Our Achievements

From May 4 to May 9, 2025, the DCDSB will unite with Catholic schools throughout Ontario to celebrate Catholic Education Week. The theme for this year is Pilgrims of Hope. We encourage students, families, and staff to explore this meaningful theme further and discover the exciting events and activities we have organized for the celebration. Visit dcdsb.ca/CatholicEducationWeek to learn more.

On Tuesday, December 10, DCDSB students, families, staff and community members attended the True Meaning of CHRISTmas concert at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Whitby. Students from seven DCDSB school choirs sang Christmas and Advent songs. Attendees were encouraged to bring gift card donations of any value which were given to the Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation to assist with needs in the community during Christmas. Thank you to the students and staff involved for sharing your God-given talents with everyone during this joyous season!

On Friday, January 17, students from St. Leo Catholic School, St. Bridget Catholic School and St. John Paul II Catholic School in Brooklin were blessed to receive a school visit from His Excellency, Bishop Vincent Nguyen. 

Bishop Nguyen spoke to students and staff about his role in the clergy and answered questions students had about his mitre (i.e. traditional headgear worn by the Bishop), his crosier (i.e. the Bishop’s staff), and his vocation.

Thank you to Father Mounir El-Rassi from St. Leo the Great Catholic Church for coordinating the school visits. It was a wonderful opportunity to see the home-school-parish triad in action!

On Thursday, May 29, the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) welcomed local clergy, parish staff, parents, school administrators, and school staff for a special symposium with the goal to nurture collaborative relationships between families, parishes, and school staff who share a strong commitment to Catholic education. 

The DCDSB would like to acknowledge and thank all those who contributed to the success of the Home-School-Parish Symposium 2025. We look forward to continuing to support and strengthen the home-school-parish relationship.

On Monday, May 20, students and staff at Holy Family Catholic School in Beaverton gathered in a heartfelt outdoor liturgy to welcome the Jubilee Cross. This special cross, created by students from Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School, is journeying across the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) as a symbol of unity, faith, and hope.

The Grade 8 students of Holy Family had the honour of carrying the cross at the start of its visit, marking a significant moment of reflection and celebration for the school community. As the cross continues its pilgrimage to other schools within the board, Holy Family’s participation highlights the strength of shared faith and the hopeful spirit that connects all DCDSB schools.

The celebration served as a reminder of the collective mission to walk together in faith, inspired by the messages of love, peace, and hope that the Jubilee Cross represents.

Families, students, and staff nominated DCDSB students and staff member that exemplified and embodied one of the monthly themes for the 2024-2025 school year. Learn more on our Faith webpage.

On Thursday, May 8, DCDSB secondary students gathered at Ontario Shores for the Durham Talking About Mental Illness (TAMI) summit. This event provided a platform for students to showcase the mental health and well-being initiatives they have championed throughout the year at their schools. Students heard from Kids Help Phone who spoke about the resources that they have to offer and answered questions about what reaching out to a counselor may be like. It was a day of sharing, learning, and celebrating their collective efforts in promoting mental health awareness and advocacy.

On Black Mental Health Day, we are called to recognize the ongoing impact on mental health that results from experiences of anti-Black racism, and to raise awareness of the specific mental health needs of Black communities. Learn more about Black Mental Health Day from DCDSB students in this video.

On September 20, approximately 36 students representing all of DCDSB’s secondary schools came together for BWell, a student mental health leadership summit. The BWell group formed last year and they are working to bring student voices to the discussion around student mental health and well-being. Students engaged in conversations about mental health promotion, looking at how the board and individual schools can help support student well-being. Thank you to all of the students and educators who attended, as well as the Student Services staff that made this day a success.

The DCDSB reviews and revises the board's Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan and Strategy annually. Select a image on the right side to view our 2024-2025 Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan and Strategy.

Join Ms. Casey’s Grade 4 class at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School and Ms. Paul’s Grade 8 class at St. Anne Catholic School as they release their brook trout into the wild. In this heartwarming video, students reflect on their experiences with the brook trout hatchery project and share what they’ve learned about conservation, responsibility, and the natural world.

On Friday, September 20, students from St. Matthew the Evangelist Catholic School participated in a walk in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The walk was hosted by the Region of Durham to bring awareness to the need for individual and collective action toward reconciliation. The walk began at the Pathway to Reconciliation Crosswalk at Durham Region Headquarters in Whitby, and continued along Rossland Road to Fallingbrook Park where students stopped to take part in reflection activities.

Ms. McAvoy's Grade 6 and 7 students at St. Paul Catholic School engaged in learning during Treaties Recognition Week and Rock Your Mocs Week. During the week of November 3-9, staff from the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) Indigenous Education team visited the students and discussed the importance of Treaties Recognition Week and the significance of treaties. Following this visit, the DCDSB Indigenous Education team facilitated activities around Rock Your Mocs Week between November 10-16. The students explored the Moccasin Identifier website and learned the signficiance of Rock Your Mocs week and Treaties Recognition Week. The students showcased their learning on a bulletin board in the school hallway, including their learning on the Williams Treaty and various types of moccasins.

Students at St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School were recently given the opportunity to participate in a virtual storytelling and art lesson with Isaac Murdoch, a renowned Indigenous artist from Serpent River First Nation.

Students followed Isaac’s virtual guidance to paint a picture of a Winter Ceremony that included the moon, the evening star, snowflakes, and a lodge. Isaac explained the importance of the moon, which is seen as a communicator for many Ojibwe people. Isaac also shared that the evening star is called the talking star, that snowflakes are considered medicine as they cleanse the land, that the lodge houses offerings and prayers of the people, and that the people in the lodge are illuminated by the fire to attract the spirits and to provide comfort during the ceremony.

Isaac said, “For many of the Ojibwe people, Winter Ceremonies are an important part of the social and spiritual connection to welcome the ice and snow in a traditional way.”

This virtual experience was an incredible way for students to have an authentic voice help them learn about Indigenous knowledge from one First Nation and make connections to the curriculum.

March 31 is National Indigenous Languages Day. To celebrate and honour Indigenous languages in Canada, DCDSB students and educators have been reflecting on the importance of language preservation.

In some DCDSB Kindergarten classrooms, students learned to say “Hello” in Anishinaabemowin. Students were taught the short song “Aanii Boozhoo” to help them remember the words in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island.

Grade 11 students across various DCDSB secondary schools participated in a sound-based learning activity for Anishinaabemowin. They interacted with and deconstructed words to learn the Anishinaabemowin world view and that direct translations do not always apply. Students also reflected on the importance of language to a culture’s knowledge systems. This lesson was taught in the Understanding Contemporary First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Voices course, which focuses on contemporary Indigenous voices and artistic expressions in Canada.

On May 6, St. Monica Catholic School staff, students, families, trustees, and administration gathered to celebrate the blessing of their new re-imaged artwork of St. Monica. Many depictions of St. Monica are inaccurate, showing her to be Caucasian. However, St. Monica was a North African saint and would have been Black. Through an ongoing consultation process with the St. Monica Catholic School Community, including the St. Monica Catholic School Council and the school’s Anti-Black Racism Committee, the community concluded that a new depiction of the school’s patron saint was required.

This beautiful reimagining, created by Tarie D., a talented Grade 12 student from St. Mary Catholic Secondary School, offers an accurate representation of St. Monica.

A heartfelt thank you to Father Colman Mruma for leading us through the liturgy and performing the blessing over this original art piece. The reimagining now graces the front entrance wall, and prints will be displayed in every classroom, creating a spiritual connection for all.

Thank you to everyone involved in bringing this vision to life!

Throughout the year, the Durham Catholic District School Board engages in learning about the history and current realities of Black individuals, while also recognizing the achievements and resilience of Black communities.      DCDSB is committed to supporting and celebrating Black excellence, and to having Black history recognized as Canadian history, through culturally responsive and relevant programs and initiatives that promote equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, throughout the school year.  We invite you to watch highlights from 2025 Black History Month initiatives, programs and events across the board in the video.

On May 8, we were excited to have Grade 9-12 students from all Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) secondary schools attend our inaugural Student Human Rights Conference! The conference was titled The Strength of Us: Advancing Human Rights with Courage, Compassion, and Conviction.

Students enjoyed a day of learning, including workshops, networking and mentorship. The conference featured two distinguished speakers:

• Lavinia Latham, a Human Rights lawyer, who discussed human rights in education with a focus on racial, disability, gender, and religious rights.
• Pardeep Nagra, the Halton District School Board’s Human Rights and Equity Advisor, who spoke about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on human rights.

Thank you to all students and staff for their efforts on the first-ever DCDSB Student Human Rights Conference! By working together, we can uphold human rights and maintain a culture of respect for all.

On Thursday, November 7, 2024, the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) hosted the inaugural Black Student Excellence Awards. A collaboration between the DCDSB and the board’s Anti-Black Racism and Black Excellence Advisory Committee, the awards honour Grade 11 and Grade 12 students who self-identify as Black and have demonstrated leadership and/or commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion efforts. 

The Anti-Black Racism and Black Excellence Advisory Committee reviewed each of the nominations made by DCDSB secondary schools. “We are so proud of the amazing students we have in Durham Catholic and are happy to have an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and successes of Black students within the Durham Catholic learning community,” said Shauna Bookal, Chair of the Anti-Black Racism and Black Excellence Advisory Committee. 

Visit the DCDSB Black Student Excellence Awards webpage to learn more.

This summer, DCDSB students in Grades 6-9 participated in the CABS Multi-Sport camp at Archbishop Denis O'Connor Catholic High School. Students played a variety of recreational activities, including basketball, volleyball, kickball and more! In addition, camp leaders facilitated activities that were aimed at building leadership, fitness, and peer relationship skills. 

On April 30, the second session of the 2024-2025 Equity Invitational Learning Series took place. Shellene Drakes-Tull discussed the challenges facing equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts. Ms. Drakes-Tull also reinforced the significance of equity work and the need to continue to promote EDI in our board. Attendees were equipped with the knowledge and tools to champion equity within their communities.

Thank you to the Anti-Black Racism & Black Excellence Advisory Committee and board staff for organizing the Equity Invitational Learning Series for staff, students, families, and community members.

In alignment with the Ministry of Education’s Math Achievement Action Plan and the Durham Catholic District School Board’s Student Achievement Plan, the Board’s Numeracy Action Plan outlined mathematics professional learning opportunities, provided support to Ministry-identified priority schools and delivered resources for classroom teachers to support mathematics programming. As the implementation of the 2024-25 Math Achievement Action Plan moves forward, we refine the work done in 2023-24 to boost the positive impacts on the students in our system, both in priority and non-priority schools. We take opportunities at School Improvement Planning meetings to scale the learning and gains made in 2023-24 priority schools. We are continuously reviewing the impact of the Numeracy Intervention Teacher support model and the use of Digital Math Tools to meet the needs of the students and educators in our system. Numeracy Support Intervention Teachers will continue to work in priority schools, supporting students and impacting educator practice. Collaboration with the DCDSB Student Services team will support the upcoming professional learning series for Program Support Teachers and Educational Assistants to further support students with special needs.

DCDSB students participated in an engaging, hands-on Coding and Robotics Camp. Throughout the week, students applied their knowledge of mathematics, basic coding principles, and STEM concepts to design and program robots. Working collaboratively, they customized their robots’ code to ensure the machines could stay within the ring during the highly anticipated battle at the end of the camp.

This experience provided students with an excellent opportunity to explore innovative technologies, experiment with problem-solving strategies, and develop teamwork skills. By combining creativity with technical expertise, participants not only built functional robots but also gained confidence in applying real-world coding and engineering practices. The camp was a memorable and enriching experience that fostered curiosity and inspired future learning in STEM fields.

The Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee, in partnership with the Durham Catholic District School Board, is pleased to offer part two of the Parent Math Learning Series on Thursday, February 20, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Archbishop Denis O'Connor Catholic High School (80 Mandrake Street, Ajax). Part two of this series will focus on tools for families of students with Special Education needs.

Families are invited to attend an interactive presentation that will feature practical tools, fun games, hands-on activities, and valuable resources to make math more approachable and enjoyable for all learners.

For more Financial Literacy resources, please visit the DCDSB Financial Literacy webpage.

On Friday, November 8, St. Joseph Catholic School in Uxbridge hosted its inaugural Mathletes competition, with enthusiastic participation from Grade 3-8 students. Students in Grades 3-6 participated in a series of hands-on mathematical questions, and intermediate students in Grades 7-8 were team leaders to support their younger peers. The competing students worked in teams to complete as many answers as possible. Their goal was to reach a collective number of 4,000 correct answers by the end of the day. The Mathletes event concluded as a massive success. The participants surpassed their goal of 4,000 questions by completing 5,485 correct answers in one day!

On Friday, May 23, Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School hosted their inaugural Math Wars event! Students from St. André Bessette Catholic School, St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School, St. Patrick Catholic School, and St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School gathered in the Notre Dame learning commons, while the Notre Dame Math Club led the students in a day of equations, algebra, geometry, and friendly competition.
 
The competing teams were tasked by the Notre Dame Math Club to complete four events: An individual contest, a team contest, a team relay, and an escape room challenge. Their scores were added up at the end of the competition, and the St. Pats Pythons were awarded with a team trophy!
 
Congratulations to all the students that participated in Math Wars, and a special congratulations goes to Mr. Kerr, Curriculum Chair of Mathematics at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, and the Notre Dame Math Club on a successful event!

As part of our commitment to Goal 1 of the Student Achievement Plan - improving foundational reading skills in students from Year 2 Kindergarten to Grade 3 - the Durham Catholic District School Board continues to implement universal early reading screeners in alignment with PPM 168.

Early Reading Screeners were implemented through the Acadience screening. The screening is administered to all Year 2 Kindergarten to Grade 2 students in the board to identify those at risk for reading difficulties. Mandated by the Ministry of Education following the Right to Read report, the screeners include brief, one-on-one assessments of foundational reading skills to guide instruction and support at-risk readers. 

Through the use of targeted interventions, such as Literacy Intervention Teachers and there was an improvement in the number of students at or above the benchmark across the board by the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

The Durham Catholic Parent Involvement Committee and the Durham Catholic District School Board Literacy Team have partnered to offer a Family Literacy Night for parents and caregivers. 

This presentation will cover:

• Key changes to reading and writing instruction in Ontario
• The purpose of early reading screening
• Ways parents and caregivers can support strong reading outcomes at home

The presentation was be available on three different dates and locations to ensure accessibility for families. 

On Thursday, May 8, DCDSB Student Services hosted Unity Hub - Connecting Communities at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School. This event focused on sharing information with families about the services and programs offered by various community organizations, agencies and post secondary pathways. Families heard from guest speakers, including Participation House, Durham College Access and Support Centre, and Resources for Exceptional Children and Youth. Attendees also had the opportunity to visit community partner booths, ask questions, and make connections with other students, educators, families, and organizations.

A special thank you goes out to all the community partners that participated in the Unity Hub. Your knowledge and resources are extremely valuable to DCDSB families and we sincerely appreciate your continued support!

At 78 years of age, Tony is proof that perseverance knows no age limit. On Friday, April 25, surrounded by DCDSB staff and his family, Tony proudly received his Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) from Archbishop Anthony Meagher Catholic Continuing Education Centre.

Tony’s journey back to the classroom started last fall. After leaving school in Grade 7 to support his family, he spent most of his life working as a foreman for the City of Toronto. Though retirement brought joy in the form of family time and grandchildren, Tony never lost sight of his lifelong goal: completing his high school education. Read the full article on GlobalNews.ca.

The Centre for Success program is a dual credit alternative learning opportunity for students in their final year of high school. This is a unique program which, through a partnership with Durham College, allows students to complete their secondary school graduation requirements in an adult learning environment with support from DCDSB teachers. Students apply to this program through their home school. Please contact your child's Guidance Department for more information.

We're thrilled to announce the new track and field at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School! Special thanks to the Government of Ontario and the Ministry of Education for their support through the School Facility Renewal Project. Additionally, thanks to the City of Oshawa for funding the soccer field lights.

The Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) is proud to announce that it has been included on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers in 2025. This is the second consecutive year DCDSB has received this recognition.   

"We are incredibly proud to be named to the Forbes list of Best Employers in Canada for the second consecutive year,” said Gerard Winn, DCDSB Director of Education. “This recognition reflects our commitment to creating and maintaining a supportive and dynamic work environment for our dedicated staff. We will continue to strive towards ensuring that employees are welcomed to a positive learning and working environment as we look to expand and diversify our workforce. Through the efforts and passion of our entire staff we can continue to provide exceptional Catholic education for our students in Durham Region.” 

Canada’s Best Employers 2025 were identified through an independent survey of over 40,000 Canada based employees working for companies employing at least 500 people within Canada. The study primarily focused on personal evaluations given by the employees themselves, but also included public evaluations given by friends and family members of employees, or members of the public who work in the same industry. To view the full list of 300 employers, as well as the methodology, please visit the Forbes website. 

We are thrilled to see the DCDSB Communications team recognized for their outstanding work! The Communications team was recognized for their efforts in supporting the creation of accessible materials at the Canadian Association of Communicators in Education conference, where they took home a BRAVO! Award of Distinction for the Supporting the Creation of Accessible Communication Materials campaign.

This communications campaign includes training, resources and supports for staff on making accessible materials in Word, PDF, and PowerPoint, and how to incorporate accessibility into videos, design, meetings and social media. The BRAVO! Awards recognize and honour exemplary work in all aspects of school public relations, communications, marketing and engagement across Canada.

Congratulations to our Communications team on this prestigious award - thank you for representing Durham Catholic at the national level, and for your commitment to embedding accessibility at the DCDSB as we strive to make welcoming, inclusive and respectful spaces for all.

Stakeholder engagement and consultation is an essential component of our budget process. In February to April 2024, staff conducted budget consultations with families, students, staff, and the broader Catholic community through the ThoughtExchange platform. Stakeholders were asked for their feedback on what they felt was being done well, and what could be improved under the strategic priorities identified in the Inspire 2026 multi-year plan: Supporting Faith & Well-Being, Advancing Human Rights & Equity, and Improving Student Learning. The response to the ThoughtExchange was extremely positive with 830 participants sharing their thoughts and suggestions in addition to providing 13,293 ratings. Engagement opportunities were also provided through committee meetings and delegations to the Finance Committee in April 2024. View our 2024-2025 Budget and Priorities Report.

On May 23, 2025, students, families, staff, government officials, and community members came together at Good Shepherd Catholic School to celebrate the school’s 25th anniversary. Good Shepherd Catholic School opened in October 1999 and was originally built to relieve Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Port Perry. In September 2016, Good Shepherd officially became the new home school for all Catholic students in Scugog.

Good Shepherd Catholic School is named after Jesus, who often referred to himself as the “Good Shepherd”. Shepherds guide, protect, and carefully watch over their flock. Jesus used the shepherd as a symbol for Himself, and the sheep as a symbol for His people.

As part of its plan to protect Ontario and prepare students for success in our workforce, the Ontario government has provided the Durham Catholic District School Board with approval to issue the tender for the new addition at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School to create more student spaces.

“The funding for a new addition at St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School in Oshawa is great news for our community,” said Todd McCarthy, MPP for Durham. “Through this investment, we’re creating opportunities for students to thrive today and well into the future.”

This project is supported by a total investment of $3.8 million,which includes additional funding of nearly $450,000. When complete, the project will deliver 138new elementary student spaces for local families.

Congratulations to David Opiola, Curriculum Chair at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School. Director Winn shared highlights from David's nomination form at the Regular Board Meeting, which read: "Compassionate, kind, and always recognizing the potential of others, David has been a role model and a mentor for many of us. He approaches situations with a teamwork mentality and truly sees the value of forming strong partnerships amongst colleagues, community members, and families to nurture and support the growth and well-being of our students and the children in our communities. David finds ways of ensuring students feel supported and accepted – whether he is organizing hat day with his class to support a classmate, providing students a space to work together during lunch, or sharing funny stories around a campfire – David makes everyone feel valued by creating a sense of harmony and togetherness. Read the full article from the Regular Board Meeting Highlights from April 29, 2025.

On Wednesday, April 23, 2025, the Durham Catholic District School Board recognized eight alumni at the Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation gala. A graduate from each Durham Catholic secondary school received the Distinguished Catholic Alumni Award.

Congratulations to the 2025 Durham Catholic Distinguished Alumni Award recipients:

• Noah Aquino, All Saints Catholic Secondary School
• Dr. Martina Trinkaus and Dr. Mateya Trinkaus, Archbishop Denis O’Connor Catholic High School
• D. Tyler Robinson, Father Leo. J. Austin Catholic Secondary School
• Dr. Robert Bentley, Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School
• Dr. Annalice Hayes, Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic Secondary School
• Lisa (Slingerland) Freeman, Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School
• Constable James Rivera, St. Mary Catholic Secondary School

Visit the Distinguished Catholic Alumni Award webpage to learn more about the award recipients.

On Monday, May 5, 2025, the Durham Catholic District School Board celebrated the 2024-2025 Distinguished Catholic Educator Awards. Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Distinguished Catholic Educator Award Recipients! Read the news article for the full list of recipients.

The Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) is pleased to recognize Jennifer Harvey, elementary principal, as the recipient of the 2024-2025 Distinguished Catholic Leader Award. The award was announced following a System-Wide Mass on Monday, May 5, 2025, which also recognized Durham Catholic Distinguished Educators from each school and department across the board, and employees who have 25 years of service in Catholic Education. Ms. Harvey has been part of the DCDSB community for 42 years - first as a student and then as an employee for the past 28 years. Beginning as a classroom teacher, her passion for special education led her to the role of Program Support Teacher, followed by a role as Student Services Coordinator, before becoming an administrator. Ms. Harvey has been an administrator in five different schools and is currently the principal at Sir Albert Love Catholic School. She values all the experiences and the friendships she has made along the way. Read the full article to learn more.

Elementary: St. Bernadette Catholic School. Chair Forster, Trustee Ste. Marie, Student Trustee Aje, Student Trustee Walsh and Director Winn present the trophy to John Linhares, Principal, Selvia Gad, Vice-Principal, Ashley Rutherford, Administrative Assistant, and Julie Murtagh, Administrative Assistant.

Secondary: St. Mary Catholic Secondary School. Chair Forster, Trustee Ste. Marie, Student Trustee Aje, Student Trustee Walsh and Director Winn present the trophy to John Di Vizio, Principal.

Elementary: Chair Forster, Trustee Damianopoulos, Trustee Ste. Marie and Director Winn present the award to George E.-S., from St. Bernard Catholic School

Secondary: Chair Forster, Trustee Damianopoulos, Trustee Ste. Marie and Director Winn present the award to Krystian M., from Archbishop Denis O'Connor Catholic High School