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| Total enrolment | 1,344 |
| Principal | Paul McAlpine Tel: 416-393-5531 Fax: 416-393-5735 |
| Superintendent |
Gary Poole Tel: 416-222-8282 ext. 2370 |
| Parish | St. Thomas More 1 Dormington Drive Scarborough, Ontario M1G 3M9 416-439-1545 |
| Local Trustee | Paul
Crawford Tel: 416-512-3412; Fax: 416-512-3412 e-mail: paul.crawford02@tcdsb.org |
| CSAC Chair | Josie Sullivan Voice Mailbox #88531 csac.popejohnpaulii@tcdsb.org |
| Extended French | Secondary |
History & Tradition
To say that Pope John Paul II
Catholic Secondary School opened its door to its first students on September 6, 1983,
would be true but misleading. On that day 135 students arrived at 685 Military Trail to
begin their academic careers at PJPII. But there were many doors to open. The school
community of that day was housed in the former St. Bede's Catholic School and in a dozen
temporary portable classrooms. In 1984 the student population doubled as did the number of
portables. Portables were to be our reality as we watched the construction of the new
school.
The birth of the school in a tangle of temporary portables and the upheaval of construction fostered a community that was spirited, full of humour, close, supportive and caring. Despite the growth, there remains a commitment to maintaining these values of a balanced and caring community.
Growth and expansion have been key elements in the intervening years. The physical structure took six years to complete. In the spring of 1989 the building was officially blessed and opened.
One of the first Catholic high schools to be built under extended provincial funding, our school is a modern facility built in a circle enclosing a beautifully landscaped courtyard. The school has 41 classrooms, four science laboratories, three gymnasiums, a large library, a student services area, a drama room, two music rooms, a drafting room, two tech shops, and two art rooms. At the heart of the school is the chapel. The design and decorating of the chapel were paid for from monies raised by the students for this purpose.
PJPII has established a fine reputation for academic excellence. Ninety percent of our graduates go on to successful post-secondary education. Each year an average of 4.7% of graduates receive scholarships from the province, universities and foundations.
How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students
Pope John Paul II is an ideal setting in which to learn. Our bright, cheerful, well maintained plant provides the framework for a safe environment and a sense of belonging, key components in the learning process.
To assist students in this process, our in-school support systems supply a detailed course calendar, a school agenda and a clearly defined behaviour code. These guidelines serve as parameters for students engaged in the self-directed, self-motivated process of the lifelong learner.
Academic programs
- Strong academic programs in English, math, sciences and social sciences
- English as a second language
- Extended French program
- Innovative and extensive gifted program with approximately 90 students involved each year
- Business programs in accounting, marketing, management and administrative studies
- Computer network and technology programs with state of the art equipment
- Excellent art, music and drama programs
- Family studies program in food and nutrition, parenting, fashion arts and housing and design
- Extensive cooperative education program with approximately 80 students involved each year
- Team taught physical education and health programs available in every grade
- Religious studies program in each year
In-school support systems for our academic programs
- Student services support in career information and choices, interest inventories, and university and college information and application procedures
- Resource-support for students with special needs
- Academic challenge program for students whose needs are not met in a regular classroom
- Extensive library service
- Computer labs available before and after school
- Learning centre program to teach fundamental learning skills
- Chaplaincy team who plan liturgical events and retreats at all grade levels
- English writing clinic
- French help centre
- Math help centre
- Junior and senior math leagues
- Involvement in University of Toronto mentorship program
- Opportunity to write preliminary SAT (PSAT) and SAT I and II
- Opportunity to do advanced placement tests
- Peer helper program
- Literacy program in conjunction with Frontier College
School News
November 12, 2008
7 p.m.
Grade 8 Open House
Students going hungry for humanity
Toronto Observer, Filed February 25, 2008, from the HP Science and Technology Centre
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Child soldiers are on the minds of over 70 Pope John Paul II C.S.S students, and they are giving up an entire weekend to prove it.
Students will go without food for 24 hours in support of this year’s selected social justice issue.
The event behind the cause is called Starve-a-Thon, hosted annually by the school’s Executive Leadership Council for well over a decade.
Leroy Gonsalves Prabhu, current vice-president of the ELC, stresses the importance of this year’s harrowing theme.
"It’s estimated that 200- to 300,000 children are serving as soldiers for both rebel groups and government forces in current armed conflicts," Prabhu says.
Participants in the fundraiser are required to come with a minimum of $30 through pledges, says Prabhu of the event scheduled for Feb. 29 to March 1.
Students will be allowed beverages, and will keep busy with an array of games including a scavenger hunt, karaoke, and even a dance.
"We try and fill it with as many activities as we can so that it’s fun and not about feeling hungry, although the hunger is there to remind them of what their doing and how it feels in other parts of the world," Prabhu says.
Council president Alicia Fernandes says she is definitely feeling the pressure of being the one running the show, and is worried about potential problems.
"I know that people try to sneak in liquor and other various types of drugs," Fernandes says.
However, many teachers volunteer for the event to ensure things run smoothly. One such teacher is Rene Jansen.
"We get a lineup of kids who want to give up their weekend, go out and do the work of finding sponsors, and not eat for 24 hours," Jansen says. "To think about that is so great and as a teacher that’s why I’ve never missed it."
There have never been any major issues, Jansen says. This is because strict planning goes into the event with every hour accounted for, as well as certain guidelines that are set in place.
"We make sure we’ve got the boys’ rooms and the girls’ rooms, and we have someone all night long in between the two," says Jansen, chuckling over this necessary arrangement.
At the very end students enjoy a pizza party along with a reflection session, and this year the council wants a guest speaker from the charitable organization War Child.
"We show a power point presentation and we just discuss what’s going on around the world and how what we’re doing can really try to help," Prabhu says.
But do the students take away anything besides a gut full of cheese and bad indigestion?
"Every year they feel more connected to not only each other but the theme that we give them. It really hits home," Fernandes says.
"What’s cool is you get those kids here and when you walk through the halls of your high school in your slippers at midnight it’s never the same," Jansen says. "And the good kids get to feel like this is their home, their place."
School Learning Plan -- 2007-2008
EQAO Grade 9 Assessment of Mathematics:
Academic Year | Academic | Applied |
| 2006 - 2007 | ||
| 2005 - 2006 | ||
| 2004 - 2005 | ||
| 2003 - 2004 | ||
| 2002 - 2003 | ||
| 2001 - 2002 Description | ||
| 2000 - 2001 | ||
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.
| Year | Grade 10 |
| 2006 - 2007 | |
| 2005 - 2006 | |
| 2004 - 2005 | |
| 2003 - 2004 October | |
| 2002 - 2003 October Description | |
| 2001 - 2002 February | |