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About Us
Words of Welcome - The Future Begins Here
Dear Students and Parents/Guardians . . . We are pleased and honoured to welcome students and their families to St John Henry Newman Catholic High School.
St John Henry Newman Catholic High School is named for the famous 19th century English convert to Catholicism, John Henry Newman. An accomplished author and founder of what came to be known as the Oxford movement, Newman’s efforts and example won many converts to the church.
St John Henry Newman C.H.S. is located on a magnificent 45 acre campus overlooking the Scarborough Bluffs and Lake Ontario, a site shared with St. Augustine’s Seminary. Unlike traditional Catholic schools founded by religious orders, St John Henry Newman Catholic High School opened in the fall of 1973, as Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, entirely staffed by lay Catholic teachers.
Newman was one of two high schools in the system to pilot an integration program for students with special needs. We were among the first schools within the Toronto Catholic District School Board to introduce programs ranging from peer counseling and mediation to electronic keyboarding and communications technology.
Our school was profiled in a video produced by the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association in the 1990s for our exemplary work in developing programs that integrate Catholic values and teachings into the curriculum. We are proud that innovation is a part of our tradition at Newman. St John Henry Newman Catholic High School continues to thrive because of its tradition of providing a caring educational, social and spiritual environment for our students.
At St John Henry Newman Catholic High School, we are committed to making a difference in the lives of our students. We are a community that celebrates the unique gifts of every student. We are dedicated to developing the whole person — intellectually, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.
Our programs and activities create an environment that enables students to grow in faith and truth. We believe that individual growth fosters a reverence for life that empowers students to heed the Christian call to a life of service. We encourage young people to embrace the values of Jesus Christ and to participate, with the grace of the Holy Spirit in establishing the Kingdom of God.
St John Henry Newman Catholic High School enjoys a long standing reputation for excellence in Academics, the Arts and Athletics with an emphasis on service, community building and gospel values. Within our regular program, the unique needs of every student are supported through:
Enriched Courses, Advanced Placement, Extended French, ESL and Gifted Programs and our Specialist High Skills Major [SHSM] programs, in three areas - Information Communication Technology, Non-Profit and Sports.
Challenging and active Technological Studies and Science programs;
A tradition of excellence in the Arts including, Drama, Music and Visual Arts;
An extensive spirited Athletic program;
Cooperative Education opportunities including the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP);
Resource support and individualized education planning with an emphasis on student success;
Vibrant student leadership initiatives through our Chaplaincy Department, Student Council and Athletic Association including: Grade 9 Summer School Transition Program, Camp Olympia, Peer Helping, Grade 9 Orientation Retreat and many other community outreach opportunities.
What really brings the school to life, are the multitude of co-curricular programs, which are a vital component of a student’s well-rounded development. Our student services department has developed peer counselling and peer tutoring programs to serve all students in the community and to promote their personal and interpersonal growth. We have a well-developed sports program with competitive league teams ranging from rugby to racquet sports and an intramural program open to all interested students. Our clubs cater to every interest from the Hype dance group and Reach for the Top to snowboarding and skiing.
A strong tradition of involvement within the arts has been nurtured over the years. Art shows provide a showcase for our visual arts students, annual concerts provide a forum for our musical ensemble and choirs, and our drama club’s work over the years has encompassed everything from Broadway musicals to serious theatre. The variety of co-curricular activities offer all students the opportunity to explore individual talents, to develop skills, and to enrich the entire community.
Our mission statement shows our commitment to the intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional and social development of our students, ]and to a fully inclusive model of education that is grounded in Gospel values. Common attitudes, values and beliefs bind our community and ultimately have a positive effect on the quality of life enjoyed by both teachers and students.
The Catholic Vision
Our Catholic vision at St John Henry Newman is rooted in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is infused in not only our religious education classes, but also in our entire curriculum and in all aspects of our community life. We believe in building a Christ-centred community of service to one another and in transforming the world through Catholic education.
Throughout the school year, we provide many opportunities to live out our Gospel values, to develop our God-given gifts, and to put our faith into action. It is through school-wide activities including Christmas food baskets, Scar Trek and Respect for Life week that we inspire our students to live fully and to serve God by serving one another. We celebrate and witness our faith through meaningful daily prayer, our monthly celebration of the Eucharist, and through acts of social justice.
In a world transformed by globalization, and technological innovation, we believe that faith-based education will provide our students with the necessary foundation to become discerning, life-long learners, as they engage individually and collaboratively to become critical-thinking global citizens. At St John Henry Newman Catholic High School, we answer the call to a faith-filled life of witness inspired by the love of our Father, the faith in Jesus Christ, and the hope from the Holy Spirit. Our staff, in partnership with parents and parishes, help to guide and inspire our students to become mature, caring and responsible citizens who exemplify our Catholic School Graduate Expectations.