Home-School-Parish Symposium 2025 | | |
On 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.
| | Together in Spirit: St. Theresa Catholic School's Jubilee Prayer Project | | |
During the 2024-2025 school year, St. Theresa Catholic School embarked on a special project based on a simple prompt: “How will you bring the spirit of the Jubilee Year into your school?” Using the guidance of Pope Francis, the school embarked on a special project with the aim of using the Jubilee 2025 Prayer to strengthen bonds as a community of hope. The school committed to saying the Jubilee Prayer every day before lunch recess.
St. Theresa Catholic School held an essay contest for intermediate students on the topic of the St. Theresa Jubilee 2025 Prayer Project. There were many great submissions and school administrators had the difficult task of choosing a winning essay. The St. Theresa Catholic School community is proud to share the winning essay by Xylee, a Grade 8 student!
Thank you to all the students who submitted essays. Please click here to read the winning essay submissions from Grade 7 and Grade 8 students.
| | “That Blessed Upper Room” Pastoral Letter from Cardinal Leo | | |
Cardinal Leo has released a comprehensive pastoral letter, inviting the faithful of the archdiocese to reflect together on the significance of The Upper Room in our lives, our families and in our communities of faith as this story is so directly connected to pivotal events in the life of Jesus and of the early Church.
Please click here to read the letter.
| | Durham Catholic Children's Foundation | | 2024-2025 Year-End Gratitude Message from the Durham Catholic Children's Foundation | | |
As the academic year draws to a close, we come together with immense gratitude and hope. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Durham Catholic Children’s Foundation, we offer a heartfelt thank you for another year of dedication, compassion, and community spirit.
Please click here to read more.
| | 2025 Student Walk for Hope Raises $12,075 | | |
A heartfelt thank you to our Durham Catholic learning community! Throughout June 2025, our incredible students, families, and staff participated in the Walk for Hope in support of the Durham Catholic Children's Foundation.
Donations for the Walk for Hope have raised $12,075! These funds will help to provide essential services to DCDSB students and families in need. This financial assistance supports student well-being and achievement by providing basic needs to children and families in Durham Region, enabling them to work towards reaching their full potential.
100% of the donations go directly to support the initiatives of the Durham Catholic Children's Foundation.
A special note of gratitude to the DCDSB staff that helped organize the individual school events.
| | 10th Annual #ForeTheKids Golf Classic | | |
Mark your calendars for August 19, 2025, and get ready to tee off for a great cause! 100% of the proceeds go directly to supporting students and families in our Catholic learning community.
Sponsorship opportunities are also available, don’t miss your chance to make a meaningful impact!
The 18-hole is now sold out but we still have availability for 9-hole or dinner only.
Learn more and register at DurhamCatholicFoundation.ca/Golf
| | Parent, Guardian, and Caregiver Resources | | Stay Up to Date with Routine Immunizations | | |
The summer is a good time to review your child’s immunization record and speak to your health care provider to make sure your child is fully protected. Vaccines are one of the most effective ways to prevent serious illnesses. Vaccine-preventable diseases are rare in North America because of immunization.
What do you need to do?
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Look at your child’s immunization record to be sure they have received all vaccines for their age. If you are unsure if your child is up to date, talk to your health care provider and ask for a copy of your child’s immunization record. You can also call the Health Department to inquire if your child’s immunization record is up to date.
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If your child requires an immunization, call your health care provider to book an appointment as soon as possible. If you do not have a health care provider or do not have OHIP, visit www.durham.ca/immunize to book your child in at one of the Health Department’s catch-up vaccination clinics.
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Update the Health Department directly with every immunization your child receives. Your health care provider does not provide the Health Department with this information. Ask your doctor for a record of the immunizations received. Ensure your child’s full name, date of birth and school name are included on every page of their record. An update can be provided to the Health Department using one of the options below:
- Online at durham.ca/immunize (preferred method)
- Call Durham Health Connection Line at 905-666-6242 or 1-800-841-2729
- Mail: Durham Region Health Department (Immunization), 605 Rossland Rd E. P.O. Box 730, Whitby, ON L1N 0B2 or Fax: 905-666-6216
| | St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School Expansion Receives Additional Funding from the Province of Ontario | | |
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.
Click here to read more.
| | 2025-2026 Budget and Priorities Report | | |
The DCDSB 2025-2026 Budget and Priorities Report is now available! Please visit our website to learn more about the board’s budget and priorities in the areas of supporting faith & well-being, advancing human rights & equity, and improving student learning.
Visit dcdsb.ca to view the Budget and Priorities Report.
| | Ontario Power Generation and UA Canada Join Forces to Ignite Welding Education Success for Students in Durham Region | | |
A multi-year partnership between the CWB Foundation, Ontario Power Generation (OPG), UA Canada Locals 401 and 46, and the Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) will help enhance welding facilities at two DCDSB secondary schools while providing students with new opportunities to explore and build pathways to careers in welding and welding-related skilled trades.
Through the Sparking Success initiative, $125,000 in funding has been committed to enhance welding facilities at All Saints Catholic Secondary School in Whitby and Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Ajax.
Click here to learn more.
| | 2024-2025 Student Achievement Plan | |
DCDSB is pleased to present the 2024-2025 Student Achievement Plan Year-End Highlights. The 2024-2025 Student Achievement Plan was developed in accordance with the Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act (2023) and aligns with the following provincial priorities and goals:
Priority 1 – Achievement of Learning Outcomes in Core Academic Skills
- Goal #1 (a) - improve students’ literacy learning and achievement
- Goal #1 (b) - improve students’ math learning and achievement
Priority 2 – Preparation of Students for Future Success
- Goal #2 (a) - improve graduation rates and preparedness for future success
Priority 3 – Student Engagement and Well-Being
- Goal #3 (a) - improve students’ participation in class time and learning
- Goal #3 (b) - improve student well-being
We are pleased to present highlights from our 2024-2025 Student Achievement Plan priority areas with the Durham Catholic learning community, including the strategies and actions taken to support faith & well-being, advance human rights & equity and improve student learning.
| | DCDSB New Boundaries Established for North Oshawa Schools (Anticipated September 2027) | | |
At the Regular Board Meeting held on June 16, 2025, the Board of Trustees approved the establishment of a new Catholic elementary school boundary in the Kedron area of Oshawa, as well as boundary changes affecting St. John Bosco Catholic School, St. Anne Catholic School and St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School.
To learn more about these new boundaries (anticipated for September 2027), please visit our website.
| | DCDSB Announces 2024-2025 Certified Canada EcoSchools | | |
Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) is excited to announce the 2024-2025 Certified Canada EcoSchools! As of June 10, 2025, DCDSB celebrates 32 EcoSchools, including three platinum schools, 20 gold schools, two silver schools, two bronze schools, and five participant schools. Special congratulations to St. Bernard Catholic School, St. Joseph Catholic School, and St. Monica Catholic School for certifying platinum this year. Thank you to our dedicated students, staff, and community members for your commitment to the EcoSchools Program, and we look forward to your continued success next year! Visit our website to learn more about DCDSB EcoSchools.
EcoSchools Canada offers a certification program for elementary and secondary schools that helps incentivize, track and reward environmental actions that reduce energy and waste, raise awareness and incorporate environmental learning into the curriculum. Learn more about EcoSchools at ecoschools.ca.
| | Grade 4 and 8 Students Release Brook Trout | | On June 4, Grade 4 students from St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School and Grade 8 students from St. Anne Catholic School gathered at Elgin Pond in Uxbridge to release the brook trout they nurtured in their school hatcheries! Led by the DCDSB Indigenous Education Team, students took turns releasing the fish that they took care of the past school year. Students learned about the importance of reciprocity, giving back to the land, and had a fun-filled day as a group. Watch the video below to learn more! | | Exploring the Skilled Trades through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program and Indigenous Education | | |
This past spring, Grade 11 students enrolled in the Hospitality course at Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School participated in an Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) and Indigenous Education initiative. Students took part in several workshops led by Indigenous community partners where they learned about food sustainability, Indigenous food, customs and cultures. Students have the opportunity to travel to the W. Galen Weston Centre for Food at Durham College (DC) where they toured the one-acre urban farm and greenhouses where DC students plant, grow and harvest produce. Students explored the apprenticeship pathway by cooking crepes with the DC faculty in their state-of-the-art kitchen while learning more about the OYAP Level 1 programs available to Grade 12 students including cooking, electrical, plumbing, welding and carpentry.
A special thank you to our Indigenous community partners, Beedahbin Peltier and Keri-Ann Peacock, for their support with this project, and thank you to OYAP for funding this initiative.
| | St. Mary Catholic Secondary School Receives Environmental School Grant from the City of Pickering | | |
St. Mary Catholic Secondary School is excited to announce they have received an Environmental Schools Grant from the City of Pickering!
St. Mary will use the funding to build upon the school's ongoing outdoor classroom project. The outdoor classroom has been an initiative that the St. Mary Outdoor Ed Team, Eco Team, and Retreat Leaders have worked on for the past few years. The project includes an outdoor structure, picnic tables, planter boxes, and vegetable gardens.
Click here to read more.
| | A Year in Clay: Celebrating Ceramics Students at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School | | |
This school year, the ceramics program at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School flourished with creativity and craftsmanship! A total of 118 students across four classes, including two Grade 10 and two Grade 11 classes, immersed themselves in the art of ceramics, shaping and sculpting their visions into reality.
Click here to read more.
| | St. Joseph Catholic School Students Shine with Silver Finish in the CBC Music Class Challenge: Spring Edition | | |
We want to extend a big congratulations to the incredible students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Oshawa for taking second place at this year’s CBC Music Class Challenge: Spring Edition. Students recorded “Everything is Boring” by The Beaches and were in the Elementary/Junior Contemporary Ensemble category.
St. Joseph Catholic School students said:
"We were thrilled to find out that there was a first ever Spring edition of the Music Class Competition because we had the unique opportunity to record our live off the floor performance at a professional recording in Toronto’s historic Massey Hall. It was an experience of a lifetime! Our group consisted of 14 students ranging from Grades 6-8. The instruments used were two acoustic guitars, a ukulele, a mandolin, a keyboard and an iPad. We rehearsed every day for 25 minutes for a month to prepare for our recording. We had a blast participating in the music class competition once again and we look forward to watching all the submissions. Thanks again to the CBC Music Class team for organizing this awesome event. A huge thank you to our music teacher, Mr. Parker for his dedication to preparing us!"
Watch the St. Joseph Catholic School recording of “Everything is Boring” by The Beaches.
| | Mental Health and Well-Being | | Supports for Summer Mental Health | | |
Summertime can be an exciting and relaxing break that students look forward to, while for some students, summer can be challenging for a number of reasons. The disruption in routine and a loss of structure can affect anyone. Changes in sleep and eating habits can have big impacts. Less structured days can lend themselves to spending too much time online and can aggravate an unhealthy attachment to social media.
We have highlighted some tips for summertime wellness, as well as resources that can be accessed for support. Please visit the Summer Mental Health webpage for more information and resources.
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The 2025-2026 Adult and Continuing Education Program Guide is now available!
If you are interested in earning your high school diploma, upgrading your skills or improving your English, check out the Adult and Continuing Education Program Guide to see the available course selections.
For more information on Adult and Continuing Education, please visit Con-Ed.ca.
| | Local Canada Day Celebrations | | |
Wishing everyone in our Durham Catholic learning community a safe and happy long weekend. Check out the local Canada Day celebrations taking place in Durham Region below:
| | TD Summer Reading Club at Local Public Libraries | | |
The 2025 TD Summer Reading Club has officially begun! To register, go to your local public library branch in person or your municipal library' website.
Local libraries are planning exciting programs, kick off events and activities focused around the theme of outer space. All summer long students can earn points by reading, collecting digital badges, completing missions, playing games and working towards prizes and achieving a certificate. Happy reading!
Learn more and register at your local branch:
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Durham Catholic District School Board
650 Rossland Road West
Oshawa, ON L1J 7C4
(905) 576-6150
www.dcdsb.ca
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