Waterloo Catholic District School Board
Encyclopedia
Waterloo Catholic District School Board (WCDSB) is a school board serving the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
. Its headquarters are in Kitchener
. It is the eighth largest Catholic school system in Ontario. The mission statement of the Board is "With the gift of the Catholic faith: Learning, growing and transforming the world together, as faithful disciples of the Risen Lord."
The Board's 30,000 elementary, secondary and adult/continuing education students are served by more than 3,000 full-tme staff (including teachers, educational assistants, support staff, custodial staff, youth care workers, administrators and chaiplains.) Of the residents in the area served by the Board, 29% are Catholic; and 26% of area students attend a Catholic school.
), and Preston (now Cambridge
.)
With the passage of the British North America Act in 1867, which guaranteed Roman Catholics in Ontario
the right to their own Catholic schools, it was only a matter of time until Catholic schools extended into all of Waterloo County. For many years, the teaching staffs came from among the Religious – particularly Religious Sisters. Today the laity
carries out the teaching and support roles.
By 1968, there were independent Catholic School Boards operating in Kitchener, Waterloo, Galt, Preston, Hespeler, Bridgeport, New Hamburg, Maryhill, St. Agatha, Linwood, Elmira and St. Clements. These independent Boards all ceased to exist on January 1, 1969, when the Ontario Legislature amalgamated them into one Board – the Waterloo County Separate School Board.
In 1997, the Waterloo County Separate School Board became the Waterloo District Catholic School Board.
In 2008, the WCDSB staged a production of 42nd Street
. This production casts students from all five high schools in the board. This production is a followup after the success of their 2005 production of Les Misérables
.
The Board is run independently of the Waterloo Region District School Board
, which operates the public schools in Waterloo Region.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Its headquarters are in Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
. It is the eighth largest Catholic school system in Ontario. The mission statement of the Board is "With the gift of the Catholic faith: Learning, growing and transforming the world together, as faithful disciples of the Risen Lord."
The Board's 30,000 elementary, secondary and adult/continuing education students are served by more than 3,000 full-tme staff (including teachers, educational assistants, support staff, custodial staff, youth care workers, administrators and chaiplains.) Of the residents in the area served by the Board, 29% are Catholic; and 26% of area students attend a Catholic school.
Brief history
What was to become the Waterloo Catholic District School Board began in 1836 in the shape of two one-room schoolhouses. By 1907 the local area had 6 Catholic Schools (including a Catholic girls' convent school.) The original schools were centered in the areas of Berlin (now KitchenerKitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
), and Preston (now Cambridge
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
.)
With the passage of the British North America Act in 1867, which guaranteed Roman Catholics in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
the right to their own Catholic schools, it was only a matter of time until Catholic schools extended into all of Waterloo County. For many years, the teaching staffs came from among the Religious – particularly Religious Sisters. Today the laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
carries out the teaching and support roles.
By 1968, there were independent Catholic School Boards operating in Kitchener, Waterloo, Galt, Preston, Hespeler, Bridgeport, New Hamburg, Maryhill, St. Agatha, Linwood, Elmira and St. Clements. These independent Boards all ceased to exist on January 1, 1969, when the Ontario Legislature amalgamated them into one Board – the Waterloo County Separate School Board.
In 1997, the Waterloo County Separate School Board became the Waterloo District Catholic School Board.
In 2008, the WCDSB staged a production of 42nd Street
42nd Street (musical)
42nd Street is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, lyrics by Al Dubin, and music by Harry Warren. The 1980 Broadway production, directed by an ailing Gower Champion and orchestrated by Philip J. Lang, won the Tony Award for Best Musical and became a long-running hit...
. This production casts students from all five high schools in the board. This production is a followup after the success of their 2005 production of Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
.
The Board is run independently of the Waterloo Region District School Board
Waterloo Region District School Board
Waterloo Region District School Board is the public school board for the Region of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. It operates 103 elementary schools, 16 secondary schools, and other facilities, serving 60,000 students in the Region of Waterloo. It has approximately 5500 staff and a budget of $675...
, which operates the public schools in Waterloo Region.
See also
- List of Ontario school boards
- List of Waterloo Region, Ontario schools
- Catholic Education in Canada
- Public Education in Canada