Our Lady of Victory Catholic School (elementary--Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8)

70 Guestville Avenue, York, Ontario M6N 4N3

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History & Tradition

On January 2nd, 1944, His Grace Archbishop McGuigan blessed and formally opened Our Lady of Victory Catholic School. The original school had three classrooms, 93 students and three teachers. A Sister of Loretto, Mother Camilla Schwalm, was the founding principal of this fledgling school.

In 1951, the school came under the direction of the Faithful Companions of Jesus, with Mother Eleanor Wilson as the principal for the next 25 years. Since 1976 Tom Moloney, Dorothea Klassen and Shirley Suraj have had the privilege of serving as principals.

As the population of Mount Dennis increased, various renovations and additions continued to be made to the school, Today, Our Lady of Victory School, under the guidance of our Pastor, Father Jan Kolodynski, and the assistance of our parents, serves an urban community with a rich multicultural and ethnic mix of students representing 20 languages and 38 countries.

On June 5, 1994, the school celebrated its 50th anniversary. Well over 2,000 people took advantage of this opportunity to reflect on happy memories and celebrate accomplishments.

A new school facility was completed and officially opened in 2004.

The staff pledges to uphold the traditions we have inherited. We strive to instill pride in personal effort, the value of respect for others and commitment to our faith.

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

Monthly, and on special occasions, masses are celebrated at Our Lady of Victory Church in keeping with the liturgical calendar. Students are the major participants through the choir, readings, and the offertory procession. At each mass, grades 1 to 8 are present with all staff and some parents.

Our pastor visits the school frequently, provides staff with assistance and direction in preparing the students for the sacraments, for liturgical and classroom celebrations and guidance with the religion and family life programs.

In addition to regular class programs, from junior kindergarten to grade 8, the school offers English as a second language (ESL), programs for special education, learning disabled and language impaired students. All exceptional students are integrated into regular programs and withdrawn for individual or small group assistance as required. Program modification is also provided for those students who require remedial assistance. All programs follow Ontario Ministry of Education and Toronto Catholic District School Board guidelines.

Additional programs include French as a second language (grade 1 to 8), vocal music, instrumental music for grade 7 and 8 students, and a program for academic, artistic and athletic programs. Computer literacy is an area of the curriculum which continues to expand and develop. We also offer Polish and Italian on Saturdays, through the international language program.

Our Lady of Victory conducts a safe arrival program for students. Parents are asked to contact the school by 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. on the day of absence, or to leave a message on our answering machine. If we have not heard from parents, office staff call to verify the reason for absence.

The TCDSB strives to create school communities where a sense of belonging, of ownership and of caring for one another prevails. The policies of TCDSB governing violence prevention are followed and enforced in determining the school code of behaviour and safety for all students. We have a student leader/conflict resolution program, which trains student leaders in conflict resolution and assists other student in finding positive solutions to conflict or problems they may encounter.

During the planning of our 50th anniversary celebration, we developed the school crest, logo and motto, which is "Be the best you can be." Our celebration in 1994 provided us with community contacts--political, business and service friends--who continue to assist us and provide support to the school.

School News 

PA Days 2008-2009

• September 26

• October 24

• December 5

• February 13

• March 13

• June 26

Locks for Heart and Stroke Foundation
Our Lady of Victory School recently participated in this year's Heart and Stroke Fundraiser.  In order to achieve the school’s goal set at $7,00 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, some staff provided an incentive by agreeing to dye their hair blue (a school colour) for the day while another added further incentive by shaving his head.  As a result, 21 teachers attended school with blue hair on March 5^th and another shaved his head to celebrate the final tally of $8,600.

School Learning Plan -- 2007-2008

EQAO Assessment Results

EQAO: