St.
Mary Catholic Academy is a progressive academic Catholic secondary school
situated in the heart of Bloordale. We
were founded by the Sisters of the Faithful Companions of Jesus and we continue
their mission to educate the whole student as reflected in the school motto, “that they may have life and have it to the
full.” (John 10:10). This motto
conveys the importance of providing students with a strong academic foundation
that is blended with the TCDSB Catholic Graduate Expectations and competitive
athletic programs.
As a
smaller school, the atmosphere is very friendly and our students have the
advantage of smaller class sizes and increased contact with the teachers for a
richer classroom experience. Each
student is well-known and have greater opportunities for leadership with the
TCDSB and at the school on the Student Council, various clubs and
athletics.
St.
Mary Catholic Academy maintains high standards of academic excellence in the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) in grades 11 and 12, our
pre-IB or enriched courses in grades 9 and 10.
Last year marked the first IB graduating class and these graduates
received numerous scholarships and bursaries to university programs.
We are
also very proud of our Automotive SHSM program which prepares students for an
Automotive Apprenticeship after graduation at well-known car dealerships in the
GTA.
Our
high academic achievement in numeracy and literacy is demonstrated through our
consistently high scores in both the EQAO Grade 9 EQAO Math Assessment and the
Grade 10 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. We take great pride in preparing students for
these standardized tests and maintaining our high standards.
St.
Mary is ‘technology-rich’ with over 100 Chrome books in our Learning Commons
and three computer labs. Our teaching
staff provides differentiated instruction that reflects the changing world of
work through 21st century learning skills such as collaboration,
creativity, critical thinking and communication. We also have well-established enrichment
opportunities with the University of Toronto, Ryerson and University of
Waterloo.
Our
students are committed to the Catholic Graduate Expectations and are
active-participants in St. Anthony Parish and in several community-out-reach
opportunities such as the Scott Mission, food banks and sandwich patrol in
Bloordale.
Finally,
we have developed and maintained high standards of excellence in our athletic
program which has resulted in two TCDAA city-wide championships for our Senior
Boys Basketball Team and 2nd place in the TCDAA city-wide
championship for Varsity Ultimate Frisbee.
I am
very proud of the students and staff at St. Mary Catholic Academy. We are a small and friendly community that
supports academic success and provides opportunities for leadership and
athletics.
Ms. Laila Velocci
Principal