Message from the Principal
Philosophy of Education
for Catholic
Schools in
British Columbia
The
Graduating Class of 2006- Our Largest Class Ever
Principal’s Message
Welcome to our website. St. Thomas Aquinas High School is a Catholic learning community committed to the development of the potential of each student. From its opening in 1959, St. Thomas Aquinas High School has served Catholic and non-Catholic students across the North Shore and beyond. As a Catholic High School, students do more than study their Christian faith through religious education courses on the Old Testament, the New Testament, Morality, Church History, Vocation and Christian Witness in the World. Students learn in an environment imbued by faith, where the dignity of the human person, one’s responsibility to develop one’s own gifts, and the call to serve others and the common good, shape and instill in students a sense of their own worth and their responsibility to the broader community.
Students are given the opportunity to develop their talents through their five years at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Rigorous academic preparation enables many of our students to receive scholarships and be admitted to Universities across North America. Students who struggle academically are supported through a highly effective Learning Assistance Program. Our Athletics Department offers various competitive sports. Our Fine Arts Department offers Concert and Jazz Bands, Visual Arts, and Drama. Our Campus Ministry coordinates students in feeding the homeless on Vancouver’s Lower East Side and various other humanitarian projects. Our Outdoors Club coordinates students working on the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh Award. Our intramural sports program and various school sponsored clubs allow a broad range of student participation in the life of the school. Students are encouraged and expected to read broadly through a reading program throughout the school. The school’s library is the intellectual hub of the school. Students develop public speaking skills both in their English classes and through our Public Speaking and Debating Club. Throughout the school year, students are invited and expected to take on leadership roles in the school.
Please feel welcome to explore what our school has to offer and to contact us if you would like more information.
Frank
Dragojevich
Principal
The History of Saint Thomas Aquinas High School
The Sisters of the Child Jesus arrived in British Columbia in 1898 with a desire to do missionary work with the First Nations people of the North Shore. In 1957, after a half century of teaching involvement in the area, the sisters were approached to support the establishment of a Catholic High School on the North Shore. There was talk of the new school being built in West Vancouver, but when Sr. Dorothy Crowe, Provincial Superior of the order, offered to lease land owned by the sisters for the school, Archbishop Duke accepted and the site for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in North Vancouver was set. The Sisters of the Child Jesus agreed to staff the school.
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In 1959 the building was complete and the school opened with Sr. Marie Irene (Rita Tellier) as principal with nine teaching Sisters and two lay teachers. Among the almost two hundred students that first year was Denece Billesberger, a young woman who would in 1964 join the Sisters in their work and eventually become the Provincial of the Canadian Province for her order. |
| Between 1960 and 1975 the Sisters of the Child Jesus continued to administer the school. St. Thomas Aquinas began to participate in extracurricular activities with the neighbouring public schools and had many successes in those early years. |
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Chemistry class in the new wing |
| . As time passed, there were fewer sisters on the faculty and in 1976 Ian Stuart became the first lay principal. During his time the school expanded in the areas of physical education, fine arts, academics and extra-curricular activities. Mr. Stuart is now Fr. Ian Stuart and is the pastor of St. Anthony's parish in West Vancouver and the Archbishop's Representative for St. Thomas Aquinas High School. From 1980 to 1985 Doug Lauson, now the Assistant Superintendent of Catholic Schools, served as principal. He established the computer program and built up the student enrolment to a level of two classes for each grade. |
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| In 1987 Mrs. Marilyn Williams was appointed principal.
She was able to increase the enrolment by 200 students. New courses
were introduced such as Honors English and Advance Placement Calculus.
The music program was expanded and the annual theatre production begun.
More students resulted in more clubs: yearbook, photography, computer,
environment and chess. Golf and rugby were added to the athletic roster.
In 1993 a new library was added to the original building. Anyone driving
on West Keith Road can easily recognize the library by its high clerestory
windows. This spacious and attractive location is the intellectual
heart of the school. Shortly after this addition the cafeteria was
expanded. |
| The building expansion continues and this September a new Science wing was opened, containing four classrooms and a multipurpose room. The student population continues to grow and in 2003 a new grade eight class was added and we now have four classes at each grade level. We are pleased to continue our tradition of including International students in our school family. We value the community feeling and spirit that exist at St. Thomas Aquinas. |  |
| In 1998 Mr. Dan Moric become principal and in 2000
the convent of the Sisters of the Child Jesus was purchased by the
archdiocese. This heritage building now houses the music and drama
programs. It is also the home of our beautiful chapel. Mr. Moric added
a fourth class at each grade level and the school enrolment has climbed
to 580 from 460. St. Thomas Aquinas is known for the excellent academic
achievement of its students as reflected in their outstanding results
in the annual provincial exams. The gymnasium is decorated with many
Regional and Provincial Championship banners. We are fortunate to
have a well staffed Learning Assistance centre that was opened in
2000. Our students are also known for the fine work they do with the
less fortunate. Many volunteer with the Agape ministry, assist the
Door is Open in serving meals to the hungry, provide Christmas backpacks
to the youth of Covenant House and prepare Christmas and Easter meals
for the needy in Vancouver. |
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Blessing and official opening of the Science wing in October of 2005 |
ADMINISTRATION
Principal: Mr. Frank Dragojevich
Vice-Principal: Mr. Chris Campbell
Vice Principal: Mr. Tim Horton
Registrar: Mrs. Barbara Dougan
Bookkeeper: Mrs. Margery Zieroth
Secretary: Mrs. Barbara Audette
Receptionist: Mrs. Angela Brickell
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT TEACHER LEADER:
Ryan LeBlanc
Linda Graham: English 9
Agata Kroondyck: English 11, English 10
Ryan LeBlanc: Communications 12, Communications 11, English 12, English
9
Diana Mattia: English Literature 12
Cristina McAllister: English 11, Hon. English 11, Writing 12
John Mendoza: English 10, English 8
Carol Sawdon: English 12, Hon. English 12
FINE ARTS DEPARTMENTS TEACHER LEADER: Cristina McAllister
Judy Frigon: Art 12, Art 11, Art 10, Art 9
Joe Galat: Media Arts 12, Media Arts 11
Natasha Halpin: Art 8
Tim Horton: Band 12, Band 11, Band 10, Sr. Jazz Band
Cristina McAllister: Acting 12, Acting 11, Drama 10, Drama 8
John Mendoza: Drama 9
Siiri Rebane: Choir 12, Choir 11, Choir 10, Choir 9, Choir 8
Carol Sawdon: Media Arts 12, Media Arts 11
Nicole Stott: Band 10, Band 9, Band 8, Jr. Jazz Band
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT / BUSINESS ED TEACHER LEADER:
Joe Galat
Joe Galat: Info Tech 12, Info Tech 11, Info Tech 10
Andrew Grenier: Info Tech 9, Info Tech 8
Agata Kroondyk: Info Tech 8
Meg Maledy: Accounting 12, Accounting 11, Entrepreneurship 12, Info Tech
9, Marketing 11
Nicole Stott: Info Tech 8
MATH DEPARTMENT TEACHER LEADER: Margaret Martins
Nicolae Cune: Math 10, Math 10 Essentials
Paolo Lamasan: Math11 Essentials
Margaret Martins: Math 11, Hon. Math 11
Michelle Nix: Mod. Math 9
Tyna Onyshko-Meier: Math 11, Math 9, Math 8
Amy Tippett: Math 12, Calculus 12, Math 10, Math 9
Joanne Treacy: En. Math 8
MODERN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT TEACHER LEADER: Marisa Demare
Marisa Demare: French 12, French 11
Kim Haldane: French 10, French 8, Beg. Spanish 11, Spanish 11
Marcel Loretan: French 9
Connie Misceo: French 11, French 10, French 8
PHYSICAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TEACHER LEADER: Steve
Vachon
Andrew Pawlikowski: PE 10, PE 9, PE 8
Michelle Purkiss: PE 9, PE 8
Melissa Savino: PE 10
Steve Vachon: PE 12, PE 11, PE 10, PE 9
Romana Vuk: PE 9, PE 8
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TEACHER LEADER: Peter
Nation
Linda Graham: Religion 12, Religion 11, Religion 10
Natasha Halpin: Religion 8
Ryan LeBlanc: Religion 10
Peter Nation: Religion 12, Religion 11
Michelle Nix: Religion 8
Michelle Purkiss: Religion 9
Michelle Robertson: Campus Ministry
Melisa Savino: Religion 9
Steve Vachon Religion 9, Religion 8
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT TEACHER LEADER: Joanne Tracey
Nicolae Cune: Physics 12, Physics 11
Christina Hidalgo: Biology 12, Science 8
Paolo Lamasan: Biology 11, Science 10
Andrew Pawlikowski: Science 9
Joanne Treacy: Chemistry 12, Chemistry 11
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT TEACHER LEADER: Andrew Grenier
Chris Campbell: Socials 11
Andrew Grenier: Geography 12, Socials 10, En. Socials 9
Marcel Loretan: History 12, Socials 10
Peter Nation: Law 12
Louis Salituro: Civ. 12, Socials 11, Socials 10, Socials 8
Melisa Savino: Socials 10, Socials 8
Romana Vuk: Socials 9
HACE / PLANNING / PORTFOLIO COORDINATOR: Meg Maledy
HACE 8: Haldane, Onyshko-Meier, Savino, Vachon
HACE 9: Grenier, LeBlanc, Loretan, Pawlikowski
Planning 10 (A): McAllister, Maledy, Stott, Vuk
Planning 10 (B): Lamasan, McAllister, Mendoza, Vuk
Portfolio (Gr. 11): Cune, Kroondyk, Salituro, Treacy
Portfolio (Gr. 12): Graham, Hidalgo, Nation, Tippett
LAC COORDINATOR: Kate Kelsey
Resource Teachers: Claudia Gastaldo, Denise Morris, Michelle Nix
Paraeducators: Kate Begley, Mirella Gastaldo, Katie Gemmell, Andrew Jessiman,
Kate Kelsey, Mikaela Kitchener, Alisha Meakes, Michelle Robertson, Kara
Roy, Lucille Talbot, Morgan Tapp
LIBRARY
Librarians: Patricia Gares & Diana Mattia
Library Technician: Dorothy Carvalho
EDUCATION
COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2007-2008
Frank Dragojevich: Principal
David Brown: Chairperson
Dianne De Vita: Vice-Chairperson
Anne Howe: Secretary
Alessandro Bitelli: Treasurer
Michael Keong: Delegate to CISVA
Michael Mutsaerts
Michael Docherty
Bruno Restivo: Member-at-large
Kim Thorpe: Policy
Anne Pearsall: Parent Association
Catherine Barrett
Michael Donelson
Rev.I. Stewart: Archbishop’s Representative
Msgr P. Lopez-Gallo
Rev. J. Comey