President's Message
As the new school year begins, we want to extend a warm welcome back to all of our students and parents.  We especially welcome our many new students and new parents who are joining the St. Bonaventure's College community.  When describing this place, we frequently use the tagline, "A Great Place To Be."  In so many ways this phrase captures the essence of the school's unique and special character.  For me, this is a tagline which holds out possibilities for each student.  Each student can finish the phrase with whatever they feel they want to be.  St. Bonaventure's College is a great place to be a scholar? Or it could be a great place to be an athlete? Or it could be a great place to be a great musician? The sky is the limit at St. Bon's.  We aim to ensure each student develops to their fullest potential their God given talents.
 
This might be one of the reasons why this September we are beginning the school year with record enrollment levels.  These numbers are reflective of the efforts of our teachers and the school administration, working with the President's Office, to increase our public profile and offer a rigorous academic and spiritual environment in which each student receives the personal care and atte
ntion they deserve.  Regrettably we are quickly out growing our current facilities, so expansion plans must be considered.   This year we could not accept all the applicants we had in a number of grade levels.
 
For this year our bursary assistance program offered record help to families who were challenged financially to cover tuition costs.  We hope to continue to make strides to grow these opportunities.
 
Our public exam results were stellar.  Our results in all eight public exams exceeded the provincial average, in some cases considerably. 
 
President's Office Staff
We have made some staff changes in the President's Office, due to the loss of a staff position.  Ms. Krista Cardwell will assume the duties of Director of Advancement where she will have responsibility for fundraising, com munications and engagement.  Joining Ms. Cardwell in these tasks will be Ms. Melissa Follett (Grade 4 teacher) as the Stakeholder Engagement Assistant and Ms. Jessica Whalen (Grade 6 teacher) as Alumni Affairs Assistant.  Both teachers will continue their teaching duties and take on these added responsibilities.  Mr. David Martino assumes the duties as Director of Campus Ministry and continues to teach senior high English.  Brother Joseph Frechette, S.J. continues as the School Bursar; Mr. Jim Haley as Director of Facilities and Mr. Ryan Hayward as IT Coordinator.  Ms. Kim Stagg will continue to take care of all financial matters including bursary assistance.  

Principal's Office Staff
The Principal's Office which oversees the daily school operation is lead by Dr. Greg O'Leary (Principal), Mrs. Annette Mallay (Assistant Principal) and Mrs. Jaline Rowsell (Dean).  They are ably supported by Ms. Carol Noseworthy (Admissions / Administrative Assistant) and Ms. Joanne Morgan (Guidance Counsellor).
 
We are pleased to welcome a new teacher Ms. Hilary Walsh who wil l teach English, Writing, Career Education and Religion in grades 7-11.  Returning for her second year is Ms. Heather Carroll '10 who will be teach French and Science in Grades 3-6. 

With best wishes for a successful school year,
 

 


Tom McGrath
President

Building and Campus Upgrades
This summer has seen considerable work completed in our bu ildings and on campus to improve these places for our students to study and play.  Here are some of the highlights:
Retaining Wall
  • Completed Phase 3 work on the campus entrance and signage.
  • Retaining wall at Holland Hall.
  • Glass block was replaced with panels in Holland Hall.
  • Boys washrooms in Holland Hall were renovated.
  • Staircase Restored
    New fixtures were installed in the girls' washroom in Holland Hall.
  • First level of staircase in Mullock Hall was restored.
  • Gymnasium was painted, new lines were reappointed.
  • New sports logo was added to the gym floor.
  • Some classrooms and some hallways were painted.
  • 104 feet of school fence was replaced.
  • The Chemistry/Physics lab floor was replaced.
  • A canopy was installed near the fire exit escape.
  • The parking lot was finished with speed bumps, lines and a roped walkway.
Entrance Upgrade

These pro jects were all made possible from the proceeds raised at the 2015 Fall Gala and 2016 Lottery . Thank you to everyone that has made these projects possible.
Save the Date: 2016 Fall Gala

Mark your calendars: the 2016 Fall Gala will take place on  Saturday, October 29th at Glendenning Golf. The Fall Gala allows the St. Bonaventure's College community to participate in an evening of fun and socializing while supporting the fund raising needs of the school.  Evening activities include a wonderful dinner, a dessert auction, a silent auction, a live auction, and many raffles and games.  The auction items attract a lot of attention and provides opportunities for experiences and acquisitions that cannot be found anywhere else. The money from this event helps to fund various projects throughout the school.  Attendees from prior galas say this is one of the high points of our fund-raising year.

More information on the event will be sent out in the coming weeks.

Professional Development
October 5, 2016
We are holding a special staff PD session on Wednesday, October 5th.  There will be regular classes in the morning with dismissal for the day for all students at 12 noon.  Father Michael Hansen, S.J., from Australia, will be our guest presenter.

Curriculum Night

Curriculum Night will be held on Tuesday, September 20th. The session for Holland Hall parents will begin at 6:15pm. At 7pm there will be an assembly in the gym for all parents. Starting at 7:45pm, parents of Mullock Hall students will begin their session.
Travel Opportunities for Gr. 9-12 Students
As part of the Strategic Plan for St. Bonaventure's College, we are attempting to provide outstanding leadership and formation opportunities for our senior students.  A list of conferences and sessions intended for this purpose can be found  here. If students are interested in any of these opportunities, please sign up in the President's Office by Tuesday, September 22nd.

Questions concerning the Ignation Family Teach-In for Justice can be directed to Mrs. Coffin at  kcoffin@stbons.ca

Questions concerning the Arrupe Leaders Summit can be addressed to Mr. Martino at  dmartino@stbons.ca

Questions concerning the Ignatius Farm Visit can be addressed to Mr. Peters at  cpeters@stbons.ca

Questions concerning Camp Kinkora can be addressed to Mrs. Mallay at  amallay@stbon.ca

These teachers are contacts and not necessarily travelling with the students.


Vest & Tunics Now Available
 in the Uniform Shop
We have received our order of Tunics, Youth Ties and Adult Vests in the uniform shop.

The Uniform Shop hours are Wednesday and Friday 8:25am-8:45am. If you are unable to make either of these times, please contact Ms. Krista Cardwell at kcardwell@stbons.ca or 726-0024 ext. 200 to make alternate arrangements.



Fall Fair: Social Tea & 
Homemade Goods Sale
Mark your calendars! On October 1st the Parents Auxliary will host the  Fall Fair: Social Tea & Homemade Goods Sale.

At the Fall Fair there will be: 
*     Opportunities to relax over tea /                coffee
*     Fun activities for kids
*     Chances to win a prize on raffle
Opportunities to stock up on vegetables, desserts and treats for your upcoming Thanksgiving table.

There will be more information posted as the event draws near.

Fallen 51 Dinner
St. Bonaventure's College will be holding the 3rd Annual "Fallen 51" Dinner in honour of the 51 boys from St. Bonaventure's College who made the supreme sacrifice during the First World War, on  September 22nd at at the Crow's  Nest Officer Club.

This year's dinner will feature Chris Martin speaking on the recruitment methods used during the First World War.

Tickets are $200 with a $150 receipt for the tax deductible portion. There is limited seating for this event (only 40 tickets available), so make sure you purchase your ticket today

Proceeds from this event will support St. Bonaventure's College Bursary Fund, which attempts to help families who are challenged financially to cover tuition costs. Unfortunately the need often exceeds the funds available, and we are not always able to help all families that request assistance.

Tickets can be purchased through the President's Office or online by click  here.
For more information please contact the President's Office:


Fallen 51 Dinner
September 22, 2016
Crow's Nest Officer Club
Fall Fair
October 1, 2016
St. Bon's
Fall Gala
October 29, 2016
Glendenning Golf

Martyrs' Mass
September 26, 2016
St. Pius X Parish
Alumni Dinner
October 20, 2016
St. Bon's
160th Anniversary
December 1, 2016
St. Bon's