Vision for Learning

Unit Planning with a Purpose

We transform education beyond traditional boundaries by integrating BC's innovative curriculum with a Catholic worldview. Our dynamic unit planning approach combines essential learning elements (Big Ideas, Curricular Competencies, and Content), thoughtful guiding questions that encourage deeper exploration, and a faith-based perspective rooted in Catholic educational principles. By focusing on what students need to Know, Do, and Understand, we develop adaptable, critical thinkers who are prepared to excel academically, engage meaningfully with complex ideas, and make a profound difference in our evolving world.

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Students in a classroom raising their hands, seated at desks with books, notebooks, and backpacks, wearing navy blue sweatshirts with 'A.P.C.S.' and 'Archbishop Carney' printed on them.

Unit Essentials

Welcome to our educational journey! Here, we permeate BC's curriculum essentials with Catholic understanding to create a unique learning experience. Our approach goes beyond textbooks, using thought-provoking questions to ignite curiosity and foster personalized growth. We're not just educating minds; we're nurturing well-rounded individuals ready to excel in both academics and life. Join us in shaping the future, one student at a time.

  • 1. How has the Catholic Worldview been infused throughout your unit plan (content, methodology & resources)?
    2. How are the Principles of Catholic Education demonstrated in your unit plan?

  • 1. How does your unit plan reflect how the core competencies align with the age/stage of your students within the context of the development continuum?


  • 1. What are the fundamental ideas in your unit plan on which new concepts will be built?
    2. What are the enduring understandings your students will be able to remember and apply throughout their lives?

  • 1. What are students expected to be able to do?
    2. What are the opportunities for students to make meaningful and real-life connections?

  • 1. What content and concepts are students expected to know?

  • 1. How will assessment criteria be communicated to or co-created with students?
    2. How does the assessment allow students to receive ongoing feedback in order to make revisions and improve their learning?
    3. How will students demonstrate their understandings of the curricular connections in multiple ways?
    4. What opportunities will there be for students to reflect on their thinking and feelings as part of their learning?
    5. How will parents provide ongoing feedback to contribute to their child’s learning?

Learning Experience

  • 1. How will you intentionally build a sacred, inclusive, safe and caring learning environment?
    2. How will you create a flexible learning environment with the creative use of time and space to adapt to students’ needs and interests?

  • 1. How will you make learning accessible for all students to succeed?
    2. How do you support the individual spiritual, social, emotional, physical and academic needs of your students?

  • 1. What opportunities are there for continued development of literacy and/or numeracy skills?
    2. How will you provide opportunities to engage students (i.e. voice & choice) and access background knowledge?
    3. How have you scaffolded learning to help students move from a concrete understanding to transforming and applying their learning?
    4. How does your unit plan connect to more than one area of learning to examine an inquiry, theme, issue, problem, topic, or experience?
    5. What opportunities have you provided for integrating the First Peoples Principles of Learning?

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Young girl with glasses smiling and holding a small green potted plant in a classroom setting.

Human Growth and Development

I am a Gift From God

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbour as yourself.” – Luke 10:27-28

The “I Am a Gift from God” program is mandated by the Archbishop and designed to be integrated with the existing religious education program. It is intended that the home, the school, and the parish will combine their efforts in this program designed to protect the dignity and worth of God’s children.

The “I Am a Gift from God” program begins with God’s love for us. It invites the children and their families to reflect on and appreciate the love they receive from family members, friends, and others. It provides children with the fundamental skills to safeguard themselves and encourages children to express themselves to their parents, other family members, friends, and trusted adults. It invites children to seek and be supported by the community in the best Christian tradition. It is about hope and the shared responsibility of the Christian community to promote and protect the dignity and worth of God’s children.

This program is implemented in all CISVA schools in Grades K to 3.

Find My School
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A nun in a traditional habit writing on a whiteboard with a black marker.
A young man dressed as a priest or clergy in ornate cream and red robes with gold patterns, standing with hands clasped in prayer with eyes closed during a religious ceremony.

Catholic Education

Curriculum Connection

At the heart of our educational philosophy lies a commitment to nurturing the whole person. Our curriculum seamlessly integrates academic excellence with Catholic values, fostering an environment where students can grow intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally. Through innovative teaching methods and a focus on real-world applications, we create meaningful connections between subjects, faith, and life experiences.Our human-centered approach emphasizes:

  • Personalized learning tailored to individual strengths and needs

  • Critical thinking skills rooted in Catholic social teachings

  • Collaborative projects that promote empathy and social responsibility

  • Integration of technology to enhance global awareness and digital citizenship

By embracing this holistic educational model, we empower students to become compassionate leaders, lifelong learners, and active participants in their faith communities.

Faculty Portal
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Children and adults gather in a church for a religious ceremony, with a priest in ceremonial robes walking down the aisle towards the altar, illuminated by large windows at the front.

Principles of Catholic Education

CISVA nurtures the whole child through a Christ-centered curriculum that integrates faith, reason, and academic excellence. Our innovative, personalized approach develops core competencies while fostering a relationship with Jesus, preparing students for 21st-century challenges within our Catholic values.

  • Catholic Education fosters a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in the family of the Church; our faith in Christ is evident and permeates all facets of the educational environment.

  • Catholic Education is founded on and guided by the truth of the Gospel, beginning with the apostles and handed on by the Pope and bishops.

  • Catholic Education guides us in the selection of excellent content, pedagogy and resources in the pursuit of Truth through faith and reason.

  • Catholic Education draws upon scripture, the sacraments and prayer to help us to respond to the universal call to holiness.

  • Catholic Education responds to Christ’s desire “that they may all be one” (John 17.21) by integrating the various parts of what we learn into the coherent whole.

  • Catholic Education calls us to witness that God is love; and therefore, recognizes the inherent dignity of every human person, especially the marginalized and most vulnerable.

  • Catholic Education promotes that “the right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable” and “parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children” (CCC 2221, 2223).

  • Catholic Education is inclusive and welcoming where every student is nurtured in developing a right relationship with God and others by balancing the rights of the individual with the Common Good.

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