
• Music - teaches students about music. Is mandatory in grade 7, and requires that students stay in the program to continue through the levels. Has various performances. Has a variety of bands.

Louis St. Laurent offers the option for some students to take some of their classes in Spanish. It is available for student in grades 7–11. They are able to learn Spanish along with their other courses. Two homeroom classes in junior high are reserved for students in the Spanish bilingual program. Half of these students are in both classes and they meet for their classes. In high school, they can continue with the program.

As an IB school, Louis St. Laurent offered a variety IB classes;[7] both Standard Level and Higher Level. All students in grade 7-10 were enrolled in the Middle Year Program. In grade 11, students had the option of staying in the 2-year International Baccalaureate (IB) Program Diploma Program (DP); or continuing in the standard Albertan high school classes. They could have choose to either take individual classes or graduate with an IB degree in addition with an Alberta High School Degree.

The classes offered were: English (HL), French (SL), Spanish (HL/SL/ab initio), History (HL), Biology (HL), Chemistry (SL), Mathematics (SL), Visual Arts (SL), Theatre (SL), Dance (SL), and Music (SL).

As of 2021, the school no longer offers IB. It is now an AP school.

In 2021, there was an announcement made that the school would switch from an IB school, to an AP school.[8] Many of the IB courses offered are now given through the AP curriculum. They offer in-class and online options. The in-class courses are: English Literature and Composition, Calculus AB, Physics 1, and Biology. The online courses are: Statistics, Environmental Sciences, European History, Art History, and Chemistry.

The EAP is a program designed to prepare junior high students for "high intellectual engagement by starting the development of skills and acquisition of knowledge as early as possible".[9] It includes more vigorous learning and challenges students. The goal of the program is to prepare students for higher academic programs such as AP.

The ECSD Spark Academy is a program that integrates creativity with STEM. Students "learn...skills in computers, coding and robotics, CAD and 3D printing, audio/video production, automation, and game theory".[10]

An acronym standing for "Whatever is Necessary, Whenever it’s Needed".[11] It is an inclusive program designed to help students with mild to severe cognitive needs obtain a Certificate of Completion.

As some students are new to Canada, Louis St. Laurent offers a program to help teach students English. These students are taught English during school time to help with their proficiency.

As part of the nine-year program, students at Louis St. Laurent are taught, French. This is the default language taught. The majority of the student population is in the French program in junior high. In high school, they transition to the three-year program. This is taught in conjunction to the IB French course.

The sports teams that are available for students to try out in and play for are: Badminton, Basketball, Cross-Country Running, Curling, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Track and Field, and Volleyball. These teams have games, competitions, and tournaments that they compete in throughout the year.

Students have the opportunity to join the Hockey Academy. They get an in-depth chance to practice their skills. They play more often and have more training. Students in the academy have an altered schedule as they have practice during out of schedule hours. This is an option for both junior high and senior high students. Many athletes graduate from this program and move on to play for professional teams.

Students have the opportunity to join the Soccer Academy. They get an in-depth chance to practice their skills. They play more often and have more training. Students in the academy have an altered schedule as they have practice during out of schedule hours. This is an option for both junior high and senior high students.

Trained student athletes are given specialized programs that fit into their training schedule. This allows them to continue their training, while also completing the courses required by Alberta Education.

• Touch of Class - as part of the preparation for graduation, the grade 12 students traditionally have their grad pictures taken before their graduation date. All high school students come in in their best formal wear for the day.
• Marathon Dance - a school dance where students dance for a time to earn money for charity. The marathon dance was discontinued for a few years, but was reinstated in 2010.
• Students vs Teachers Volleyball game - the varsity girls' and boys' Volleyball teams play against the teachers during lunch period, and part of the third period after the season is over; students are allowed to watch.
• Dodgeball Tournament - High school students create teams of six to compete in a game of dodgeball during lunch. The winning team is allowed to play against the teachers in the final match. Though it is not officially an event every year, student council has consistently organized this throughout the years.