SPIRE Academy's learning environment balances academic, passions, professional and career aspirations within programs that nurture personal growth and stimulate the desires to challenge oneself. All of this is done while helping individuals identify and experience professions and career development opportunities that better prepare them for all of life’s journey. Passions in 2023 include Basketball, Esports, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming, Track & Field and Wrestling. Grades 9-12 plus Post Grad Programs.
It’s true that every school is unique, though SPIRE proves the point and then some. The academic program is strong, as you’d expect from any school of this stature, though the draw, rightly, is the athletic program. For the elite athlete, you’d be hard pressed to create an environment more suited to personal, academic, and athletic success. The school is within an elite training institute, coaches are at the top of their games, very literally. Students engage with others of a like mind, like aspirations, and like determination to succeed. They also interact with mentors who not only know their field, but are at the very pinnacle of them, including goal medal Olympians, professional athletes, and professional coaches. The facilities match all of that. If there is a school better suited to the talented, aspiring athlete, we haven’t heard of it.
Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of SPIRE Academy.
Gallery showcasing specific locations and facilities found at SPIRE Academy.
Focus |
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Sports: Basketball • Lacrosse • Swimming • Track & Field |
Subject | offered |
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Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
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Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
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Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
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Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
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Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
Students remain in a regular classroom for the whole day; the teacher receives special training in accommodating special needs and/or learning disabled students.
Subject Ttype | offered |
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Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Ttype | offered |
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Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)
Program | offered |
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Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
In grade Gr. 12, Spire Institute & Academy students perform an average of 1.5 hours of homework per night.
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
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Spire Institute & Academy | 90 mins | 90 mins | 90 mins | 90 mins |
Site Average | 69 mins | 80 mins | 98 mins | 107 mins |
Lettered or numbered grades | Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 |
Prose (narrative)-based feedback | Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 |
Parent-teacher meetings | Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 |
Competitive sports: 5
Recreational sports: N/A
SPIRE Academydoes not offer any clubs or extracurricular programs.
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
Day | US $42,900 | |||
Boarding | US $59,900 |
Grade range that need-based aid is offered: | 9 to 12 |
Percentage of grade-eligible students receiving financial aid | 35% |
Average aid package size | $15,000 |
Percentage of total enrolment on financial aid | 35% |
Total aid available | $400,000 |
This school works with School and Student Services (SSS). for processing financial applications
A complete application includes the SPIRE application, recommendations from the student's English and math teachers and a counselor or coach, and a transcript review.
Families who are applying for financial aid must complete the School and Student Services (SSS) application, which can be found at www.sssbynais.com. SPIRE's school code is 200038.
Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
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Group 1 | Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Boarding | 90 |
Total enrolment | 90 |
Average class size | 12 to 17 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | 25% |
Number of different nationalities within student population | 7 |
Five-day boarding program offered | Yes |
% in boarding (grade-eligible) | 100% |
9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boarding Enrollment | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 |
Class Size | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | 9 - 12 | |
SSAT | ||
SSAT (out of province) | ||
Entrance Exam(s) | ||
Entrance Essay | 9 - 12 |
Boarding students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry: Yes
Application fee: $50
Registration fee: N/A
Deposit: $1,000
SPIRE looks at each student individually to determine if they would be a good fit. The admission process includes submitting an official transcript, letters of recommendation from an English teacher, math teacher, and principal or coach, an interview with the coach and Director of Admission (either virtual or in-person) and a completed application. Each applicant is reviewed by the admission committee which is composed of administrators, teachers, and coaches to determine if the student meets SPIRE’s admission requirements.
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Boarding Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 20 - 30 (75%) | 15 - 20 (75%) | 12 - 15 (75%) | 10 - 12 (75%) |
Average graduating class size | 40 |
Students accepted into post-secondary studies upon graduation | N/A |
Percentage of students who attend post-secondary institutions outside of Canada | N/A |
Students who attended a Ivy+ school Number of students in the past 5 years that that attended one of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford or Cambridge (UK) | N/A |
Wake Forest University | 5% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University of California, Los Angeles | 5% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Florida Institute of Technology | 5% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Duquesne University | 5% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
California Institute of Technology | 5% |
SPIRE Academy Graduates’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Aggregate of All Schools’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Career planning | |
Internships |
Mentorship Program | |
University counseling |
Alumnus | Grad Year | Accomplishment |
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LaMelo Ball | 2020 | LaMelo LaFrance Ball (born August 22, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Hornets with th |
SPIRE Academics is built on the concept that we strive to prepare students for college and life. Looking to find ways to link core content to projects with real-world application helps bring relevance to the work students do within the classroom. Each class integrates disciplines and faculty strategically work to create opportunities for students to challenge themselves where they are in their academic growth and find purpose in their learning. We are excited to carry learning from the classroom to the field and back. We believe that learning does not happen in isolation and utilizing passion helps anchor learning. For example students may collect data on the basketball court and bring it back to the classroom to look at statistics, physics and geometry.
We are excited to bring new faculty to SPIRE this coming year to support the academic division. Teachers will be charged with working together and building an academic experience that challenges students, broadens their perspectives and links learning to life.
Additionally, the academic division is working closely with residential life to integrate the boarding curriculum with the academic day. Incorporating opportunities to explore the greater Cleveland area, expand service programming and bringing in career exploration students will have the chance to delve deeply into understanding how their passions can lead to future career opportunities. Athletics, academics and residential life will continue to work closely together to ensure there is a balance between training, learning and down time.
June 7, 2021
“WHAT COVID TOOK AWAY, SPIRE GAVE BACK”
“WHAT COVID TOOK AWAY, SPIRE GAVE BACK” SAYS OLYMPIC HOPEFUL COREY CRAWFORD
Read full article
June 7, 2021
IT’S NOT TAKING A YEAR OFF. IT’S ADDING A YEAR TO YOUR FUTURE.
SPIRE welcomes post graduate students to further train for their swimming careers and expand their academic and life skills while exploring
Read full article
June 7, 2021
SPIRE OVERSEAS STUDENT ATHLETES
FROM SPAIN TO SPIRE—TWO MORE OVERSEAS STUDENTS ADD TO SPIRE’S INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCE
Read full article
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