Jean Vanier Catholic
Secondary School (secondary)

959 Midland Avenue, Toronto (Scarborough), Ontario M1K 4G4

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History & Tradition

The doors of Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School opened in September 1989 welcoming 18 staff and 198 grade 9 students. Construction and renovation were not complete until the spring of 1994, and the school now accommodates close to 900 students. 

From the onset, the school was de-streamed in grade 9. Another feature of our curriculum was an extended homeroom to accommodate our mentorship program. The staff and students, the core of our community, were committed to living the philosophy and teaching of Jean Vanier, the founder of L'Arche. They set out to build a school in an atmosphere of cooperation and acceptance. Perhaps Jean Vanier best expressed the essence of our school in his book, A Hope That We Can Grow. “I accept you as you are, not expecting more and not weeping because you are not exactly what I want you to be. So to celebrate is to give thanks for all you are and all we are together,” says one passage. Our school celebrated its solemn blessing and official opening in November 1994. Another treasured event was the visit of Jean Vanier himself in May 1995. His vision continues to inspire us to grow in the words of our motto: “Through knowledge towards God.”

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

The Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School community is oriented towards a way of life defined by the Gospel. Our staff and the parents share the mission of guiding our students to develop a knowledge of our Catholic faith while pursuing an education that will prepare our students for adulthood. All of our courses are infused with Gospel values.  

The strategies and programs we use to ensure this Christian environment are varied. Mass is celebrated twice per week in our chapel.  At special times of the year we travel to St. Maria Goretti Church for:  Jean Vanier’s birthday at the opening school mass, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, for an end-of-year mass and for a special mass for our graduates of the particular school year.  Students are expected to participate in these celebrations. Parents are invited to attend. In addition there are opportunities for public prayer, reconciliation, retreats and almsgiving.  

The entire Vanier community enjoys a comfortable and safe environment for learning. To achieve this, the school operates on the premise that each person has great dignity and deserves the highest respect. We have a code of student behaviour that is clearly defined and which is reviewed annually. Students are aware of what is expected of them of the consequences for failure to live up to these expectations. All of our regulations are designed to ensure that respect for the rights of other students is maintained.  

Our extra-curricular programs play a significant part in our students' education. Sports teams, clubs, field trips and socializing make school enjoyable and result in a positive attitude toward school life. In these activities our young people often discover hidden talents and interests.  

Our curriculum initiatives are broad based, intending to serve the various needs of our pupils. We offer all of the compulsory credits but also offer a very wide range of optional programs in the areas of The Arts, Technology,  and Athletics.  In addition to the courses which students can select, the staff select students to be part of our annual Leadership Program.   With respect to identified students, we feel that this broad curriculum assists these students to be successful and we offer enrichment and modification of the curriculum by the staff as a regular occurrence in meeting the diversified needs of our students.

School News

Professional Activity Days 2012

• February 17, 2012

• June 27, 2012

• June 28, 2012

• June 29, 2012

PA and Exam Day Calendar 2011-2012

School Learning Improvement Plan -- 2011-2012

School Learning Improvement Plan -- 2010-2011

School Learning Improvement Plan -- 2009-2010

Safe School Plan -- 2010-2011

EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics:

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT):

The OSSLT shows the extent to which Ontario students are meeting the minimum literacy standard expected by the end of Grade 9. The test assesses the reading and writing skills as they apply to all subjects as out-lined in the Ontario Curriculum. Students must pass the OSSLT as one of the 32 requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma.