Sir Winston Churchill High School became the first public school in Canada to offer the IB program in 1978. It was promoted by the principal, Jim McLellan, in the interest of the school's brightest and most motivated students. The IB Diploma/Certificate programme begins in the middle of a student's grade 10 year with Math and/or Physics/Biology/Business Management. Other IB courses begin during the grade 11 year and include Art, Chemistry, Computer Science, World History, English, French and Mandarin. During their grade 11 year, IB students taking, at least, one of the
IB Group 4 subjects are required to complete a science fair style project, demonstrating their knowledge of the scientific concepts behind a topic of their choosing. During their grade 12 year, IB Diploma students will work on an involved, self-instructed and teacher-guided essay on a topic of their choice, known as the
Extended Essay. Students taking History, regardless of Diploma or Certificate involvement also complete an Internal Assessment, similar to the Extended Essay. ==Athletics==