Madonna Catholic Secondary School (secondary)

20 Dubray Avenue, North York, Ontario M3K 1V5

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History & Tradition

Madonna Catholic Secondary School was founded--by the Faithful Companions of Jesus, a religious order of sisters--on the tenets of faith, charity and justice, ideals which all who inhabit Madonna are encouraged to mirror in their daily lives. In 1963, the order opened Madonna High School to 75 girls but this number rapidly increased to more than 700 as the program and facility expanded. The F.C.J. tradition has always been “to communicate and give witness to Gospel values and attitudes, to emphasize education in faith; a faith that sees and discerns reality from the point of view of the Gospel and confronts reality with the Gospel.” The school was named after Madonna, Our Lady, whose virtues of love, service, generosity, chastity and humility continue to inspire and guide the actions of the Madonna community.

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

Madonna is a highly diverse school community, with 36% of the student population born outside of Canada. Sixty-two percent of Madonna students come from homes where a language other than English is spoken. Madonna strives to provide a common bond for its diverse population in several ways.

The most evident bond in the school community comes from a shared sense of Catholic values provided through the environment of a Catholic school. Students are provided with a rich curriculum of religious studies supported by a co-curricular program consisting of school and class liturgies, retreats, community outreach, linkage with our local parish--St. Philip Neri--peer helping and peer mediation, and daily prayer. The code of behaviour, which is consistent with the Toronto Catholic District School Board violence prevention policy, provides a safe and welcoming learning environment and demands that all staff and students treat one another with respect. The care with which all students are treated is evident in our close monitoring of school attendance with its attendant follow-up procedures of personal counseling and collaboration with parents, staff, and outside support staff. Continuous parental contact ensures that school and home work as partners in the educational process of each student.

Curriculum initiatives are ongoing at Madonna. Madonna's grade 9 and 10 courses are expressed in terms of learning outcomes and integration is occurring in various ways: a team-teaching approach to applied keyboarding/integrated studies by the guidance and business teachers; collaboration between art, music, and drama teachers; opportunities between science and math teachers for connections to be made; integrating technology into the learning experience in all subject areas; and a three-phase orientation program for all grade 9 students.

One of the school goals relates to integrating technology more fully into the learning process at Madonna. Staff has worked hard to identify technology goals in all courses. Madonna students regularly participate in science fairs, match contests, and projects such as those sponsored by Connaught in its annual Student Biotechnology Exhibition. In-house staff development has produced a high degree of staff computer literacy. Madonna has four computer labs and all students are given the fundamentals of basic computer applications in grade 9.

Madonna provides an English as a second language program to meet the individual needs of students new to Canada, with an orientation session each June to familiarize new ESL students to the school.

Madonna also has a fully integrated special education program, where special education teachers and teaching assistants work together with classroom teachers to provide differentiated learning according to student needs. Enrichment is provided for gifted students through differentiated learning opportunities and/or enrichment activities such as lectures, seminars, advanced placement programs, university mentorship, and (inter)national exchange programs to name but a few.

Finally, all students at Madonna are strongly encouraged to become involved in the clubs and sports teams that operate each year. It is evident to all who enter Madonna CSS that this is a thriving community where academic excellence and co-curricular participation are key components of school life.

Specialist High Skills Major--Healthcare
Madonna Catholic Secondary School is the only school in the Toronto Catholic District School Board which is currently offering a Specialist High Skills Major Program in the area of Health Care.  The school was granted this designation from the Ministry of Education in recognition of the excellent academic opportunities available to students. Students acquire skills and experiences which will assist them in their various postsecondary pathways:  university, college, apprenticeship training or the workplace.  A Specialist High Skills Major is a program that combines Ministry defined required credits, sector recognized certifications, and career relevant training in order to expose students to careers in the growing health care sector. 

Our students have the opportunity to take their courses in an authentic clinical environment using current medical equipment.  We are also fortunate to have a  practicing Doctor of Chiropractic medicine on staff.  The students are also exposed to a variety of professionals in the health care field through classroom presentations, reach-ahead opportunities, and certification training.  Madonna has been fortunate to have forged community partnerships with a number of health care providers such as St. Michael’s Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, Sick Kids Hospital, and George Brown College. 

Even though we are only in the second year of implementation, there are presently 70 students registered in the SHSM Program.  In June, 30 students will graduate with this specialized designation on their Ontario Secondary School Diploma.  Our goal as a community, has always been to encourage our young women to be compassionate and caring members of society.  To that end, the Health Care Pathway has been the perfect fit for our students.  We feel confident that our students will be equipped with the skills and knowledge they will need to excel in their postsecondary destinations.

School News

Status Update

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.