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École Marie-Clarac

Canada, Montreal

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The school at a glance
Instructs in French
Fees Fees not listed
Ages Not listed
Pupil numbers 1241
Type Co-educational, Girls School
Opened 1954
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum Canadian Curriculum, IB (MYP)
Taught languages French, English, Spanish
Typical class size 26
Strengths Languages, STEM, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Early Years, Preschool, Kindergarten, Primary School, Secondary School, Infant/Toddler Care
Introduction

École Marie-Clarac is a private French-language school in Montréal that operates across three campuses, serving daycare (mixed ages 3–4), preschool (mixed age 5), primary (1st–6th, mixed), and a girls-only secondary program (1st–5th). The curriculum blends the Canadian framework with the IB Middle Years Programme for all secondary students. The MYP emphasizes intercultural openness, critical thinking, and civic engagement, complemented by advanced study profiles such as Languages +, Science + Design, and Génération Innovation. Founded by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Mary in 1949, the school is a UNESCO Associated School (2019) and welcomes over 1,300 students annually. Facilities include a psychomotricity room, swimming pool, two gymnasiums, an arts room, a library, and a chapel; meals are served daily, with day camp and before- and after-school care from 7:00 to 19:00. The pastoral program supports well-being, and the library houses over 10,000 documents in French, English, and Spanish.

The Essentials

École Marie-Clarac has 1,241 pupils, typical class sizes of 26, instruction in French.

Location
Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Garderie/Preschool/Primary campus at 11273 Avenue de Mère-Anselme, Montreal, QC H1H 4Z2; Secondary campus at 3641 Boulevard Gouin Est, Montreal, QC H1H 5L8.

Stages
Daycare; Preschool; Primary; Secondary (Secondary is girls-only).

Type
Private French-language school. Daycare, Preschool and Primary are co-ed; Secondary is girls-only; Catholic affiliation.

Additional learning support
Two orthopédagogues and a technopedagogue provide student support.

Country affiliation
Canada

Religious affiliation
Catholic

School day structure
Open 6:45–19:00 for daycare, preschool and primary. Grade-specific start and end times vary; typical arrivals around 7:55–8:25 and dismissals around 3:30–3:50. A 17:00–18:00 after-school study period and a 7:30–17:00 day camp are offered; the Hop Hop app coordinates arrivals.

Bus service
Morning-only school bus service for students in 3e–6e year, operated by Autobus RM; routes include Laval, Deux-Montagnes, St-Eustache, Boisbriand, Rosemère, Ste-Thérèse, Blainville, Lorraine, Bois-des-Filion, Terrebonne, and Mascouche; buses arrive at the school around 7:45; contracts are between parents and the bus company; the school does not assume responsibility for private transport.
Diving Deeper

Uniform Requirement
The uniform is mandatory. For preschool and primary, the colors are navy, red and white; for secondary, the colors are grey, navy, blue and white. Modécole is the uniform supplier.

Food Options
A cafeteria provides meals. The after-school (guard) service includes a hot noon meal and two snacks per day, with a daily choice of two main menus, including a vegetarian option; lunch and dinner service are available occasionally or regularly.

Governance and Ownership
The school is governed by a Board of Directors. The Marie-Louise Clarac Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the school. The Association des parents de l'École Marie-Clarac (APEMC) is a consultative body with the administration. The school was founded in 1954 by the Sisters of Charity of Sainte-Marie.
Fees
Application / Admission fee
- CAD 50 non‑remboursable. Payment is made online by credit card at the time the admission form is submitted.

Tuition amounts by year group (numeric tuition amounts not published publicly)
- The school does not publish specific annual tuition or per‑term rates on its public admission pages. The published admissions and financial pages describe the components that make up total fees (tuition plus registration/re‑registration fees, stationery and accessory service fees) but do not list the numeric tuition amounts by year group. Because numeric tuition figures are not publicly posted, exact per‑term and per‑year amounts cannot be provided here.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- The total annual fees are payable by pre‑authorized debit only, with two available plans: either eight equal monthly payments on the 15th of each month beginning 15 September, or two equal payments on 1 September and 1 February.

Boarding fees
- The school does not operate a boarding/ residential program; boarding fees are not applicable. (School operations are day programs: garderie, préscolaire, primaire, secondaire.)

Other costs and recurring ancillary fees
- Registration / re‑registration fees and stationery charges are charged in addition to tuition.
- Accessory service fees (droits services accessoires) apply at the préscolaire and primaire levels and typically include the hot midday meal, two daily snacks, supervision at lunch and before/after‑class care (service de garde). At the secondary level, accessory service fees include fees for the International Education Programme where applicable.
- Certain student supports and optional services carry separate fees (for example: orthophonie / speech therapy, psychoeducation or psychoeducational services).
- Uniforms are mandatory; the school's official supplier is Modécole. Parents should expect to purchase required uniform pieces separately from tuition. Specific uniform item prices are set by the supplier and are not published as fee lines on the school admission pages.
- Transport: where private school bus services are available, those contracts and fees are arranged directly between parents and the bus company (the school does not assume responsibility for private transport contracts). Transport fees are therefore separate and arranged with the carrier.

Refund information
- The CAD 50 admission fee is explicitly non‑refundable. There is no publicly posted detailed tuition refund or pro‑rata cancellation policy on the admission/financial pages; no specific refund schedule for tuition withdrawals is published on the publicly available admission pages.

Fee payment options and receipts
- Admission fee: online payment by credit card.
- Annual tuition and recurring fees: payable by pre‑authorized debit (direct debit) under the two payment plans described above.
- The school issues receipts for tax purposes: for garderie and préscolaire the full fees are reported as eligible for a childcare deduction/credit; for primary and secondary levels certain accessory service fees or specified supervised study services are eligible as childcare expenses under applicable tax rules. Receipts for the amounts eligible for tax reporting are issued by the school (a receipt for childcare expenses is provided by the last day of February each year).

Discounts and family rates
- A 10% reduction in tuition is granted for the second child of the same family enrolled at the school at the same time.

Summary of findings and limitation
- Available public admissions and financial pages list the CAD 50 non‑refundable admission fee, payment methods (admission fee by credit card; annual fees by pre‑authorized debit), the 8‑payment or 2‑payment schedules, the 10% sibling discount, which auxiliary services are charged separately (meals, snacks, supervision, optional support services), the uniform supplier (Modécole), and that receipts for childcare tax purposes are issued. However, specific numeric tuition amounts by level (per term and per year group) are not published on the school's public admission/financial pages; therefore exact per‑term and per‑year tuition figures cannot be provided in this overview.
Academics

École Marie-Clarac teaches Canadian Curriculum, IB (MYP).

Curriculum
The school is a private French-language school. In Secondary, the program is for girls only, from 1st to 5th secondary. All students in secondary participate in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). The MYP goes beyond academic achievement by fostering intercultural openness and international-mindedness, an interdisciplinary approach that cultivates critical thinking, and an education focused on peace and civic engagement. The school offers advanced study profiles including Languages +, Science + Design, and Generation Innovation.

Higher Education Progression
An orientation service offers workshops and information sessions to help students discover their aptitudes and interests and to explore future possibilities. The service also supports 5th secondary students in the college admissions process.

Gifted and Talented
Profiles for advanced study include Languages +, Science + Design, and Generation Innovation.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school fosters a humane, safe, and welcoming environment where every student is recognised in her individuality within a caring educational community. It emphasizes meaningful relationships and belonging through enriching experiences. It cultivates a love of learning and intellectual curiosity, using diverse and innovative teaching approaches. It supports social and emotional development by promoting listening, critical thinking, self-regulation, and respectful communication. It encourages self-esteem, well-being, and the pursuit of personal goals and passions, while fostering responsible citizenship.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school provides tailored support to each student to promote academic success. It ensures collaboration among all school staff and offers diversified supplementary services. It provides orthopedagogical services to support learning. The school engages families as partners in the process. It emphasizes a collaborative approach to meeting individual student needs.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The Secondary Langues + profile offers four languages: French, English, Spanish, and ELA (English Language Arts). The profile includes an enriched English language program as a second language and allows progression to ELA in the final year. Students develop functional Spanish and experience cultural enrichment integrated into French instruction.

Mental Wellbeing
Accompagnement socio-éducatif focuses on the well-being of every student. It provides supports to help students navigate adolescence, including themes such as self-confidence, family and friendship difficulties, motivation, anxiety, and stress. It emphasizes social skills and conflict resolution, and includes prevention of drug use, depression, and suicide. The program promotes healthy habits and collaborative support between students, families, and staff.

Safeguarding
The school maintains a safe, peaceful, and welcoming environment where students are recognised for their individuality within a community. The socio-educational team addresses safety and well-being through topics such as resilience, self-esteem, and responsible decision-making; it also covers bullying awareness and prevention of violence. It promotes respectful interactions and civility, teaches listening and critical thinking, and fosters solidarity and community values through pastoral activities. The program includes preventive discussions on drugs, depression, and suicide and works with families to safeguard students' safety and well-being.
Parent Experience

History
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Mary arrived in Canada in 1949 to continue the founder's mission of educating and evangelizing youth, and in 1954 they opened a preschool–kindergarten with boarding. In 1964 the school moved to a complex that also housed a hospital and the nuns' residence, expanding capacity to 360 students as primary and secondary programs were added. The Quebec Ministry of Education declared the elementary program in 1970 and the secondary program in 1971; the Association des parents de l'École Marie-Clarac (APEMC) joined in 1970 while the Marie-Louise Clarac Foundation was established in 1989. From 1991 to 1999 Harmony-Nature offered a program for gifted and inventive students with a St-Donat boarding component, ending in 2008, and to meet demand the daycare moved to a new site opposite the Marie-Clarac complex on Avenue des Laurentides. The secondary program became an International Baccalaureate World School in 1999; the acquisition of Campus Claudette-Mackay-Lassonde in 1998 formed École Marie-Clarac – Secondary (inaugurated in 2001), and the school now operates three facilities and welcomes over 1,300 students annually; since 2012 the secondary IB program has been available. UNESCO named École Marie-Clarac an Associated School in 2019.

Community
The school community is supported by the Association des parents de l'École Marie-Clarac (APEMC) and the Marie-Louise Clarac Foundation, which work with the administration for the well-being of children. APEMC organizes conferences on topics relevant to parents to help them support their children's development and social activities such as the annual picnic at Camp Mère Clarac in Saint-Donat, the sugar shack event, the spring dance, the EMC thrift shop, and more. It also contributes to purchasing educational, recreational, or sports equipment, including iPad carts, uniforms for sports teams, tents for tournaments or outdoor events, and books.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The Association des parents de l'École Marie-Clarac (APEMC) has the mandate to realize activities that foster closeness among students, parents, and staff in collaboration with the administration for the well-being of children. It has a consultative role with the school administration and has no decision-making authority in the internal governance of the school. APEMC collaborates in organizing conferences on topics relevant to parents to help them support their children's growth and organizes social activities such as the annual Camp Mère Clarac picnic in Saint-Donat, the sugar shack event, the spring dance, the EMC thrift store and more. It also contributes to purchasing educational, recreational, or sports equipment such as iPad carts, uniforms for sports teams, tents for tournaments or outdoor events, and books.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
Daycare serves mixed ages 3–4; preschool serves mixed ages 5; primary is mixed (1st–6th); secondary is for girls only (1st–5th). For 5–11-year-olds, facilities include a psychomotricity room, a swimming pool, two gymnasiums, an arts room, a library and a chapel. The outdoor courtyard is grassed with a safe synthetic rubber surface under the play structures. The cafeteria provides hot meals at midday and two snacks daily, with vegetarian options. A day camp runs on pedagogical days, and before- and after-school care is offered from 7:00 to 19:00, with a second-study period from 17:00 to 18:00 and Hop Hop arrival coordination.

Sports Facilities
The school has a swimming pool and two gymnasiums for physical education. The outdoor recreation area is grassed with a safe synthetic rubber surface under the play structures, meeting current safety standards.

Academic Facilities
Academic facilities include a psychomotricity room, an arts room, a library and a chapel.

Extra Curricular Facilities
A range of sports, cultural and pastoral activities is offered during lunch or after school. A day camp operates on pedagogical days, and a garde (daycare) service is available from 7:00 to 19:00. The Hop Hop app coordinates arrivals. The pastoral service runs liturgical committees, monthly and end-of-year masses, midday activities, catechetical journeys, a pastoral festival and participation in diocesan and parish events.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers the IB Middle Years Programme (PEI); all students benefit from it. The environment is humane and motivating, with teachers guiding students in a dynamic, passionate school community. The program is rigorous, stimulating, and surpasses MEQ requirements, placing the student at the center of learning. Students have numerous occasions to connect classroom learning to the wider world through guest artists, speakers from various domains, and workshops for awareness or creation.

Arts & Creative
Artists invited, speakers from diverse domains, and awareness or creation workshops provide opportunities for creative engagement. The school integrates artistic experiences into the curriculum through guest presentations and hands-on workshops. Students have varied opportunities to explore creation and the arts.

Cultural & Language
The IB Middle Years Programme fosters intercultural openness and international sensitivity. The interdisciplinary approach supports critical thinking and civic engagement. Students can pursue language- and interdisciplinary-focused profiles, including Langues +, Science + Design, and Génération Innovation. The library contains over 10,000 documents in French, English and Spanish to support multilingual learning.

Social & Hobbies
During lunch and after school, students have access to a broad range of sports and sociocultural activities. An after-school supervision service runs until 7:00 pm to assist families. The program fosters social engagement and personal interests through clubs and activities.

Community & Service
The pastoral service promotes Christian values, solidarity, spirituality, and meaning in life, including liturgies, catechesis, lunchtimes, and festival events. The school also offers socio-educational accompaniment to support student well-being, with topics such as self-confidence, relationships, motivation, social skills, and prevention of addictions. The pastoral and well-being programs work together to support students' personal development.

Leadership & Professional
Languages+; Science + Design; and Génération Innovation profiles provide leadership and future-focused skills. The school emphasizes world citizenship and leadership through the IB program and related profiles. An orientation service offers workshops and information to help students explore post-secondary opportunities and plan for college and career. The school promotes leadership with profiles such as Citoyenne du monde and gender-focused leadership themes (Femme de tête).

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Nutritious meals are provided by the cafeteria through a catering service that aligns with the Guide alimentaire canadien, with vegetarian options available. On-site first aid personnel are present, and staff hold up-to-date first-aid qualifications. The socio-educational accompaniment addresses well-being and healthy habits, including self-esteem, mental health, relationships, and anti-bullying education.
Languages

Language Provision
French, English, Spanish and ELA are taught. The Languages+ profile is a secondary program pathway focused on deep study of these four languages; it includes an enriched English component and continues in 5th secondary with ELA, typically for anglophone Quebec students. Spanish is taught to a functional level to support basic conversation and cultural understanding. Enrichment activities embedded in French classes broaden curiosity and deepen language mastery, providing a multilingual environment.

Bilingual Teaching
The Languages+ profile offers four languages: French, English, Spanish, and ELA (English Language Arts). It complements the enriched English program and continues in 5th secondary with the ELA course, generally reserved for anglophone Quebec students. Students also gain functional Spanish, enabling basic conversation and a better understanding of Spanish-speaking culture. Enrichment activities integrated into French classes broaden curiosity and deepen language mastery, creating a dynamic multilingual environment.
Admissions

Admissions
Admission is offered by École Marie-Clarac, a private French-language school serving nursery, preschool, primary, and secondary levels. Admissions are organized by sector: Garderie (nursery), Préscolaire (preschool), Primaire (primary), and Secondaire (secondary). An application can be submitted by selecting a sector above to file a candidacy. You can monitor your file status and view the decision by clicking on Mon Verdict. It is recommended to submit your application as early as possible due to the large number of applications received. The four‑step admissions process applies to all levels: 1) Online application: Fill out the admissions form on the portal, create your account, and pay the non‑refundable $50 admission fee. You will receive a user code by email to track your file. 2) Send the complete file by mail within ten days: Complete the Information Request Form, gather all required documents, and send them to 11273, av. de Mère-Anselme, Montréal (Québec) H1H 4Z2 — marked ADMISSION. The file will be processed only after the documents and payment have been received. 3) File review: The file is evaluated by the admissions team. An interview may be arranged in certain cases. You will be contacted if necessary. 4) Admission decision: Within a week after the decision, you will receive an email informing you that the verdict is available in the Mon Verdict portal.

Waitlist
Waitlist: After the admissions and re-enrolment period, it is possible that students already enrolled withdraw in favor of candidates placed on the waitlist. The waitlist remains active throughout the requested school year. If a place becomes available, a candidate on the waitlist is selected until all places are filled. When this occurs, the school communicates personally with the parents of the candidates. It is the parent's responsibility to keep contact information up to date.
School Events
The school has not added events
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