St. Brendan Catholic School (elementary--Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8)

186 Centennial Road, Scarborough, Ontario M1C 1Z9

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History & Tradition

St. Brendan Catholic School had humble beginnings. Opening its doors in 1972 in a portable building with an enthusiastic group of students and staff, a permanent facility was completed in 1974. The name St. Brendan was selected by Father Kenna, pastor of St. Joseph Church.

St. Brendan was the first school in the Toronto Catholic District School Board east of the Highland Creek Bridge and the first school in St. Joseph's Parish. A rapid expansion of the surrounding community during the 1970's and 1980's resulted in many portable classrooms being added to accommodate the increasing enrollment. In May of 1992, the official opening and solemn blessing of the expansion to St. Brendan was held. We now have a beautiful, state of the art facility, which accommodates all of our students.

Our community has a rich diversity of individuals drawn from all over the world. The cultural mix is important to us, for each individual contributes his or her life experiences with the unifying bond of our common Catholic faith.

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

At St. Brendan we believe that every child is unique and has individual talents and needs. We strive to maximize the potential of each of our students and foster Christian values, self-esteem, and respect.

The catechetical program, as approved by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, is the foundation for the instructional program in religious education. Among a variety of strategies employed to ensure a Catholic environment, we practise the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Acts of charity such as participation in food drives, the ShareLife campaign, and supporting families in need, both within the local community and global community, are encouraged as gestures of Gospel values at work. Our school, through various means of fundraising, supports a child each year through Foster Parents' Plan.

A vital component of the Toronto Catholic District School Board's vision statement is the desire to foster a save and welcoming learning environment that is an example of Christian community. Our safe arrival program is one example of this mission in action. Through cooperative parent-school communication, parents advise the school regarding their child's absence. In the event that the school is not notified and absence occurs, parents are contacted immediately in order to determine the whereabouts of their child. In addition, every effort is made to attend to the health and safety of the students. We encourage parents to notify us of health conditions which may affect their child at school. We also strive, in concert with the Public Health Department, to keep parents and guardians informed of issues and situations which impact on their child's health and safety. It is our desire to make all members of our school community feel welcome when entering St. Brendan School. We are pleased to provide information about our school and community and maintain collaborative communication with all educational stakeholders.

Clear expectations for student behaviour are another important element of school life. General guidelines for student deportment are presented to the students in a variety of formats including student assemblies, newsletters, announcements, and classroom discussions. Regular review and reinforcement takes place throughout the year. The violence prevention policy of the TCDSB reflects our serious commitment to the well-being of all members of the school community.

The curriculum emphasizes principles and methods that allows us to accommodate the various abilities, needs, and interests, as well as the differing racial and ethno-cultural backgrounds, of all the students in the community. At St. Brendan we have undertaken a review of the program area of personal and social development: self and society. This is consistent with our school's desire to focus on peaceful conflict resolution and problem-solving strategies for our students. In addition, St. Brendan is enhancing technological education and computer literacy through on-going staff in-service, the acquisition of new equipment and increased emphasis on computer skills.

In order to meet the wide-ranging needs of individual students, teachers modify programs within the regular class and consult with school staff and other resource personnel in order to provide appropriate programs. Special programs support students with specific and exceptional needs.

St. Brendan offers a full range of extra and co-curricular activities. Musical productions, choirs concerts, and drama clubs offer students venues to display their artistic talents. School chess and W5H teams provide opportunities for friendly competition to students who excel in these areas. An extensive house league program, where participation is the essential component, provides opportunities for students to have fun, develop skill, and learn sportsmanship. Inter-school sports have long been a focus at St. Brendan. We have a tradition of excellent and competitive teams, particularly in hockey, soccer and cross-country. A school swim club is also available for all entrusted students.

School News

PA Days 2009-2010

• September 2, 3

• November 13

• December 4

• March 5

• June 30

Exemplary Practice Award Winner
St. Brendan Catholic School (Scarborough)--“Teaching Learning Critical Pathways--The Teaching Learning Critical Pathway is a model for the development and implementation of a unit of study based on student needs as assessed by data.  The grade 2 staff at St. Brendan used EQAO, CAT3 and Running Records results to determine their students’ needs.  Their unit integrated the subject areas of language, science, social studies and Religion.  Their program has been used as a model for successful implementation of the TLCP.

Calendars and Newsletters

• June 2009 Calendar
• June 2009 Newsletter
• May 2009 Calendar
• May 2009 Newsletter
• March 2009 Calendar
• March 2009 Newsletter
• February 2009 Calendar
• February 2009 Newsletter
• January 2009 Calendar
• January 2009 Newsletter
• December 2008 Calendar
• December 2008 Newsletter
• November 2008 Calendar
• November 2008 Newsletter
• October 2008 Calendar
• October 2008 Newsletter
• September 2008 Calendar
• September 2008 Newsletter
• June 2008 Calendar
• June 2008 Newsletter
• May 2008 Calendar
• May 2008 Newsletter
• April 2008 Calendar
• April 2008 Newsletter
• March 2008 Calendar
• March 2008 Newsletter
• February 2008 Calendar
• February 2008 Newsletter
• January 2008 Newsletter
• January 2008 Calendar
• December 2007 Newsletter
• December 2007 Calendar
• November 2007 Newsletter
• November 2007 Calendar
• October 2007 Newsletter
• October 2007 Calendar
• September 2007 Newsletter
• September 2007 Calendar
• June 2007 Newsletter
• June 2007 Calendar
• May 2007 Newsletter
• May 2007 Calendar
• April 2007 Newsletter
• April 2007 Calendar
• March 2007 Newsletter
• March 2007 Calendar
• February 2007 Newsletter
• February 2007 Calendar
• January 2007 Newsletter
• January 2007 Calendar
• December 2006 Newsletter
• December 2006 Calendar
• November 2006 Newsletter
• November 2006 Calendar
• October 2006 Newsletter
• October 2006 Calendar

School Learning Plan -- 2008-2009

EQAO Assessment Results

EQAO: