School Spotlight - St. Bernadette Catholic School

This School Spotlight segment features St. Bernadette Catholic School. Thank you to the St. Bernadette Administrative team for taking the time to gather and reflect on the past, present and future of the school.

Past: Father Vincent McGivney saw a need for a Catholic school as the area- of what we now know as south Ajax- became busier and more and more families moved in. With his persistence and enthusiasm, St. Bernadette Catholic School opened its original doors on September 4, 1951 to an eager 148 students who would fill its 4 classrooms. 

Throughout the years, St. Bernadette grew and changed, as it continues to today. Additions were added, buildings were taken down and constructed and numbers slowly increased, to a point where 12 portables were on site to accommodate over 1000 students. True to the welcoming spirit of St. Bernadette, the various school buildings have been host to other school communities as their buildings were being constructed – St. James, St. Jude, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Patrick Catholic Schools. We are proud of the foundations of our school, and when you visit, you will be able to find the original cross that hung on our original building as well as a replica mural depicting St. Bernadette’s life painted in 1979 by Father McCarroll. 

Present: At St. Bernadette, we pride ourselves in our sense of community. From the families who entrust their children to our care, to the strong relationships we have with our parish, lunch hour supervisors, volunteers, community partners, and our amazing staff, it is evident why we all clearly feel that St. Bernadette is the BEST! Our students are lucky to have a group of adults who really do their best to bring them amazing experiences throughout the year. Students engage in all sports, and even though basketball is the sport of preference, volleyball, tchoukball, track and field, flag football, soccer and now cricket are all opportunities our students learn valuable life lessons through- like comradery, teamwork, responsibility, self-discipline and yes, even having fun! We also have so many clubs to engage students and have them involved: folk dancing, bracelet making club, chess club, games club, Eco Amigos, Leadership Team, choir, lego club and more. Our use of technology and coding skills are fantastic as we strengthen and build our 21st Century Learning skills. Everyone’ talents and interests are explored here at St. B’s.  

Future: As we look ahead, we see a bright and growing school community. Each day we are welcoming new residents to our area, and look forward to having them feel a part of opur amazing community. At St. B’s, we are an inclusive community that opens our doors to everyone, so that every person feels inspired, valued and feel like they belong. We continue to all use our God-given talents to make a difference each and every day.