St. Joseph's College School (Catholic Secondary School)
74 Wellesley Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1C4

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History & Tradition

St. Joseph’s College School was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto in 1854 on Power Street. Originally called “St. Joseph’s Academy for Young Ladies” the name changed to “St. Joseph’s College School, a Residential and Day School for the Higher and Primary Education of Young Ladies and Little Girls” when the school moved to Bay and St. Alban’s Street in 1863. In 1927, the school was renamed “St. Joseph’s College School” when it was established as a separate building. The present school was built in 1960 on the north side of Wellesley Street across from the old school when the original property was appropriated by the government for the erection of the MacDonald Block. 

St. Joseph’s College School  has a long tradition of educating young women by focusing on their intellectual, physical, social and creative abilities in a Catholic, faith-filled environment.  Within the framework of the school’s motto, “Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor --The love of Christ has gathered us together into one”, respect for the rights and dignity of all and a focus on service to others are emphasized. 

Currently the school enrolment is 707 students. A dedicated staff of 50 teachers, several of whom are graduates of SJCS, along with 10 support staff serve the needs of all students.  All courses are semestered and are offered at the Academic and Applied level in the junior years and at the University and College level in Grades 11 and 12.  Students can also take enriched courses in math and science in Grade 9 and 10 leading to Advanced Placement courses.  The Gifted/Enriched program is stimulating and challenging, providing students with opportunities to participate in a variety of enrichment experiences.  Graduates of St. Joseph’s College School frequently return to the school and remark on how well prepared they have been for post-secondary studies. 

The location of St. Joseph’s College School allows teachers to enrich their curriculum by accessing the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Toronto, the Toronto Reference Library, the law courts and, of course, the many theatres and entertainment venues. 

St. Joseph’s College School is a diverse, progressive community where every attempt is made to meet the needs of all students.  It has provided 150 years of tradition and excellence in education to the young women of Toronto and we invite any young woman who wishes to maximize her talents and leadership abilities to join our school community for her high school career!

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

Spiritual Life

Chaplaincy Program 

“The Chaplains of the Toronto Catholic District School Board strive to live an active Christian faith which embodies the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.  This vocation calls us to work as witnesses to the gospel values of justice, peace, reconciliation and compassion.  We encourage students and staff on their faith journey.”

From “Chaplaincy in Secondary Schools”, 2003 

The Chaplaincy program at St. Joseph’s College School provides all staff and students with opportunities to grow in their Catholic faith through experiences of prayer, the sacraments, social action and Catholic leadership.  The school chaplaincy team leader and the student chaplaincy team organize the student retreat program; plan all aspects of school liturgies; contribute to the annual Remembrance Day Assembly; and facilitate many other school projects, including the Pink Ribbon campaign, Thinkfast, Catholic Education Week, Respect for Life Week, Social Justice Week, Social Justice Outreach program and the Catholic Student Leadership Impact Team.

A Well-rounded education

At St. Joseph’s College School, students are encouraged to combine their academic curriculum with extra-curricular activities. The staff at St. Joseph’s College offer a wide range of after-school activities and students are strongly encouraged to choose an activity which meets their talents and interests.

The Athletic Program 

The Physical and Health Education Department and the Girls’ Athletic Association together run many intramural and competitive sports programs. Over the years, our teams have enjoyed much success in the TDCAA leagues. Many of our graduates have continued their athletic success at the University and College level.

The Arts 

The Arts Department at St. Joseph’s offers a full range of drama and visual arts courses along with an opportunity to explore the subject of vocal music. Drama students have showcased their dramatic talents by taking part in the Sears Drama Festival. Visual Arts students have worked in set design for the drama festival, have provided logos and posters for many school board endeavours and have enhanced the school hallways by creating murals and displaying their work.

Clubs 

Individual Attention 

Student Services 

The Student Services Department of St. Joseph’s College School provides support to students in their transition from elementary school; throughout the secondary school years; and to college, university or the workplace.  We have two dedicated full-time counsellors, two Child and Youth Workers and a secretary.  Together, they support students in making appropriate course selections and providing information on graduation requirements, post-secondary planning, and career opportunities.  Counsellors also support students in dealing with personal issues, making sound life choices, and balancing study and part-time work.

Resource Department 

At St. Joseph’s College School, students who need additional academic support can access the services of the Resource Department which consists of six full-time teachers and three educational assistants.  The Department assists students in variety of ways:  working with students within a particular classroom, providing a place for students to write tests and exams in a smaller setting, offering the Learning Strategies course, and developing students’ reading levels through Academy of Reading.  An Individual Education Plan is developed for any student requiring additional support.

Enriched Gifted/Program 

The Gifted/Enriched program at St. Joseph’s College School is open to any student who wishes to participate in the many activities offered.  These include Encounters With Canada, U of T Mentorship Program, Student UN Conferences, Canadian Club Luncheons, Social Justice Week, Queen’s University Enrichment Week, and the TCDSB Gifted Conference.  Gifted students assist in running the following school-wide initiatives:  Teens Taking Action Against Impaired Driving, In the Driver’s Seat, Violence Awareness Week, Grade 8 visits, and the Grade 9 Orientation.

Library Information Centre 

Our students live in a new era known as the Information Age.  The focus on information and technology has profoundly affected the nature of society and the world of work.  More information is accessible to all people in our society, and more businesses are seeking employees who are proficient in information retrieval, analysis, and communication, in conjunction with highly developed technological skills.  The focus of the Library Information Centre at St. Joseph’s College School is to encourage our students to become information literate and lifelong learners. 

The Library Information Centre at St. Joseph’s College is fully automated and secure.  Students and staff are encouraged to use the library for academic purposes.  The focus of the library information centre is to teach students to research efficiently and effectively.  The teacher librarian works in partnership with the classroom teachers in planning, teaching and delivering programs that best suit student needs.

Success For All 

Credit Recovery 
In order to ensure that all students have opportunities to meet with academic success, St. Joseph's College School offers a Credit Recovery program, target ing students who have not accumulated the expected number of credits for their year.  Academic achievement is reviewed regularly by Administration and Student Services and students who are behind in credit accumulation are programmed into Credit Recovery. 

PHAST PACES 
In conjunction with the Hospital for Sick Children, St. Joseph’s College School has introduced PHAST PACES, a reading program designed to provide students with decoding and comprehension skills.  Students are assessed by staff from HSC and recommended for the reading program which is then delivered by an SJCS teacher for one period each day in either Semester I or II. Students receive an English credit upon successful completion of the program.

Update on School Status

• December 7, 2007
  TCDSB acquires St. Joseph's College School--Letter to School Community

School News

School Calendar 2012

Professional Activity Days 2012

• February 17, 2012
• June 27, 2012
• June 28, 2012
• June 29, 2012

PA and Exam Day Calendar 2011-2012

Cardinal Designate, Archbishop Thomas Collins Visits St. Joseph's College
Cardinal Designate Collins visited the students and staff of St. Joseph’s College School on January 26th. He explained to us that we are called to experience God most fully through physical acts of humility and service to others. His Grace also reflected on his own personal journey of becoming a priest, a Bishop, an Archbishop and his excitement about being chosen to become a Cardinal.

St. Joseph’s College School and St. Francis Table
This is our third year volunteering at the St. Francis Table. Run by the Franciscans, it has provides a warm dinner to many in the Parkdale community. This outreach programme has a minimal staff of two cooks, Domenic and Sam. The rest of the work is done by volunteers and Brother John who coordinates the volunteer helpers.

St. Francis Table is runs like a proper restaurant. The patrons pay one dollar and have a choice or two entrees, coffee or tea plus dessert. Many of the desserts are donated by local bakeries and restaurants. Our Thanksgiving food drive help provide canned goods like beans and tomato sauce that are used in the recipes.

The St. Joseph’s students volunteer once or twice a month on Wednesdays. When they arrive, they help butter bread and organize the tables. Five of the students work as servers; this provides them a chance to talk to the clients providing a lovely evening out. Other students plate the food, bus, pour coffee or tea, wash dishes and scrap plates.

St. Francis Table is a fun experience for the students and the people who attend. Most of the patrons are homeless, elderly or are suffering from mental illness or addiction. This place provides a warm place to have a chat and a nice meal. The girls at St. Joseph’s College School truly enjoy the work they do at St. Francis Table.
 

Dr. Mary Anne McCarty-Mayor Memorial Award - click here for article about award winners, graduates of St. Joseph's College School

Day of Witness 
On Friday September 30^th, 230 determined grade 9 students at St. Joseph’s College School participated in a day where they actively volunteered in the city.   The day was amazing success due to the great work of the girls.  

The students were involved in 14 different placements.   At the “Christian Peacemaker Team Office” and the “Development and Peace Office”, they discussed social justice issue at the global level and helped out by stuffing envelops. Esther Kern of the “Christian Peacemakers” was so delighted with the work of the students that she asked them to come back to volunteer. 

At the “Furniture Bank” and the “Mustard Seed”, the students were able to witness an organization that was started by the Sisters of St. Joseph’s.  To quote Sister Gwen from the “Mustard Seed”, “We were most impressed with their energetic, cooperative spirits and their overall maturity as a group”.    

The grade 9s also went to outreach programmes that are run out of parish halls such as St. Thomas, St. Patrick and St. Stephen’s.  At “St. Francis Table”, a Franciscan organization, they feed the hungry in a dining establishment.  Brother John was pleased with how our students treated the patrons with respect.   

A lot of cleaning and organizing was accomplished at 6 St. Joseph’s House, St. John the Compassionate Mission, Good Shepherd and the Scott Mission.  The girls who went to the Scott Mission realized that organizing clothes for the needy is a difficult job but an important one. At the St. Felix Centre, they worked at a day care centre which was a lot of fun for the students and the young children. 

The SJCS Street Patrol was also out in full force that day feeding at least 200 hundred sandwiches to the homeless. The students learned that making sandwiches can be fun! 

Overall, the day was a success because of the amazing effort of the grade 9 students. During the school year, St. Joseph’s College School has made a commitment to volunteer at St. Francis Table, St. Stephen’s and St. Thomas’ as well as keeping the SJCS Street Patrol alive.     

St. Joseph’s College School Art Installation for Nuit Blanche
On Saturday, October 1st, students and staff of St. Joseph’s College School will present their original multimedia installation, Cloister at Scotiabank Nuit Blanche.

St. Joseph's College School was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph's 156 years ago. This installation will address key issues of Toronto's history and the deep involvement of the sisters with social justice issues. In the seclusion of the carefully constructed environment, students and staff reveal throughout the night the story within the mystery of their cloister through visual images projected with video footage, historical photographs and text woven into intervals of original music. A candle will be lit for every year of the schools existence as we travel through the archives of time to bring the audience the story of the Sisters of St. Joseph’s.

The title of the piece is meant to be ironic. The Sister of St. Joseph’s did not lead a cloistered life but were an active part in the formation of the city of Toronto building hospitals, high schools and elementary schools. The sisters have provided help to the city’s longstanding population of newly arrived immigrants, the indigent, the ailing and the poor. The Food Bank, The Furniture Bank and Mustard Seed are but a few of the organizations that continue to provide services for the poorest in our city.

It is an inspirational story; one that needs to be told to understand the history of Toronto.

Cloister will be projected on the front gates of St. Joseph’s College School at 74 Wellesley Street. Nuit Blanche will take place from sunset, 6:59 on October 1st to sunrise on Sunday, October 2nd.
 

Mary Anne McCarty-Mayor Memorial Scholarship 2011
The Dr. Mary Anne McCarty-Mayor Memorial Scholarship The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), a non-profit volunteer women’s organization founded in 1890 for descendants of individuals who aided in achieving American independence, has, through its Upper Canada Chapter, established an award in memory of Dr. Mary Anne McCarty-Mayor, honouring her professional life as a Psychologist with the Toronto Catholic District School Board.  Throughout her career, Dr. McCarty-Mayor helped countless children and won the abiding respect, admiration and affection of her peers.  On retirement, she joined the DAR, but just as she was becoming more involved in its work, a long-standing illness impeded her participation and, in 2008, she passed away. In establishing this scholarship, the DAR wishes to benefit a student while honouring Mary Anne’s memory and her dedication to her community and the field of psychology. The award is granted to a graduating student from St. Joseph College School, who demonstrates academic excellence, personal achievement, who contributes to the lives of others, and who plans to pursue the study of Psychology at university.  The 2011 scholarship was awarded to Caitlin Saracevic.

 
Maude McCarty presents Caitlin Saracevic with scholarship

Two Students get opportunity to take part in pilot placement program--Details

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