St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School (London, Ontario)
Encyclopedia
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School (STA) is a Catholic
secondary school
located in London, Ontario
located in the west end of the city. It currently serves students in the London District Catholic School Board
in the London Areas of Byron
, Oakridge, Westmount, Lambeth
, as well as some areas outside of the city limits such as Delaware
, Komoka and even as far as Mount Brydges.
in virtually every classroom. The building's size was inadequate to handle the influx of students to the school, and once the student parking lot became filled with 21 portable classrooms (rumoured to be the second highest in Ontario) in 1998 a satellite campus in downtown London was established at the former St. Peter's School on Clarence Street. From 1998 to 2001 grade nine students spent one semester at St. Peter's and the other half at the main STA campus. The campus was closed in 2001, a year after Mother Teresa Catholic School opened and relieved pressure from STA. At its peak in 2000, STA's population was about 1,800 students.
STA was built with a "cafetorium", a space which could be used as either a cafeteria or auditorium with portable seating stored under the stage. This cafetorium has been the site of many assemblies, school shows, and other various school events and performances.
The forum at STA was also used as a temporary location for Sunday services for St. George's Parish during church reconstruction in 1998–99.
report, 21% of graduating students entered college, 63% entered university, and 16% entered the workforce .
In the 2007–2008 school year, the grade 10 students wrote the provincial literacy test and the school had a 98% passing rate.
AAAA Girls Hockey champions (three times: 200?, 2006, 2007), OFSAA AAAA Boys Hockey champions (1999), and Western Bowl football champions (in 2006). They have won numerous local, regional, and provincial championships in various other sports, including badminton, basketball, cross-country, curling, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling. Aquinas athletes have won the London area SPECTRA award at least once (Katie Orr 2005).
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
located in the west end of the city. It currently serves students in the London District Catholic School Board
London District Catholic School Board
The London District Catholic School Board is a separate school board in south-western Ontario, Canada. It serves students from Elgin, Middlesex and Oxford counties, and also those from the cities of London, St. Thomas and Woodstock....
in the London Areas of Byron
Byron, Ontario
Byron is a neighbourhood in the City of London, Ontario, Canada.Located downriver from London on the outer fringes of the city, Byron was originally called Westminster, then renamed Hall's Mill, and then finally Byron. The Byron area was settled in 1800 and first became a village in 1804...
, Oakridge, Westmount, Lambeth
Lambeth, Middlesex County, Ontario
Lambeth is a neighbourhood in the City of London, Ontario, Canada.Lambeth was formerly a population centre in Westminster Township, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada...
, as well as some areas outside of the city limits such as Delaware
Delaware, Ontario
Delaware is a community located about west of and outside of London, Ontario, within Middlesex County. Delaware stradles the Thames River. Delaware is accessed by the old highway linking London and Chatham and the freeway linking Sarnia along with Port Huron and Toronto.- History :The community...
, Komoka and even as far as Mount Brydges.
History
STA was established at the site of the former St. Joseph Catholic school on Charles Street in 1990. Construction began on the school's permanent site in 1993, and the current building opened in 1994, and was highly technologically advanced for its time with internet access throughout the school, as well as cable television and VCRsVideocassette recorder
The videocassette recorder , is a type of electro-mechanical device that uses removable videocassettes that contain magnetic tape for recording analog audio and analog video from broadcast television so that the images and sound can be played back at a more convenient time...
in virtually every classroom. The building's size was inadequate to handle the influx of students to the school, and once the student parking lot became filled with 21 portable classrooms (rumoured to be the second highest in Ontario) in 1998 a satellite campus in downtown London was established at the former St. Peter's School on Clarence Street. From 1998 to 2001 grade nine students spent one semester at St. Peter's and the other half at the main STA campus. The campus was closed in 2001, a year after Mother Teresa Catholic School opened and relieved pressure from STA. At its peak in 2000, STA's population was about 1,800 students.
STA was built with a "cafetorium", a space which could be used as either a cafeteria or auditorium with portable seating stored under the stage. This cafetorium has been the site of many assemblies, school shows, and other various school events and performances.
The forum at STA was also used as a temporary location for Sunday services for St. George's Parish during church reconstruction in 1998–99.
Academics
STA has traditionally been successful academically since its opening, and is currently rated 89th of the province's 719 high schools. According to a London Free PressLondon Free Press
The London Free Press is a daily newspaper based in London, Ontario, Canada.The London Free Press began as the Canadian Free Press, founded by William Sutherland in 1847. It first began printing as a weekly newspaper in 1849. In 1852, it was purchased for $500 by Josiah Blackburn, who renamed it...
report, 21% of graduating students entered college, 63% entered university, and 16% entered the workforce .
In the 2007–2008 school year, the grade 10 students wrote the provincial literacy test and the school had a 98% passing rate.
Arts
The Arts Department has an extensive variety of programs ranging from Vocal Jazz to Technical Theatre. The Stage features catwalks above, where students can work on focusing lights and rigging flies.Sports
STA generally performs well in most of its athletic endeavours. Notable championships include OFSAAOntario Federation of School Athletic Associations
The Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations is an organization of student-athletes, teacher-coaches, student-coaches, teachers, principals, and sport administrators in Ontario, Canada...
AAAA Girls Hockey champions (three times: 200?, 2006, 2007), OFSAA AAAA Boys Hockey champions (1999), and Western Bowl football champions (in 2006). They have won numerous local, regional, and provincial championships in various other sports, including badminton, basketball, cross-country, curling, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling. Aquinas athletes have won the London area SPECTRA award at least once (Katie Orr 2005).
Noted alumni
- Joe BartochJoe BartochJoe Bartoch is a male swimmer from Canada, who mostly competes in the butterfly events. He claimed a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 100 metre butterfly and the 4x100 metre medley relay.-References:...
– Olympic swimmer - Sam GagnerSam GagnerSam William Gagner is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre currently playing with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the Oilers in the first round of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft....
– NHL player - Chris "Taz" George – CFPL-FM radio personality
- Chris HaslamChris HaslamChris Haslam is a Canadian professional skateboarder.- Biography :Haslam was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada in 1980. He lived in St. Catherines and London, Ontario, attending Parkview Elementary school. When he was 11 he moved with his parents to Singapore...
– professional skateboarder - Amanda Mazzotta – Hockey Canada U18/U22 goaltender
- Bryan Lee O'MalleyBryan Lee O'MalleyBryan Lee O'Malley is a Canadian cartoonist. He is best known for the Scott Pilgrim series, but is also a musician using the alias Kupek.-Career:...
– cartoonist famous for Scott PilgrimScott PilgrimScott Pilgrim is a graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O'Malley. It consists of six digest size black-and-white volumes, released between August 2004 and July 2010, by Portland-based independent comic book publisher Oni Press. It was later republished by Fourth Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins...
series - Adam SternAdam SternAdam James Stern is a Canadian Major League Baseball outfielder who is presently a free agent.He bats left-handed, and throws right-handed. He was dubbed the "Canadian Babe Ruth" by Cleveland Indians outfielder Trot Nixon. Stern is the second Jewish player from Canada in major league history....
– major league baseball player