Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School (secondary)

101 Mason Boulevard, North York, Ontario M5M 3E2

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History & Tradition

The history of Loretto Abbey lies deep in the history of Toronto. The Abbey, a school for girls, was established by the religious of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, better known as the Loretto Sisters. The Institute, which has a long tradition in education, was founded for that purpose early in the 17th century by an English woman, Mary Ward. Mary Ward has been described by Pope Pius XII as “that incomparable woman given to the Church by England in its most somber and bloodstained hours”.

On September 16, 1847, there came from Loretto Abbey, Rathfarmham, Ireland, at the invitation of the first Bishop of Toronto, the Most Reverend Michael Power, five young missionary sisters, all in their 20s, who would be the first religious teachers in the newly formed diocese. A house was secured for the community on the north side of Duke Street and a school was opened on September 29th. The school was planned on the model the sisters had known and Bishop Power had admired at Loretto Abbey, Rathfarmham. The school was moved in 1853 to a three-story frame building between King and Adelaide Streets on Bathurst Street. Later the school was moved to a new building on Bond Street. By 1860 the number of pupils who had attended Loretto House was more than 1,500.

In February 1867 the Loretto Sisters purchased Lyndhurst, an interesting property on Wellington Street West. The house had been built around 1835 by the Attorney-General Robert Jameson, for his English bride. After Mrs. Jameson returned to England, the house was sold to Frederick Widder of the Canada Company, who named it Lyndhurst, and who entertained many distinguished guests in it including in 1860, the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII. The house was enlarged to meet the needs of the school and the name Loretto Abbey was given as in Ireland.

For many years the Abbey was a private grammar and finishing school following a pattern distinctive to the Loretto tradition. Toronto was growing rapidly. The once beautiful residential district bordering the lake in the vicinity of Wellington Place, was fast becoming industrialized and quite unsuitable for a girls' school. Property was acquired in North York just beyond the city limits.

On Sunday, May 22, 1927, the cornerstone was laid and in September 1928, the impressive Tudor Gothic building of cut stone, the new Abbey, opened its doors to more than 100 boarders and as many day students. In 1986, Loretto Abbey High School became a member of the Metropolitan Separate School Board (now Toronto Catholic District School Board) family of schools.

Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School is a non-semestered all girls school. 

Christ and His teachings permeate all aspects of like at Loretto Abbey.  Everyone is a child of God, unique and special.  Everyone is treated with respect and with dignity.  Students meet Christ sacramentally in school liturgies and in the retreat program, and come to know the mind of Christ in religion class.

Our code of behaviour sets forth behaviours and responsibility for all students and indicates consequences of inappropriate behaviour.  The teacher-advisor program is offered in grade 9 to 11.

A safe and welcoming learning environment is ensured for all.  The Abbey Watch program with visits from Metro Police Assault Unit, Street Crime Unit and the TTC Safety Watch Department and tae-kwon-do taught in grade 9 and 10 physical education remind students to “always think safety”.

Excellence characterizes the academic program at the Abbey.  An extended French program is available for students with appropriate qualifications.    Programs such as Shad Valley, Advanced Placement and University Mentorship offer enrichment opportunities for all students.  Excursions to foreign countries are available to enhance student learning.  Our respected cooperative education program offers opportunities for student career exploration and to put theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom to practical use in the workplace.   At the Abbey, the largest number of secondary school students within the board is enrolled in music courses.  Also, computers across the curriculum are of utmost importance and a state-of-the-art cross-curricular lab is available to enrich all academic courses.  Our science program is one of the largest within our system.  We have eight sections of Physics alone.  The gifted program is a service provided for students who require additional challenge and different programming to meet their full potential according to their needs, interests and abilities.

Our students are encouraged to participate in our extensive co-curricular program including music, drama productions, numerous clubs and a variety of athletic programs at the intramural and extramural levels.  Opportunities to enter business, English, mathematical and biology competitions and school science fairs are available to motivate students to reach greater heights.  The entire program at Loretto Abbey is designed to challenge all students to learn and equip themselves with knowledge, skills and values needed to take an active role as Christian leaders in our modern Canadian society of the 21^st century.

School News

March 9, 2011--TCDSB Purchases Loretto Abbey--News Release
March 10, 2011--Letter to Loretto Abbey Community regarding Purchase of Property

November 12, 2010: Purchase of Loretto Abbey Receives Approval

Professional Activity Days -2012

February 17, 2012

June 27, 2012

June 28, 2012

June 29, 2012

PA and Exam Day Calendar 2011-2011

Students Support Wish Fund
Working in collaboration with 32 Division, Loretto Abbey‟s community building goals of supporting the Chum Wish Fund came true once again for this Christmas Season. Students at Loretto Abbey hosted a fundraiser at their school where students were able to take a picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus in an effort to support the Wish Fund. Students also attended the 32 Division luncheon that was hosted by the 32 Division and community partners. As a result of this giving spirit, many children will be receiving gifts this Christmas!

National Day of Remembrance
Students at Loretto Abbey commemorated The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women on Dec 6th. Exactly 22 years ago, 14 women were killed in a gendercide at the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec. This day marks the anniversary date of this tragic massacre in Canada. Students took the opportunity to provide an informative skit, host a memorial and they also welcomed TEAR, Teens Ending Abusive Relationships from Toronto Victim Services. A memorial display was produced for students to view and reflect upon during the week of Dec 6th. When one female is affected by violence, we are all affected.

Mary Ward Tribute Evening
The Mary Ward Tribute Evening was held on the fourth of November, 2011 in the Loretto Abbey School auditorium. The evening began with the Abbey Choir singing "O' Canada". They delighted the audience with a medley of other songs as well. The MC for the evening was Maureen Harquail, the President of the Loretto Alumnae Association.

The three recipients of the order Mary Ward were Sr. Susan Moran, Johanne Stewart, and Sandra Bezic - all three are alumnae of Loretto Abbey School.

 Sr. Susan Moran taught for the TCDSB until 1985 and then became chaplain of St. Michael's College school until 1995. She is the founder of the "Out of the Cold" program and continues to be its guiding force. She also founded St. Vincent DePaul Society Mary's school - an emergency shelter for homeless women. In addition, she also started Lazarus House - a temporary residence for families in need. She was awarded the Order of Canada and the Order of St. Michael's for her tireless work.

Johanne Stewart's entire career was with the TCDSB and she retired as Director of Education of the TCDSB a few years ago.

Sandra Bezic is an athlete, coach, choreographer, producer, and author. She was the Olympic representative for Canada in 1972. She skated at 5 World Championships and she is the co-producer, creator, and judge on the smash hit series "The Battle of the Blades". She will be inaugurated into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2012. 

Abbey Christmas Concert
The evenings of December 7th and 8th proved to be extraordinarily successful for the Loretto Abbey Music Department; their 6th Annual Christmas concert, “O Holy Night”, was both a showcase of musical ability and a celebration of this joyous Christmas season. Under the direction of Mrs. Nijole Benotas and Mrs. Nina Hollington, instrumental music students and choir members of all grades had the opportunity to share their talents with family, friends, Loretto Sisters, and members of the faculty. With a repertoire that spanned from traditional carols to popular holiday favourites – including a sing-along or two – the concert set an undeniably festive mood. Sold out for both performances, it is difficult to think of a better way to come together as a Catholic community in this season of Advent than through the appreciation of beautiful music.

LAT Junior Concert Band

LAT Junior Concert Band

LAT Senior Concert Band

MC's V. Tartaglia and B. White

LAT Senior Concert Choir

Students Support Wish Fund
Working in collaboration with 32 Division, Loretto Abbey’s community building goals of supporting the Chum Wish Fund came true once again for this Christmas Season. Students at Loretto Abbey hosted a fundraiser at their school where students were able to take a picture with Santa and Mrs. Claus in an effort to support the Wish Fund. Students also attended the 32 Division luncheon that was hosted by the 32 Division and community partners. As a result of this giving spirit, many children will be receiving gifts this Christmas!


 

Czech Boys Choir at Loretto Abbey
The Loretto Abbey community had the exciting opportunity on November 24th to host the internationally-acclaimed Czech Boys Choir. Led by artistic director Jakub Martinec, the boys – between the ages of nine and twenty-two – performed a wide range of impressive choral repertoire for the student body before working intensively with Loretto Abbey’s own concert choir. Their concert, which was comprised of various international Christmas carols and hymns, along with some Czech folk songs and classical choral pieces, was truly inspiring to all in attendance. The professionalism and artistry within their performance paired with their enthusiasm and passion for the music was brilliant to behold, and will truly create lasting memories for the aspiring music students at the Abbey. It was certainly a privilege to witness such talent in those so young – their visit in the midst of their Canadian performance tour was an experience not to be forgotten.

Loretto Abbey Concert Choir performing with the Czech Boys Choir

Workshop with Czech Boys Choir and Loretto Abbey Concert Choir

Ms Bassani, Ms Benotas and Mr. Martinec

Annual Pasta Night
Loretto Abbey celebrated their 6^th annual charity Pasta Night on November 10^th. Organized by the Build 2 Learn Team, the night was a huge success as over $2000 was raised! All proceeds will be donated to the Loretto Community in the South Sudan to help them realize their goal of expanding the current all girls' secondary school.  This will give young women in the area the opportunity to continue their schooling beyond their elementary years.  This charity initiative is one that promotes the education and independence of women in the South Sudan.

                                           Build 2 Learn Team                                                                                                                               Volunteers and staff in the kitchen

Loretto Abbey Music Program Performs at 32^nd Annual Cardinal’s Dinner
In the midst of a hustling and bustling academic school year, the Loretto Abbey music program, led by Mrs. Benotas and Mrs. Hollington, continued to make its mark as they performed for the 32^nd annual Cardinal’s Dinner that was held at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre.   As the reception hall flooded with guests, including His Grace, Thomas Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, the music students rendered 15 of their greatest hits. Comprised of the Abbey Singers, Woodwind Ensemble, and Senior Jazz Band, tunes like the My Fair Lady favourite “I Could’ve Danced,” Joplin’s “The Entertainer” and Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” were performed. A group of 30 Senior Concert Band members were instrumental in providing the processional music of the dinner, and the smiles on the faces of the guests proved to be an indication of success!

This year, the Senior Concert Band also has the privilege of attending the MusicFest Nationals on May 15-18 2012 in Ottawa, Ontario. This is a huge honour for the students as they have already begun working extremely hard in preparation for this competition. The Senior Concert Band will also have the opportunity to compete against schools from all across the country.
 

Loretto Abbey’s Halloween 4 Hunger Food Drive a Huge Success
At Loretto Abbey, the Halloween 4 Hunger Food Drive is organized annually on Halloween Day and, with the participation of the entire student body, $546 and 2000 pounds of food was collected
for the North York Harvest Food Bank. This massive food drive surpasses Loretto Abbey’s previous record of 1856 pounds set in 2010.

This event was organized by Loretto Abbey’s Empowered Student Partnership Program and is deeply inspired by the Me to We initiative that invites people to think globally about
hunger but to act locally. Every year, students are asked to either bring in a minimum of two non-perishable food items or a Toonie in order to wear costumes or dress in black/orange
on the day of Halloween.

Loretto Abbey Hosts Official Launch of TCDSB Installation of AEDs in Schools
Toronto EMS, Heart and Stroke Foundation and the TCSDB officially launched the installation of 39 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in Catholic schools on September 20th.