St. David Catholic Secondary School
St. David Catholic Secondary School, established in 1965, is a Roman Catholic high school instructing students from grades 9 to 12. St. David CSS is located in Waterloo, Ontario and is a member of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board. Its building is the oldest secondary school building in the board. Historically it was a junior high school, instructing students from grades 7 to 10. St. David received full funding from the Ontario Ministry of Education in 1985, when the school changed its educational focus to students in grades 9 to OAC. Since the OAC year of secondary school was phased out of Ontario schools in the 2002-2003 school year, St. David CSS now teaches grades 9 through to 12. At present (2011) St. David educates 1045 students. St. David is named after St David, a 6th-century saint.
| St. David Catholic Secondary School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
4 High Street , , Canada | |
| Coordinates | 43.4843°N 80.5294°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Catholic (Separate Board) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Founded | 1965 |
| School board | Waterloo Catholic District School Board |
| Principal | Glenda Leusink |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1045 |
| Language | English |
| Colour(s) | Green, Blue and White |
| Mascot | Cedric |
| Team name | Celtics (/selt(iks)/) |
| Website | stdavid |
Staff and administration
As of March 2016, St. David's principal is Glenda Leusink, with Michael Ambeau and Kevin Hinsperger as vice-principals.[1]
The school also has approximately 84 full-time teaching staff.
Uniform policy (2001 - 2002)
As with the other secondary schools in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board, St. David requires all students to wear a uniform every day, except for the occasional dress-down day (known to staff and students as "Civies Day"). During the 2001 - 2002 school year, this policy required all students to have golf and dress shirts tucked into their pants at all times, on the basis that untucked shirts did not convey the proper sense of respect for the school.[2]
During the last two weeks of June 2002, the administration of St. David made a public announcement that any student in violation of the uniform rules would be suspended for one day. In Ontario, any disciplinary action of this type is listed on an Ontario student record, which may adversely affect a student's chances of acceptance to post-secondary education. Ontario student records also are investigated by teachers when reviewing students enrolled for classes, and by staff at other schools in the event a student applies for a transfer.
No prior violations of the rules were taken into account with this policy. Suspension, as a punishment, is typically given for much more serious academic and criminal offences. However, the provincial Safe Schools Act allows discretionary one-day suspensions for minor infractions of school policies and procedures. These suspensions cannot be formally challenged, as the Safe Schools Act does not allow for appeals of one day suspensions.[3] Nevertheless, the consequence would add to a student's record, causing any subsequent offenses within five years to be judged more harshly.[4]
The "tucked-in shirt" rule, though, was short-lived as at the beginning of the 2002 - 2003 school year, the policy was revised to eliminate the requirement of golf shirts being tucked in.
Notable alumni
- Luca Congi, kicker/punter for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Congi was a member of St. David's senior football team in 2000 and 2001, in which years the team won the Waterloo County high school senior football championships, the first senior football championships in the school's history.[5]
- John Sullivan, safety for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
- Michael Latta, National Hockey League player.
References
- Waterloo Catholic District School Board (2011). "Our Schools - St. David Catholic Secondary". wcdsb.ca. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
- http://www.wcdsb.edu.on.ca/ap_memos/PDF/APC005.pdf
- http://www.wcdsb.edu.on.ca/ap_memos/PDF/APC012.pdf
- http://www.wcdsb.edu.on.ca/info/safe/disciplinary_actions.html
- Brown, Josh (July 29, 2006). "He's kicking into high gear". The Record, Kitchener, Ontario: A1, A6