| Brebeuf College School | |
| "Studio Gradum Faciant" To Win Merit Through Study |
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| Address | |
| 211 Steeles Avenue East Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Information | |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Principal | Mr. Anthony Azzopardi |
| School type | Separate School |
| Campus | Suburban (14 acres) |
| Mascot | Redmen (1963-2003) Bulls (2003-present) |
| Colours | Red, White, and Black |
| Established | 1963 |
| Enrolment | 1050 |
Brebeuf College School is a Roman Catholic all-boys' high school in Toronto founded by the Jesuits (Society of Jesus) in 1963 and associated with the Presentation Brothers since 1984. Brebeuf College has a tradition of devotion to Christian values and academic excellence, which prepares students for university and to be "men for others".
Students participate in a various activities, including faith and service-related clubs, music and drama productions, and athletic programmess at both the intramural and extramural levels. Extended French, Gifted, ESL, and Co-operative Education programs are available for students with appropriate qualifications.
As well, Brebeuf offers an Enriched programme that allows students to study advanced material and to develop university level skills, preparing them to take the AP exam and earn an Advanced Placement university credit while still in high school. Students in this 4-year program will study an enriched curriculum in English, Mathematics, Science, and history.
The school operates on the semester system and has an enrolment of approximately 1,000 students. The majority of students come from Willowdale and northern Scarborough; roughly 20% live in York Region and students travel from as far away as Newmarket, Mississauga, and Pickering to attend the College. Almost 20% of the teaching staff is alumni.
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The name Brebeuf was chosen for the new private Toronto Catholic High School that opened its doors to the first students in 1963 for three reasons. One of Ontario's most illustrious and heroic pioneers was Jean de Brébeuf who first came to Canada in 1625, only 17 years after the founding of this country by Champlain's French colonists in 1608. Brebeuf journeyed to the area around the present-day Midland, Ontario and introduced Christian values to the Huron Indians of that area.
A second reason for selecting the name Brebeuf was that St. Jean de Brebeuf was a French Jesuit priest and the priests who founded Brebeuf College School in 1963 were the Jesuits of the Upper Canada Province. Brebeuf High School's first principal was Father Robert Meagher, S.J., a native of Montreal and a follower of the Loyola tradition in that city. Brebeuf's first staff consisted of eight Jesuit priests, one Jesuit brother and six laymen.
The third reason the name Brebeuf was chosen for this high school was to provide each student and staff member with a person to emulate in his daily life. As is well known, Jean de Brebeuf was a giant among men, not only physically with his six-foot plus posture, but also academically with his exceptional linguistic skills, and more so spiritually with his dedication, zeal and courage. In 1649 Brebeuf was martyred after serving for 16 years among the Hurons.
Jean the Brebeuf died at the age of 56 years for the faith he hoped to implant in the hearts, minds, and the souls of his Huron brothers. In 1956 his grave was discovered by Father Denis Hegarty, S.J. at the present site of Ste.-Marie-among the Hurons, near Midland, and a simple, hand-etched lead plaque told the story of this heroic life:
P. Jean de Brebeuf
This school named after the Jesuit missionary, Jean de Brebeuf, opened with one hundred Grades 9 & 10 students in September, 1963. Their Excellencies, Bishops Philip F. Pocock and Francis A. Marrocco presided at the official opening and solemn blessings on January 5, 1964. Brebeuf's first graduation class in 1966 consisted of 30 students, among them Mr. Michael Daoust formerly the head of mathematics at Brebeuf. The 1967 year had 74 graduates, one of whom was Dr. Robert Lato, formerly the head of guidance at Brebeuf.
Father Jean de Brebeuf who spent three periods of his life in Huronia in the 17th century (1626–29, 1634–42, and 1644–49), less than 150 miles from the present site of Brebeuf College School, is now honoured permanently as patron of Brebeuf College School.
In 1967, the school entered an agreement with the Metropolitan Separate School Board (now the Toronto Catholic District School Board, whereby Grade 9 and 10 students would be under the publicly funded separate school system and Grades 11,12, and 13 would continue as a private school. This arrangement happened at most Catholic high schools in Ontario at the request of the Bishops of the province.
In May, 1983, Father William Ryan, the Provincial of the Jesuits, announced that the Jesuits were going to give up responsibilities for the operation of Brebeuf College School by June, 1984. This decision was made necessary by the steady decline of available manpower. Immediately, Cardinal Gerald Emmett Carter and the staff of the Archdiocese of Toronto began to explore the possibilities to ensure the continual operation of Brebeuf. In February, 1984, Cardinal Carter's office announced that the Presentation Brothers were willing to assume responsibility for Brebeuf College, and would officially take over on July 31, 1984. Brother Lawrence Maher FPM was the new Principal until 1996. Thus the school is now also associated by the Presentation Brothers.
The Presentation Brothers of Mary are a religious congregation founded with a single intention—to work for the Christian education and the formation of youth. The Order was founded in 1802 in Ireland by Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, a wealthy and well-educated businessman in the city of Waterford. By the age of forty, Edmund Rice was noted as a generous layman, particularly concerned with the plight of the poor. After entering a monastery in Europe, he realized that his real vocation lay with the uneducated and poverty-stricken youth of Waterford. It was in 1802 that Edmund Rice gave up his personal wealth and by 1822 he had become the founder of the Presentation Brothers and the Congregation of Christian Brothers. Brother Edmund Rice died in 1844 but the work he began continued throughout the world. Today the Presentation Brothers operate elementary and secondary schools in the West Indies, Ireland, Ireland, Ghana, Nigeria, and Canada.
In 1984, the Ontario Government announced it would begin funding Catholic high schools beyond Grade 10. Thus by 1987 Brebeuf ceased to be a private school, although it maintained a culture and many traditions of an independent institution. The school's population grew rapidly from a traditional number of approximately 600 to over 1200 by 1992.
In 2002, the Toronto Catholic District School Board announced funding for a new building to replace Brebeuf's outdated facilities. The main architect was Rod Robbie who also designed the SkyDome. Under Principal Michael Pautler '76, the Brebeuf community was temporarily housed in the former Bathurst Heights Collegiate while the new building was being constructed. On January 5, 2004, exactly forty years after Bishop Pocock presided over Brebeuf College School's Solemn Blessing, staff and students began classes in the new state-of-the-art facility at the old campus.
The Brebeuf Crest was designed by Father Robert Meagher S.J., Brebeuf's founding Principal. It symbolizes the rich heritage and history of Brebeuf.
The black bull is taken from the family coat-of-arms of St. Jean de Brebeuf.
The cross of St. George and maple leaves are taken from the arms of the Province of Ontario.
The blazing sun forms the arms of the Society of Jesus who founded the school, and of which Brebeuf was a member. The flames on the circle symbolize the infinite love of Christ, and the little cross, the pinnacle of that love. The Greek letters "iota", "eta," and "sigma" are the first three letters of Jesus's name.
The angel's wings behind the large cross are those of St. Michael, the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Toronto. The five small crosses on the larger cross represent each of the five Canadian Jesuit Martyrs (Jean de Brebeuf, Gabriel Lalement, Antoine Daniel, Charles Garnier, and Noel Chabanel).
The Latin motto "Studio Gradum Faciant" is translated "To win merit through study", emphasizing the academic nature of the school.
The school follows the Catholic Church's sacramental and liturgical calendar. Students take religion courses in each year of school. Each day begins with a community prayer over the public address system and a communion service in the chapel.The Angelus is recited at 10:00 each day. Students participate in a day-retreat as part of their religion class. Kairos (retreats) are offered to students in Grade 11. [1] Masses are held throughout the year (Feast of Brebeuf, Thanksgiving, Advent, Feast of Edmund Rice, Closing Mass, etc.) and on every First Friday of the month.
Students are encouraged often to put their faith into action as "men for others" in various charity drives and social justice initiatives. The school's Youth Ministry group has over one hundred student members.
The Honour Roll recognizes students who have an overall average of 80% with no marks below 60%. Students who achieve Honour Roll status for every year of high school are inducted into the Blessed Edmund Rice Society, named for the Founder of the Presentation Brothers, at Graduation.
There are awards for the highest overall average in each grade and these are named for the college's Jesuit principals:
Brebeuf offers a large variety of extracurricular activities and clubs, including: debating, school newspaper, Me to We, peer tutoring, Student Council, robotics, math club, business club, law club, medical club, Asian Association, social justice club, art club, school bands, Theatre Brebeuf, etc.
Hockey, rugby, tennis, golf, volleyball, basketball, curling, track and field, cross country, table tennis, badminton, swimming, soccer.
In 2010, the school reintroducted a House System and all Grade 9 students were place in one of five Houses named for the Canadian Jesuit Martyrs who were contemporaries of St. Jean de Brebeuf. Students participate in a variety of athletic and academic competitions. The House names are:
The "B" newspaper has been published continuously since 1963.
The "Brebeuf Relations" is the newsletter sent out 2-3 times per year to the parent community and friends of the school.
The "Alumni B" is published each December and has kept Old Boys connected to their alma mater since 1982.
Brebeuf's yearbook, "Echon" takes its name from St. Jean de Brebeuf's name in the Huron language, and has been produced annually since 1967.
BNN, or Brebeuf News Network, is a closed-circuit television system consisting of six monitors placed strategically throughout the school. It broadcasts announcements and short news and video clips produced by the school's media arts courses.
"Triple Bronze" is an annual poetry anthology which began in 1971.
Brebeuf has a traditional uniform consisting of a white dress shirt, striped school tie, grey dress trousers, black dress shoes, and a black blazer or sweater. In the warmer weather, students have the option of wearing a crested golf shirt.
The student body is represented by a Student Council, elected directly by the students. The executive consists of a President, Vice-President, Sports Representative, Social Representative, Junior Vice-President, Junior Sports Representative, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Student Council organizes such events as dances, clothing sales, pep rallies, the graduation formal, and intramural sports.
Some prominent alumni include: