“The industrial, scientific world has put you in the position where you realize that comfort, good tires, and a nice car are not enough to nurture your soul. There you have it! The ultimate goal of economic and scientific development is to show man that there is something that transcends him. Bluntly put, you have come to realize that you have everything and that you are nothing because you are lacking what is essential. ‘Let the splendour of the world teach you that you have been created for much more that this,’ I remember reading somewhere. In short, St. Augustine says: “Our hearts are made for You, O Lord. Until they rest in You, we shall be restless.”

Source: François Michelin ,
(Entrepreneur, 3 rd Generation Founder of Michelin Tire Group)
And Why Not? The Human Person at the Heart of Business , p. 31.

St. Augustine ’s CHS Business Studies program allows students to learn about business through an experiential approach with an attention and focus on truth (veritas), unity (unitas), and charity (caritas). Our Business Studies teachers encourage students to exercise their freedom in real business activities within the our Catholic community from our unique perspective. They are challenged not only to take calculated risks in business/entrepreneurial situations, but also to take risks in their own personal faith journeys.

The St. Augustine Business Experience starts here…..

In Grade 9, Introduction to Information Technology Business, introduces students to information and communication technology in a business environment and builds a foundation of digital literacy skills necessary for success in a technologically driven society. Students develop word processing, spreadsheet, database, desktop publishing, presentation software, and basic website design skills. Throughout the course, there is an emphasis on digital literacy, effective electronic research and communication skills, and current issues related to the impact of information and communication technology. Students experiences have included creating resumes, developing simple creative business plan presentations, letters to the United Nations, and planning and career/vocational discovery, and planning, budgeting, and promoting unique religious and cultural retreats and vacations.

In grade 9, students are also introduced to a dynamic confidence and leadership building international Business Club called DECA. Grade 9 students competed in the Hudson Bay Company Competition against other grade 9s and were very competitive.

The Grade 10 Introduction to Business experience , develops an understanding of the functions of business, including accounting, marketing, information technology, human resources, and production, and of the importance of ethics and social responsibility. Students again are encouraged to participate in DECA events and competitions, and will be introduced to provincial business simulation competitions like the Sprott Business School High School Challenge. Also, students have participated in the Canada ’s Wonderland Marketing Students Business Day.

The Grade 11 Marketing experience is full of excitement and energy. The students create a marketing plan that they execute during the Marketing Fair. The students set up attractive booths to sell a product or service of their choice. The sales take place during all three lunches at school for a period of three days. All profits made go to a charity of the students’ choice. In the past, proceeds have been donated to HEART, Shining Through Centre for Children with Autism and the Children’s Aid Foundation. During the year, business students are taken to trade shows such as The One of a Kind Craft Show, Good Food Festival and Market, and the Agriculture Show. These field trips allow the students to: learn about various selling techniques used by salespeople, evaluate promotional campaigns implemented by various companies, and evaluate the creative set and designs of trade show booths.

The Accounting and Economics experience, allows students to explore and practice the fundamentals of both disciplines and allows students to investigate “career opportunities with real professionals”, pursue global perspectives, and to evaluate the impact of socially responsible and ethical behaviour. The Grade 12 Globalization economics project allows students to research the economic, political, social, environmental and human rights issues of a particular country and report their finding to classmates in a power packed presentation. The Grade 12 Accounting course is enhanced through guest speakers from various accounting designations and the culminating task allows students to explore and discuss a variety of accounting concepts, principles and career opportunities with “real life” accountants and business people.

The Entrepreneurship experience allows students to participate numerous hands on activities and assignments that allow students to gauge whether they would like to start their own business. This consists of inventing new products, presenting business ideas and researching their local community. For the final summative project, students are required to create a business plan of a business they wish to begin, and present their plan to their fellow peers. The plans are then submitted to the city of Markham to compete in the Business Plan Competition. For the last two years, Grade 11 entrepreneurship students have placed in the top 4, enabling them to attend a gala where they were able to network with local politicians and business owners. Using business owners from the local community, the discussion of entrepreneurs’ contributions to the economy and to the everyday life of individuals is enhanced. In another project, students create a business plan that is linked to a business they wish to create, that is launched and displayed at a school trade show. Students design an attractive booth where they sell their product and the idea of investing in their business. Guests from the community, teachers and even students give each company “fake” investment dollars which is used to judge the success of their booth.

The Grade 12 International Business experience includes participation in the Box of Hope Sharing Fair program, as part of their major evaluation. The program is sponsored by the Sisters of Good Shepherd. The students sell items that are handmade by women and children from underprivileged countries. Students design an attractive booth where they sell the product, which takes place in the school during parent-teacher interview night and laptop night. 100% of the proceeds go back to the women and children by way of new orders, providing them with hope, dignity and sustainability. The Box of Hope provides the students with the opportunity to their Christian call for social justice and the need to help the poor. In addition, the students develop an International Business plan that supports the import of a foreign product from one of the countries from the Sharing Fair. Other topics include social justice; multicultural business issues and international careers are examined throughout the course.

Management in Action, Grade 12, Business Leadership: Management Fundamentals students develop leadership skills used in managing a successful business, but in our course we manage a successful Business Banquet, not a luncheon, but a banquet. Throughout the course students analyse the role of a leader in business with a focus on decision making, management of group dynamics, workplace stress and conflict, motivation of employees, and planning. Effective business communication skills, ethics, and social responsibility are emphasized throughout the course and implemented on the day of the Banquet. Banquet guests have included prominent leaders in the Markham community: local politicians and clergy, successful Markham business people, university professors, and professional athletes. The most striking element of the these leaders who spoke was not their success but they love of the students who invited them and their message that success is not only in your financial achievement but a personal journey that includes family, faith, personal perseverence and lots of hard work to make you “Lucky”. The Business Banquet is an exceptional event for Management students as it challenges students in a way that no other academic evaluation does.

Finally, the St. Augustine Business experience is offered to all students through our Business Club…

St. Augustine DECA is a student-centered, educational/professional organization with a program of leadership and career and professional development designed specifically for students enrolled in business studies. Marketing education prepared high school and college students for rewarding careers in marketing, management and entrepreneurship. DECA enhances that business education by providing, entrepreneurship, marketing, economics, and finance related activities based directly on classroom study. DECA is not extracurricular. It is a co-curricular organization, an integral part of the classroom instructional program.

The cornerstone of DECA is its Competitive Events Program , which is available on local, regional, provincial and international conference levels. These competitions test competencies in specific occupational skills, leadership development and management training. They also include basic scholastic and communication skills, human relations and employability skills testing. There are team and individual events , written events and role-plays (in which an individual competitor or a team must demonstrate marketing/business knowledge in a face-to-face role-play with a judge). Through the Competitive Events Program, DECA members can show how they can apply what they are learning in the classroom to the business world today.

Funding of the nearly 5,000 chapters across Canada and the U.S. are self-supporting with members paying yearly provincial membership fees. DECA is a non-profit, educational organization with headquarters in Reston , Virginia . Student and chapter fees and corporate support fund DECA. All contributed funds are used for incentive programs or directly for students’ benefit through awards and scholarships.