At St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School, it is our mission to be an inclusive Catholic learning community that inspires every student to achieve their full potential through faith and education. We recognize our call to love and serve from our Master teacher Jesus Christ, and we are committed to creating a Catholic learning community under the protection of Mother Mary.
The Catholic Graduate Expectations are our foundation as we strive for academic excellence and the acknowledgement of those who achieve it. We recognize God as the source of all life and actively work to focus on social issues within our local and global communities.
We celebrate the diversity within our community with a collaborative approach to learning, in cooperation with parents, the Catholic faith community, and other organizations that recognize the value of our mission. Within the context of Catholic teaching and Sacramental living, our school community strives to demonstrate respect and reverence for all life, thus nurturing a safe, Christian environment for the entire school community.
| School Year Calendar |
| Our board's School Year calendar is now available. We encourage parents and guardians to stay informed of upcoming school events, we ask that you please subscribe to our school calendar web page to receive the latest updates and emails on activities happening at school. |
| Child Care Services |
| We are pleased to partner with P.R.Y.D.E. Learning Centre to provide before and after school care at St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School. Call our child care partner at 905-626-2147 to learn more about our services. |
| School Hours |
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Our school hours are as follows: 8:00 a.m. - School begins |
| Our History |
| On September 5, 1997, the Board of Trustees of the Durham Region Roman Catholic Separate School Board approved the construction of the new school. Also on September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa, a great woman of our faith, died, leaving a legacy that touched every part of the globe. When she was beatified on October 20, 2003, Pope John Paul II offered his thanks to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity, for being close to him in her lifetime and for courageously showing the world what it means to love and serve Jesus completely. "The venerable servant of God, Teresa of Calcutta, from this moment on will be called blessed", he stated. Our school is named for her. Students and staff of the new school were housed in portables at St. Bernadette Catholic School, located south of the site, for the 1998 school year. The school opened in September 1999 with 350 students and continued to grow throughout the following decade. The Most Reverend Bishop Anthony Meagher blessed and officially opened Mother Teresa on November 11, 1999. Greetings were sent on behalf of the Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien; Member of Parliament Dan McTeague; the Premier of Ontario, Mike Harris; MPP and Minister of Education Janet Lynne Ecker; and the mayor of Ajax, Steve Parish. Remarks and greetings were also shared with those in attendance by the Chair of the Board, Mary Ann Martin; Director of Education Grant Andrews; and founding principal Patrick MacKinnon. The official program for the blessing and opening states: Our school was named in honour of Mother Teresa. To many, Mother Teresa was a living saint, dedicating her life to the service of others, helping people all over the world to believe that even small actions can change the world... The Mother Teresa Catholic School Community has adopted the motto Sharing our Love which exemplifies our commitment to following the example of Mother Teresa's life. To this day, the spirit of Mother Teresa is alive and well in the hearts and minds of students, staff, and parents and guardians. At any moment in the day of the life of the school, it is common to hear the Mother Teresa School Prayer being recited in classrooms, during the announcements or at the beginning of school meetings. It was written by a committee of stakeholders to forever ingrain and support her works into the culture of the school and to support our Board's philosophy of including and respecting all those who walk through our school doors. To keep pace with the growing population in north Ajax, in September 2012 St. Josephine Bakhita Catholic School was opened so that 156 Mother Teresa students could go to school in their home neighbourhood. Concurrently, Mother Teresa school opened a full-day Kindergarten program and French Immersion programming in September 2012, bringing new registrations to the school. The relatively short history of Mother Teresa School has fostered student achievement, community spirit and success. A notable accomplishment was the production and performance of the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on May 9, 2001, which received rave reviews. Many gifted athletes have contributed to several basketball, volleyball and track-and-field championships over the years, and our students have participated in the Ajax Battle of the Books, Blue Spruce, Silver Birch and Red Maple literacy programs. In honouring Mother Teresa's words that "to keep a lamp burning, you must continue to put oil in it," the staff, students, parents and guardians have supported many local, national and international social justice initiatives, raising thousands of dollars for those in need. The installation of an outdoor classroom by the school's ECO Green team in April 2012 is a testimony to the school's environmental stewardship. |
| Patron Saint |
| Our patron saint is Agnes Bojaxhui, who was born on August 27, 1910, to parents who were said to be unfailingly charitable to the poor. After taking her preliminary vows as a Sister of Loreto at the age of 18, she taught Geography at St. Mary's High School for girls. In 1937, she became Principal of St. Mary's and took the name "Mother Teresa." In 1948, Mother Teresa became the first Catholic nun in 300 years to be allowed to work outside the convent. She began her missionary work among India's poor and homeless, and in 1952, opened a home for the dying called Mirmal Hriday (Pure Heart). A year later, she opened an orphanage. In her long life of service, Mother Teresa was responsible for the creation of more than 445 Missionaries of Charity houses, providing shelter for the homeless, food for the starving, medicine for the sick and comfort for the dying in nearly one hundred countries worldwide. She was beatified on October 20, 2003. On September 4, 2016 Mother Teresa was canonized by Pope Francis at the Vatican in Rome. Her Catholic saint name is St. Teresa of Calcutta. |
| School Prayer |
| Blessed Teresa, Lead us to understand who we truly are through God's words. Inspire us to believe in ourselves and others, Guide us to care for each other by our actions, Help us to accept one another as one family, and Teach us the full meaning of "sharing our love." Amen. |
| Principals (Past and present) |
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| Philosophy |
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As Catholic educators, we live according to our Father's code and to lead our students, by example, to live the basic truths of the gospel message. This is an awesome, yet inspiring challenge which we share with the parents of our young men and women. Children learn what they live. Each day we have the opportunity to teach our students:
However, a person cannot give what he or she does not have. Unless we are living the Gospel message, we cannot lead our students to do so. There are many hallmarks of a Catholic educator, including:
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| Student Agenda |
| Read our student agenda for information on school procedures, dress code, and more. |
| Links |
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Below are links to resources to help you achieve success while at St. Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School. |
| Contact Us |
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We welcome your questions, comments and concerns. Principal: Sheena Paul |
