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Summer is officially over and September 6 marks the day when thousands of York Catholic’s students will return to school to begin a brand-new school year. Many students are returning and excitedly entering a new grade, while others are just beginning school for the first time.
The 2011-2012 school year is set to be one with many new and exciting changes for York Catholic. At the elementary level, five additional York Catholic schools will now offer the Full Day Kindergarten program to their communities. These schools are in addition to the 14 schools that welcomed the program last year. In total, a remarkable 1,600 York Catholic kindergarten students are now enrolled in the Full Day Kindergarten program.
“The response from the communities has been excellent, said Chair Elizabeth Crowe. “By offering Full Day Kindergarten at more sites each year, York Region’s Catholic students can start the learning process earlier at schools with a uniquely Catholic focus.”
At the high school level, Aurora’s Cardinal Carter and Markham’s Father Michael McGivney Catholic High Schools will now offer the first year of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program this year. The IB Diploma Programme is an academically challenging, two-year program offered to students in Grades 11 and 12. It is internationally respected amongst the world’s leading universities with a course load that is designed to be balanced and provide a well-rounded education.
Along with the program’s first year, Cardinal Carter and Fr. McGivney will also continue to offer the Academic Foundations program – one that helps Grade 9 and 10 students prepare to enter the IB Programme.
The introduction of the IB Programme at Cardinal Carter and Father McGivney has attracted students locally, as well as from public and private schools, and even the international community. These two new school locations will be in addition to Thornhill’s St. Robert IB Programme, which continues to thrive.
In other high school news, York Catholic’s two newest high schools will also begin offering something new this year - Grade 12 classes. When Richmond Hill’s Jean Vanier Catholic High School and Aurora’s St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School first opened, they only had students entering Grades 9 and 10. As the schools move into their third year, new students are beginning Grade 9, and Jean Vanier and St. Max’s original students are proudly entering Grade 12 this September.
Director of Education Susan LaRosa believes that the beginning of a new school year is a chance to work collaboratively towards the common goal of quality learning for all.
“Offering quality learning, where each student can reach his or her full potential, is what we aim for at York Catholic,” said Director of Education Susan LaRosa. “A new school year welcomes the opportunity to build on skills of the past, while striving for excellence as we move into the future.”
York Catholic welcomes each and every student to our learning community.