St. Michael Catholic Secondary School
St. Michael Catholic Secondary School, known to local residents as "St. Mikes" is the only Catholic high school in Stratford, Ontario. It is one of three high schools in the Stratford area, and one of only two high schools in the Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board (the other being St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, Ontario).
| St. Michael Catholic Secondary School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
240 Oakdale Ave , , N5A 7W2 | |
| Information | |
| Type | Catholic |
| Motto | "Act Justly, Love Tenderly, Walk Humbly with the Lord" |
| Established | 1990 |
| Principal | Dan Peters |
| Colour(s) | Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Mikey the Warrior |
| Information | 519-271-0890 |
| Website | http://www.huronperthcatholic.ca/StMichael/Pages/Home.aspx |
Approximately 900 students attend St. Michael.
Athletics
St. Mikes is well known for its athletic programs. The school continually sends teams to OFSAA, many of which have been very successful. In the 2007-08 year the Senior Girls' Volleyball team captured the Ofsaa gold for the second year in a row while the Senior Boys' team won the bronze medal. Not to be outdone the Senior Boys' Nordic ski team, consisting of Scott Weersink, Brett Weersink, Ian Hartman, and Ian Weir, won an Ofsaa Gold as a team in the 10 km ski race, and a bronze in the relay event. On the girls' side, with an impressive performance Janel Sauder took OFSAA gold individually for winning the Senior Girls' race.
Every year, the students who attend St. Mikes participate in an event called "March for Mikes" where each student is asked to raise $35. This money is distributed among all the sports teams and clubs at St. Mikes to decrease the cost for each individual student to join a club.
Clubs and Extracurriculars
As well as a strong athletics program, St. Michael also has a vibrant and diverse variety of extracurricular activities that contribute greatly to the school's overall atmosphere. With clubs ranging from the arts to social justice, there is an activity for every student. In recent years, thanks to increased funding, the school has been able to grow and support a band program that currently consists of three different bands (a senior, jazz and junior band). The bands regularly place well at MusicFest Regionals and the local Kiwanis festival that occurs at Stratford Central Secondary School. The Senior Band was invited to participate at the MusicFest Nationals in Ottawa during May 2016. They received a silver award for their performance, and a Gold for sight reading. St. Michael can expect to see improved results in the coming years as more funding is increased to elementary school programs, and the program is further developed by the strong hand of Jeff McIntyre and the dedication of the students.
Notable alumni
- Boyd Devereaux (class of 1995) - former National Hockey League Player
- Rem Murray (class of 1991) - under contract with HIFK Helsinki of the SM-Liiga (Finland)
- Justin Bieber (class of 2012) - Singer/Songwriter