Catholic Return Ticket

The Catholic Return Ticket Program (CRT) is designed to provide academic and non-academic support for students of the Durham Catholic District School Board who have been expelled or who are on a long-term suspension.

The CRT program runs five days a week from 8:45 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. This is a regional program available to any secondary student who has been suspended or expelled from one of our DCDSB schools.

Students participating in the Catholic Return Ticket program while suspended are expected to wear their school uniform.

Students participating in the Catholic Return Ticket program while expelled will have a uniform provided to them.

Transportation support is provided for those students who qualify.

Location: Father Donald MacLellan Catholic Secondary School (458 Fairall Street, Unit 7, Ajax, ON L1S1R6) 

Phone: 905-666-1146

Website: https://fatherdonmaclellan.dcdsb.ca/   

Catholic Return Ticket is a program created by the Durham Catholic District School Board Safe Schools department. 

Students can be suspended for a period of 1 to 20 school days.  

Students who are suspended for more than five (5) school days are considered to be on a long-term suspension. 

• Students who are suspended for 1 to 5 days will receive a homework package from their school.
• Students who are suspended for 6 to 10 days will be offered an academic program that will help them continue learning. Work will be provided by the home school. A Student Action Plan (SAP) will be created by the home school and will be used at the intake meeting to determine the student’s goals while they attend the program.
• Students who are suspended for 11 to 20 school days will be offered a program with an academic component provided by their home school as well as non-academic component to promote positive behaviour. A Student Action Plan (SAP) will be created by the home school and will be used at the intake meeting to determine the student’s goals while they attend the program.

Non-academic components can include supports like anger management, substance-abuse counselling or life skills coaching to help engage and motivate the student, and encourage positive behaviour. 

An expulsion is different from a suspension. An expulsion does not have a time limit. Expelled students are removed from school for an indefinite time period. Students are suspended first, while expulsion is being considered.

Students can be expelled from their own school or they can be expelled from all schools in their school board. 

Limited Expulsion

• When students are expelled only from their school, they are moved to another school in the board.
• Supports and resources are made available to the student at the new school.

Full Expulsion

• When students are expelled from all schools in the board, they may participate in the expulsion program – Catholic Return Ticket (CRT).
• The Principal will hold a planning meeting with school staff, the student and parents to identify student needs and program.

The Catholic Return Ticket program provides academic and non-academic support for students of who have been expelled or who are on a long-term suspension. 

If a student is serving a long-term suspension, they will complete work as assigned by their home school and return to their home school when the suspension has been completed. 

If a student is expelled, they become a full-time student at Father Donald MacLellan, Catholic Return Ticket program. There are two components of this program: 

• The Academic portion of this program includes students completing their courses and earning their credits.
• The non-academic portion of this program involves setting and meeting goals with the school Social Worker over time. The Child and Youth Counsellor also provides individualized skill-based support to students. 

When expelled students have successfully completed the expulsion program, they will earn their return ticket.  This return ticket allows them to return to any mainstream school except for the school from which they were expelled. The Principal of the Catholic Return ticket in consultation with the Superintendent of Education for Safe Schools will determine the school most appropriate for the student to return to.

A re-entry plan will be developed to help the student make the transition back into school. The plan will include strategies to help make the student's return to school successful.  This would include identifying any extra academic or non-academic supports to promote positive behaviour the student may need. A re-entry meeting will be scheduled with the student and their parents, the new school staff, and the CRT staff to discuss strategies and supports to promote the student’s ongoing success at school.