St. Andrew’s boarders enjoy a unique camaraderie outside the classroom through participation in a wide variety of structured activities, events, leadership and outreach programs — boys can choose to be as busy and engaged as they want to be.

SAC's dynamic Residential Life Curriculum in the Upper School serves as the foundation for the  other vibrant and innovative programs offered. Program highlights include:  character education, teaching responsibility, emotional courage (especially important in young adolescent boys), integrity, respect, leadership, citizenship, collaboration, and working together as a community. All in all, this program is designed to nurture and guide students as they begin their journey on the 'road to independence', better preparing them for the challenges they will face in the future.  

"There’s always something going on in the evening before and after study, and exciting weekend events are planned for boarders. Basically, you have the freedom to do whatever you want… join a club, do sports, take part in a Weekend Program trip or whatever. But if you just want to head out with a friend to the mall, or go to Starbucks, you can do that too, as long as you sign out with the housemaster,"

                                                                                              grade 12 student, Dylan

Dylan has taken advantage of many of the opportunities in St. Andrew’s Residential Life Curriculum. Besides football and rugby, weightlifting at the fitness facility, or swimming in the 25-metre, 6-lane pool, one of the things Dylan loves most about boarding is how quickly he became part of the Andrean community.

“I’ve gotten to know tons of people so fast – there’s 60 guys in my house – everybody makes an effort to make you feel at home,” says Dylan.

Another student, Christian, says the best thing about boarding school is,

“How close you become with the guys you live with…  I can truly say that I have made friends for life.”

With a non-stop pace that challenges and engages boys in every way, St. Andrew’s College offers a truly, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The residential program begins in Macdonald House, where our younger boarding students (grades 5 – 8) begin their SAC education.  The Macdonald House experience offers a safe and nurturing environment where our MS students are supported and encouraged to gain confidence and seize new challenges, through structured and unstructured activities.  As we like to put it, “it is the beginning of their journey on the road to independence” and prepares our students well for their Upper School experience.  For more information on Boarding Life in the MS, please click here.