Submit Denis O'Connor and Notre Dame Boundary Review Feedback
At the Regular Board Meeting of Monday, December 19, 2022, the Durham Catholic District School Board of Trustees approved the following motions regarding the boundary revisions in Ajax:
The decision was made based on the information and recommendations brought forward by the Archbishop Denis O’Connor and Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School Boundary Review Committee, which included community input that took place in October 2022. Input was also received through a dedicated webpage, feedback form, phone extension and e-mail address. All feedback and related documents can be viewed on the board’s website at https://www.dcdsb.ca/en/our-board/archbishop-denis-o-connor-and-notre-dame-boundary-review.aspx.
Thank you to all members of our school community for your cooperation throughout the study. We will continue to work together to ensure a smooth transition for students.
More information about the revised Archbishop Denis O’Connor and Notre Dame Catholic Secondary Schools boundaries will be shared in the months ahead.
On January 24, 2022, the Board of Trustees received the Long-Term Accommodation Plan 2022-2026 (LTAP) report and approved the guiding principles and actions to be undertaken. Within the LTAP report, staff was directed to undertake an Ajax Program and Boundary review to address potential program and service delivery models at one or more Catholic Schools. In preparation of this full boundary and program review, this report seeks to rectify a longstanding boundary issue that resulted from the St. Patrick Catholic School Single Track French decision of 2015.
The current St. Jude Catholic School boundary is split between Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School and Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School for students attending secondary school. The legacy boundary has left the graduating Grade 8 students at St. Jude Catholic School with an option to attend either of these secondary schools. This is contrary to the joint board approved Student Transportation Policy (PO429), where school boundaries are established, and eligible students are transported to their designated area school and students who are out of boundary are not provided transportation.
At the Durham Catholic District School Board’s Regular Board Meeting of Monday, September 26, 2022, the Board of Trustees approved a proposed boundary revision for Archbishop Denis O’Connor and Notre Dame Catholic Secondary Schools, which would be effective September 1, 2023.
The Durham Catholic District School Board is committed to an open and transparent process that allows for public input through a variety of means. A public meeting has been scheduled on the dates listed below to present the proposed change and provide the opportunity for our parents and guardians to ask questions and provide input.
Meeting Date | Time | Location |
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Wednesday, October 26, 2022 | 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. |
St. Jude Catholic School (Gym) 68 Coles Ave, Ajax |
The boundary change in 2014 split the St. Jude Catholic School boundary between Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School and Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School for students for a limited number of grades and years. Over time the practice of maintaining a split boundary remained in place and students from St. Jude CS had the option to attend either secondary school. The split boundary is contrary to the joint board approved Student Transportation Policy PO429, where school boundaries are established, and eligible students are transported to their designated area school and students who are out of boundary are not provided transportation. The change, if approved, will result in a boundary that conforms to the Transportation Policy.
The boundary change is for students going into Grade 9 only. All students now enrolled at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School can remain at the school until graduation. The boundary change means that the graduating Grade 8 class at St. Jude Catholic School will no longer have the option to attend either secondary school.
The existing students at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School will be allowed to remain at the school until graduation as part of the implementation of the boundary change.
All bus eligible students living in the St. Jude Catholic School boundary and any bus eligible students in the rest of the Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School boundary will receive student transportation to the school.
The changes in enrollment annually result in staff moving between the Board’s Catholic secondary schools in accordance with the various collective agreements. The proposed change would not result in an undue movement of staff between the affected schools, and the Board will work with all affected groups under the staffing timelines in the collective agreements.
As of September 30, 2022, there are 35 Grade 8 students graduating from St. Jude Catholic School that would be impacted by the decision and would be required to go to Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School. Of the 35 students, 17 students live in the current Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School boundary while 18 students live in the current Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School boundary.
The Board’s philosophy of inclusion makes every effort to fully include all students, regardless of exceptionality, into regular, age-appropriate classrooms. All our teachers share in the responsibility of providing appropriate education for every student in their care. The classroom or subject teacher may access resource staff within the school or draw upon the wider resources of the system as the need arises. The Board supports every school with resources to address each student’s needs and is committed to assisting students with the preparation for, and the adjustment to change as they adapt to a variety of settings in an effort to reduce or avoid some of the anxiety that they may experience. The Education Act requires school boards to provide a transition plan for all students on an Individual Education Plan.
The start times at Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School is 9:30 a.m. while the start time at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School is 8:00 a.m. The school start times are set in concert with Durham Student Transportation Services (DSTS) and coordinated with the Durham District School Board. No changes to start times are anticipated for either school as a result of the boundary change.
All students currently attending Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School will be allowed to remain at the school until graduation as part of the implementation of the boundary change. Any students currently attending Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School will now be part of the new boundary and allowed to remain at the school until graduation as well. In cases where families will be split by the boundary change, students may request an Exception to School Attendance Area to attend Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School. If the request is approved, no student transportation will be provided.
The Board considers exception to school attendance area requests from students at all schools. Every request must include the reasons for an exception request. The request is first addressed by the “home” school and processed by the principal. Applications, if approved by the “home” school are then forwarded to the requested school for review and approval by that principal. All exception to school attendance area requests if approved, are provided without student transportation, and are reviewed annually to address issues of overcrowding.
If the Board of Trustees approves the boundary changes by December 2022 or January 2023, the boundary changes can take place for September 2023.
To graduate every student must achieve 30 secondary school credits, complete 40 hours of Catholic Community Service, and successfully complete the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Of the 30 credits, 18 are identified by the Ministry of Education as compulsory. A further 4 credits are Religion credits required by the Board for graduation. Both schools offer a range of academic programs with all pathways available. Both schools offer Cooperative Education programs and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship programs.
Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School offers a French Immersion program serving students from schools in the Town of Ajax. Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School offers the board’s virtual learning program.
Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School offers Advanced Placement courses in Calculus, Functions, Biology and Chemistry. In addition, each school offers a number of Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM), Technological Education and Dual Credit programs.
Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Programs
Archbishop Denis O’Connor CHS |
Notre Dame CSS |
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Technological Education
Archbishop Denis O’Connor CHS |
Notre Dame CSS |
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Dual Credit
Archbishop Denis O’Connor CHS |
Notre Dame CSS |
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Each school has a range of sports teams that compete in LOSSA although the schools may be in different divisions based on their size. Both schools offer Basketball, Cross Country, Ultimate Frisbee, Golf, Volleyball, Soccer, and Track and Field.
Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School also offers Baseball, Badminton, Hockey, and Nordic Skiing.
A Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program is a ministry-approved specialized program that allows students to focus their learning on a specific economic sector, while meeting the requirements of an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). SHSM programs are a bundle of eight to ten Grade 11 and Grade 12 credits. Students who wish to take an SHSM apply through the guidance department at their high school. If a student wishes to take an SHSM program at another school that will require a transfer and an application to attend.