About Us
At St. Matthew Catholic School, we pride ourselves on the strong partnership that exists among the home, the school and the parish.
Mission Statement
In a school community formed by Catholic beliefs and traditions, our Mission is to educate students to their full potential.
How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students
St. Matthew Catholic School serves a student population that has a very diverse set of social, academic and spiritual needs. The school staff is individually committed to addressing all of these needs in a safe and welcoming environment, an environment which reflects our collective Gospel values.
Currently the St. Matthew Catholic School community is comprised of many diverse cultures, the dominant ones being Portuguese, Spanish and Italian. As a result, Portuguese and Italian classes are conducted concurrently on a daily basis.
Academically, the needs of our students are met first through the classroom teachers and secondly, should some academic concerns or needs surface, through the support staff available to the teacher. If an academic concern does in fact arise, the teacher in cooperation with the parents seeks advice and assistance from the school-based support team (SBST) or the inter-disciplinary team (IDT) or eventually, the identification placement and review committee (IPRC). Throughout this process, suggestions and recommendations are implemented and recorded on a individual education plan (IEP) or a program review form.
This process may result in a student being identified and receiving assistance from specialized teachers who employ specific teaching strategies to address the varied needs and the specific learning styles of special program students. Currently St. Matthew has specialized staff providing specialized assistance in the following program areas: multiple exceptionality, exceptional programs, early literacy, learning disability, English as a Second Language (ESL), and speech and language.
Additional academic programs provided at St. Matthew include: vocal music, instrumental music (Grade 7 and 8) and guidance.
Socially, our students can choose to become involved in the following activities: school band, social justice committee, baseball, soccer, cross-country, track & field and volleyball.
Spiritually, the needs of our students are met by having family, school and parish working together and ensuring that our daily practices and our school liturgies reflect our collective goals in developing spirituality. Together we encourage students to live out our Catholic faith and to demonstrate tolerance and appreciation for one another, to help each other, and to take specific responsibilities in coordinating efforts within the Catholic community.
At the basis of these collective initiatives are the important lessons and activities found in our religion and family life programs. From these programs flow a multitude of structured activities where the students can further deepen their sense of spirituality. These activities or opportunities may take the form of prayer, reflection or service. Such activities include: daily opening and closing exercises, community food drives, Para liturgies and masses, the Annual Terry Fox Walk, Jump Rope for Heart, Christmas Shoe Box Gift Project, and Social Justice Club.
School History and Tradition
St. Matthew Catholic School first opened its doors in 1922 in a renovated house accommodating 77 students. In 1926, part of the initial property was sold and the funds were used to build a brand new two-story, eight-room school.
By 1929, the student population had risen to 193, and by 1959 it had mushroomed to 563 students. Further population increases in subsequent years necessitated three other additions to the 1926 building: 13 additional classrooms in 1963, a small gymnasium and a kindergarten room in 1966, a large gymnasium and library in 1974.
Currently, St. Matthew Catholic School has a diverse student population, many of whom speak a language other than English in the home and who were born outside Canada. Over the years, our school has developed a very rich tradition in the areas of academics and athletics. The various graduation awards, tournament pennants, team photographs and the school yearbooks are but a few of the testimonials.
Our school is named in honour of the apostle St. Matthew, whose name means “the gift of Yahweh” or “the faithful”. After Jesus' death, Matthew traveled to Judea and later to Ethiopia and Persia, where he is believed to have been martyred.