St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School (Oakville)
Encyclopedia
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School is a high school located in the western part of Old Oakville in Oakville, Ontario
. St. Thomas Aquinas is a member of the Halton Catholic District School Board
. There are approximately 850 students attending the school in grades 9 through 12, making it the second smallest high school in Halton
(of either the Catholic or public boards) within exception of Acton District High School with only 550 students.
At St. Thomas Aquinas, the current principal and vice-principal are, respectively, Mr. Patrick Daly and Mr. Greg Picone. The previous principal of St. Thomas Aquinas was Mr. Colin McGillicuddy (now at Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School
in River Oaks), and the previous vice-principal was Mr. Dave DeSantis (now at Christ the King Catholic Secondary School in Georgetown
).
The school offers academic programs for university
-bound students, applied programs for college-bound students, and essential programs for the learning challenged
; it also offers co-op apprenticeship and workplace programs in computer engineering and cosmetology (see below). The school community prides itself on athletic achievements, and STA fields teams known as the "Raiders" in a wide variety of sports (see below). Arts-related groups include the Aquinas Concert Band (which won a bronze medal at the Atlantic Band Festival in Halifax in May 2006), a Jazz
Band, a choir
, a yearly school play, entries in the Sears Drama Festival, and the school's Tech Crew. Several leadership and school community groups also exist, including the school's Student Council, the STA Prefects, the Athletic Council, and the Peace and Justice Club (the "PJs").
Today, after the opening of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School
, the feeder schools for St. Thomas Aquinas are St. Dominic, St. Joseph, St. James, St. Vincent and St. Luke Catholic Elementary schools.
The original school building was composed of five floors; three in the south end of the building and two in the north. The floors were offset by about 1/2 of a storey at a point just north of the school's main lobby. In the southern three-storey portion of the school were classrooms for the languages, mathematics, business and social studies departments, in addition to key school facilities such as the main office, the school's chapel and the library. In the northern two-storey portion of the school were the gymnasium, cafeteria, staff room and classrooms for the science, fine arts and technical studies departments.
St. Thomas Aquinas also had a number of portables in the late 1990s, which were later removed as the school's population declined due to the removal of the OAC grade and the opening of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School
in north Oakville.
In mid-May 2007, the Oakville Beaver
reported that the Halton Catholic District School Board
had made it a priority to provide funding for and move forward with the replacement of the school building. A major step forward came when the government of Ontario announced a $15 million grant in early September to go towards the replacement of the school building.
However, requiring a further $18 million for the project, the Halton Catholic District School Board began to look into other options to continue to raise money, in particular a plan that would have students diverted from St. Ignatius of Loyola and Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary schools to St. Thomas Aquinas in order to qualify for provincial grants. The proposed redirection of elementary school graduates from northern Oakville drew protest from parents who either opposed more boundary reviews or wanted their children to attend high school closer to home.
The proposed site plan was also altered and rearranged after the renovation project, as well as the planned lighting for the new sports field, drew resistance from residents in the surrounding area of south Oakville. The Southwest Central Oakville Residents Association (SCORA) was formed in 2008 to protest the school board's "disregard" for the natural setting, the elimination of grass sports fields, the addition of asphalt parking lots, the removal of "hundreds" of trees from the location, and the plans for "mega-lights" on the sports field. SCORA maintained that these factors would negatively impact both the character and property values of the surrounding neighbourhoods.
During the 2008-2009 school year, a series of portables were installed in the area formerly occupied by the school's sports field. By the late spring of 2009, students, faculty and staff had vacated the south end of the school, and a temporary main office had been set up in a vacated classroom at the school's north end. By May 2009, construction crews had finished stripping down the interior of the three floors (100s, 200s, and 300s) in the south end of the school, in addition to the main lobby and the school library. By June 2009, the portion of the school south of its main gymnasium had been demolished, though construction of the new building had not yet begun. Until the new building opened in February 2011, students continued to use the remaining northern half of the building, as well as the portables, to begin the 2009-2010 school year. During the transition, the school's many functions, such as the yearly school play, and so forth, continued to run. No extra-curricular activities were cancelled during this time.
The new school building comprises three storeys and features a theatre, two gymnasiums, a full range of tech and co-op classrooms and an interior running track. As of June 2011, the outdoor sports field and artificial turf, as well as associated landscaping, have yet to be completed.
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
. St. Thomas Aquinas is a member of the Halton Catholic District School Board
Halton Catholic District School Board
The Halton Catholic District School Board has its headquarters in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.The Halton Catholic District School Board is the Catholic English, English language school board for the region.-History:...
. There are approximately 850 students attending the school in grades 9 through 12, making it the second smallest high school in Halton
Regional Municipality of Halton, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Halton, or Halton Region, is a regional municipality of Ontario, Canada located in Southern Ontario in the southwest part of the Greater Toronto Area and until 1973 was known as Halton County...
(of either the Catholic or public boards) within exception of Acton District High School with only 550 students.
At St. Thomas Aquinas, the current principal and vice-principal are, respectively, Mr. Patrick Daly and Mr. Greg Picone. The previous principal of St. Thomas Aquinas was Mr. Colin McGillicuddy (now at Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School
Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School (Oakville)
Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School is a Separate school located in North Oakville in the River Oaks area within Oakville, Ontario. There are currently 1652 students attending - grades 9 through 12 in the 2007-2008 school year...
in River Oaks), and the previous vice-principal was Mr. Dave DeSantis (now at Christ the King Catholic Secondary School in Georgetown
Georgetown, Ontario
Georgetown is a community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Halton. It is situated on the Credit River, located approximately 60 km west of Toronto making it part of the Greater Toronto Area...
).
The school offers academic programs for university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
-bound students, applied programs for college-bound students, and essential programs for the learning challenged
Learning disability
Learning disability is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors...
; it also offers co-op apprenticeship and workplace programs in computer engineering and cosmetology (see below). The school community prides itself on athletic achievements, and STA fields teams known as the "Raiders" in a wide variety of sports (see below). Arts-related groups include the Aquinas Concert Band (which won a bronze medal at the Atlantic Band Festival in Halifax in May 2006), a Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Band, a choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, a yearly school play, entries in the Sears Drama Festival, and the school's Tech Crew. Several leadership and school community groups also exist, including the school's Student Council, the STA Prefects, the Athletic Council, and the Peace and Justice Club (the "PJs").
Today, after the opening of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School
Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School (Oakville)
Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School is a Separate school located in North Oakville in the River Oaks area within Oakville, Ontario. There are currently 1652 students attending - grades 9 through 12 in the 2007-2008 school year...
, the feeder schools for St. Thomas Aquinas are St. Dominic, St. Joseph, St. James, St. Vincent and St. Luke Catholic Elementary schools.
Old School Building
The first St. Thomas Aquinas school building was built in the 1960s, when it was first opened as Gordon E. Perdue High School. In 1990, the school became a Catholic high school when it was transferred from the public board to the Catholic board for the sum of $1 (as some money was required, by law, to be exchanged).The original school building was composed of five floors; three in the south end of the building and two in the north. The floors were offset by about 1/2 of a storey at a point just north of the school's main lobby. In the southern three-storey portion of the school were classrooms for the languages, mathematics, business and social studies departments, in addition to key school facilities such as the main office, the school's chapel and the library. In the northern two-storey portion of the school were the gymnasium, cafeteria, staff room and classrooms for the science, fine arts and technical studies departments.
St. Thomas Aquinas also had a number of portables in the late 1990s, which were later removed as the school's population declined due to the removal of the OAC grade and the opening of Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School
Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School (Oakville)
Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School is a Separate school located in North Oakville in the River Oaks area within Oakville, Ontario. There are currently 1652 students attending - grades 9 through 12 in the 2007-2008 school year...
in north Oakville.
Plans for a new school building
Despite a series of renovations over its lifetime, much of the school building dated back to the opening of the original Gordon E. Perdue High School more than forty years ago. Due to some poor construction (as well as poor planning), problems and inconveniences cropped up as the building began to show its age, resulting in growing support among the school community for a new, more modern school building.In mid-May 2007, the Oakville Beaver
Oakville Beaver
The Oakville Beaver is a locally distributed community newspaper in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. It is published three times weekly by Metroland Media Group....
reported that the Halton Catholic District School Board
Halton Catholic District School Board
The Halton Catholic District School Board has its headquarters in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.The Halton Catholic District School Board is the Catholic English, English language school board for the region.-History:...
had made it a priority to provide funding for and move forward with the replacement of the school building. A major step forward came when the government of Ontario announced a $15 million grant in early September to go towards the replacement of the school building.
However, requiring a further $18 million for the project, the Halton Catholic District School Board began to look into other options to continue to raise money, in particular a plan that would have students diverted from St. Ignatius of Loyola and Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary schools to St. Thomas Aquinas in order to qualify for provincial grants. The proposed redirection of elementary school graduates from northern Oakville drew protest from parents who either opposed more boundary reviews or wanted their children to attend high school closer to home.
The proposed site plan was also altered and rearranged after the renovation project, as well as the planned lighting for the new sports field, drew resistance from residents in the surrounding area of south Oakville. The Southwest Central Oakville Residents Association (SCORA) was formed in 2008 to protest the school board's "disregard" for the natural setting, the elimination of grass sports fields, the addition of asphalt parking lots, the removal of "hundreds" of trees from the location, and the plans for "mega-lights" on the sports field. SCORA maintained that these factors would negatively impact both the character and property values of the surrounding neighbourhoods.
During the 2008-2009 school year, a series of portables were installed in the area formerly occupied by the school's sports field. By the late spring of 2009, students, faculty and staff had vacated the south end of the school, and a temporary main office had been set up in a vacated classroom at the school's north end. By May 2009, construction crews had finished stripping down the interior of the three floors (100s, 200s, and 300s) in the south end of the school, in addition to the main lobby and the school library. By June 2009, the portion of the school south of its main gymnasium had been demolished, though construction of the new building had not yet begun. Until the new building opened in February 2011, students continued to use the remaining northern half of the building, as well as the portables, to begin the 2009-2010 school year. During the transition, the school's many functions, such as the yearly school play, and so forth, continued to run. No extra-curricular activities were cancelled during this time.
New School Building
The new St. Thomas Aquinas school building opened in February 2011, coinciding with the start of the second semester of the 2010-2011 school year.The new school building comprises three storeys and features a theatre, two gymnasiums, a full range of tech and co-op classrooms and an interior running track. As of June 2011, the outdoor sports field and artificial turf, as well as associated landscaping, have yet to be completed.
Notable alumni
- John Tavares – currently a forward for the New York IslandersNew York IslandersThe New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, as well as the holder of several scoring records for minor hockey - Carl EnglishCarl EnglishCarl Jerome English is a Canadian professional basketball player. He stands 6'5" tall and weighs 205 pounds and he plays at the shooting guard position. He had unsuccessful tryouts for the NBA, with the Indiana Pacers and the Seattle SuperSonics...
– professional basketball player, who attended the school for one year prior to attending the University of HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiThe University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment... - Ivan ChiriaevIvan ChiriaevIvan Chiriaev is a Russian basketball player.-Amateur career:...
– former NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
prospect - Kara LangKara LangKara Elise Lang is a retired Canadian soccer player, who represented her country in two FIFA World Cups and the Olympic Games, and played club soccer for Vancouver Whitecaps Women...
– retired striker for the Canadian national women's soccer team
Academics
St. Thomas Aquinas offers programs for university-, college-, and workplace-bound students. The school also offers programs for special-needs students under the Special Education department.Regional Programs
St. Thomas Aquinas is the host school for several regional programs for both the Halton Catholic and Halton Public school boards. These programs are available to all students in either board providing they meet any applicable prerequisites. These programs include the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Programs (OYAP) and a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program.- Hairstylist OYAP - Hairstylist Concentrated OYAP is a program specifically designed to help students make a smooth successful transition from high school directly into their post-secondary hairstylist apprenticeship and to prepare students for a career in aesthetics.
- Information Technology Technician (ITT) OYAP - is a program specifically designed to help students make a smooth successful transition from high school directly into a post-secondary Information Technology Technician (ITT) apprenticeship or diploma program.
- Health and Wellness Specialist High Skills Major - designed to help students make a smooth transition into health-care related careers, which offer many opportunities due to aging demographics. The curriculum delivered in this program focuses on human physiology and anatomy, pathology, immunology, basic medical terminology, gerontology, child development and laboratory practical elements.
Extracurriculars
St. Thomas Aquinas offers a variety of extra-curricular clubs and activities including its online news site Aquinas Onlivehttp://aquinas.me.- Art Club
- Aquinas Onlive
- Chaplaincy team
- Dominican RepublicDominican RepublicThe Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
HOPE mission trip - Drama and the annual school play
- Environmental Club
- Peace and Justice Club
- Music (concert band, jazz band, junior band and choir)
- Silent No More
- Tech Crew
- Yearbook
Athletics
St. Thomas Aquinas fields athletic teams called the "Raiders". STA is a member school of the Halton Secondary School Athletics Association. Students at St. Thomas can participate in both individual and team sports in any of three seasons: fall, winter, or spring.Varsity Teams
- Girls' Soccer: OFSAA Gold: 2006, OFSAA Silver: 2004, 2008 Halton 'A/AA' & GHAC Champions: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
- Boys' Soccer: HSSAA 'A/AA' League Champions: 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010. OFSAA Participants: 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Boys' FootballCanadian footballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
- Girls' BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
: HSSAA Tier 2 Champions: 2011 - Boys' BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
: HSSAA Tier 2 Champions: 2011 - Girls' Field HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- Boys' RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
- Girls' RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
- Boys' VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Girls' VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Boys' BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- Girls' SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- Boys' LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- Cross-countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
- Boys' HockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
: 2009 OFSAA A/AA Bronze medalists - Girls' HockeyHockeyHockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
Junior & Midget Teams
- Boys' FootballCanadian footballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
: Junior Team (Division 2) Halton Champions: 2007 - Girls' Soccer
- Boys' Soccer
- Boys' FootballCanadian footballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
: Halton Champions (Division 2): 2007 - Girls' BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
: HSSAA Tier 2 Champions: 2011 - Boys' BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
- Girls' Field HockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
- Boys' RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
- Girls' RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
- Boys' VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Girls' VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
- Boys' BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- Boys' Midget BaseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
- Girls' SoftballSoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
- Boys' LacrosseLacrosseLacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
- Cross-countryCross country runningCross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
- Track and FieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...