Our School
At St. Monica Catholic School, we are called to celebrate and nurture the God-given talents of each student as we serve with excellence in the light of Christ. We recognize our call to love and serve from our Master teacher Jesus Christ, and we are committed to creating a Catholic learning community under the protection of Mother Mary. The Catholic Graduate Expectations are our foundation as we strive for academic excellence and the acknowledgement of those who achieve it. We recognize God as the source of all life and actively work to focus on social issues within our local and global communities.
We celebrate the diversity within our community with a collaborative approach to learning, in cooperation with parents, the Catholic faith community, and other organizations that recognize the value of our mission. Within the context of Catholic teaching and Sacramental living, our school community strives to demonstrate respect and reverence for all life, thus nurturing a safe, Christian environment for the entire school community.
Drama/The Arts
Theatre productions have been a big part of this school. The students have entertained with many talent shows, Folk Dance Jamborees and skipping presentations. Our school has entered (and won) the Durham Region Choir Festival many times. The choirs have also performed at Regional Council meetings upon request. In the past, the school has put on productions of Grease, The Wizard of Oz, Amahl and the Night Visitors, as well as The Nifty Fifties. In 2000, the Millennium Production had every student in the school participating, as did our Disney Showcase in 2005.
In 2011, St. Monica was excited to offer instrumental music to our Grade 7 and 8 students, and they were thrilled to perform at the Showcase of the Arts in May 2012. Reading for the Love of It, an hour where everyone in the school reads alone or in small groups, has been enjoyed here for over 20 years, beginning in the early 1990s under the direction of our beloved librarian Jackie Johnston. School Book Fairs are held at least twice a year and are very well received.
Parish Involvement
When it was first built, St. Monica was extremely lucky to be under the guardianship of our beloved Father Jack Culnan at Holy Redeemer Church. Through the years, the school and church have worked together to form a great bond. Starting in 1988, the students would act out the nativity scene every Christmas. Masses have been celebrated at the church and many times in the school gym over the years. Our school graduation/leaving ceremonies were celebrated at Holy Redeemer Church every June until 2005.
Many teachers have worked collaboratively with the church to enhance their classroom programs. Mike Hyland was known throughout the Pickering area for his class portrayal of The Washing of the Feet. Mary Ann Joseph's class always put together Passover Seder suppers, and every year Jerry Georgiadis's classes enjoy his Christmas Around the World unit.
The Knights of Columbus are known at St. Monica for their involvement at our School Kickoff Family Barbeque night and are a great help with pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. The annual K of C Free Throw Competition is an event enjoyed by all students in grades 4 to 8 every year.
Philosophy
As Catholic educators, we live according to our Father's code and to lead our students, by example, to live the basic truths of the gospel message. This is an awesome, yet inspiring challenge which we share with the parents of our young men and women.
Children learn what they live. Each day we have the opportunity to teach our students:
- to love by the way we love;
- to be generous by our generosity;
- to be passionate by our compassion; and
- to be forgiving by the way we forgive.
