MACC (Multi Age Cluster Class)

The word autonomous means to be independent, self-governing, efficient and to be able to learn by yourself and be a self-motivated learner. This is a very important life-skill that is heavily emphasized in this program. The students need to be autonomous, as they are not always reminded of due dates, or to take notes for their projects. This flexible learning style works well for self-motivated, creative, and independent students because it allows them to set their own goals and manage their own time. This benefits students because this teaches students how to become leaders in their own learning. The learning system quite different from the regular system because students run at their own pace, which means that everyone in the class can be in stronger in different areas of learning.

In the MACC program, students work on self-paced math curriculum work in addition to problem-solving and math contests. This allows for accelerated math learning, and many students are known for going 1, 2 or 3 years beyond their grade level in math. More emphasis is placed on problem-solving to promote critical thinking skills. Some classes have 'individual math work' but in small groups where everyone's skill is more or less the same. Teachers believe that in doing so, this will bring up a lot of interesting math discussion, which they believe is useful in learning math. Also, because of all the work MACC students spend on problem-solving math, MACC students tend to score high in math competitions.[10] In 2016, 3 Kwayhquitlum students and 1 Tecumseh student 'aced' the Grade 7 Gauss contest by scoring a perfect 150.

The MACC Program offers a variety of different literacy activities, including novel studies, poem analysis, essay writing, persuasive writing, story writing, graphic novel writing, report writing, play writing, and many others. Many of these are for preparation for high school, writing reports for Science Fair,[11] Heritage Fair,[12] and EOE (Evening of Eminence)[13] projects.

In Project-Based Learning, students explore learning through three main projects each year. These include a Science Fair or Heritage fair project, an EOE, individual or partner research projects, or group drama projects. These projects are usually the biggest thing that students will do while in MACC. However, the Heritage Fair has not always been done in some classes, such as at Hillcrest Middle school. The Science Fair is based on a typical science fair, but students are encouraged to go 'above and beyond',[11] and explore in-depth scientific research questions and experiments. For Heritage Fair, students explore major events in Canadian History and compete in the Canadian Heritage Fair.[12] In 2016, the FI MACC class was honored to created a class Heritage Fair event, about the 100th anniversary of The Battle of Vimy Ridge, as well as explore the 'birth of Canada'.[14] EOE,[13] students decide on an Eminent person to portray, based on the five criteria for an eminent person - Distinct, Distinguished, Determined, Influential and has Integrity - the 3 'D's and 2 'I's. The students end this project with a museum display, usually hosted at the MOV or the Musqueam Cultural Centre where they pose as their Eminent person. Many MACC classes have also participated in the annual Let's Talk Science Challenge at U.B.C., and Surrey teams from Crescent Park and Berkshire Park have won the competition five times since 2010.