YORK CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD
YCDSB to open first English school in the GTA named after Pope Francis

As students make their way back to school on September 6th, the York Catholic District School Board will welcome nearly 250 Kindergarten to Grade 8 students, to its newest school, Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School. The 65,015 square foot school is located at 15 Secord Avenue in Kleinburg. It is the first English-language school to open in the Greater Toronto Area named after Pope Francis.

Pope Francis CES features 6 kindergarten classrooms specially designed for play-based learning, a music room, reflection room, and a Special Education classroom. All classrooms are equipped with smart boards, which align with the Board's focus on technology. As the top energy performing school board in the province, Pope Francis CES is designed with environmentally friendly features including lighting, which is controlled by occupancy and daylight sensors, and water bottle filling stations to conserve water use. The school is designed to provide barrier free access to both floors, and signage and tactile warning devices assist the visually impaired.

Media are invited to the first day of school celebrations at Pope Francis CES, which will include the raising of the Canadian flag for the first time and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:45 a.m. YCDSB Director of Education, Patricia Preston, School Superintendent Mary Battista, and Vice Chair of the Board, Elizabeth Crowe will be in attendance, among other board officials.

"We are very pleased to provide our Kleinburg families with a Catholic school in their community, and look forward to welcoming students to our newest school on September 6th," says Carol Cotton, Chair of the Board. "We were delighted when the Ministry of Education granted funding for a school in Kleinburg in 2014. Since then, our staff, together with our partners, have worked tirelessly to see this school built. As we journey through the Year of Mercy, as declared by the Holy Father, I am confident that Pope Francis CES will be a place of mercy that inspires all students to learn and grow."

• What: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School
• When: Tuesday, September 6, 2016, 8:45 a.m.
• Where: Pope Francis CES, 15 Secord Avenue, Kleinburg, ON, L4H 3Z3

York Catholic secondary students entering Grade 9, as well as students entering Grade 7 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic College School in Keswick will participate in a "Getting Ready for High School" orientation day on Tuesday, September 6th. High school students in Grades 10-12, and students in Grades 8-12 at Our Lady of the Lake CCS, will begin classes on Wednesday, September 7th.

Also beginning this September, St. Mark CES in Stouffville will become the 15th York Catholic school to offer the French Immersion program. New Specialist High-Skills Majors (SHSM) programs in Business, and Hospitality and Tourism, will also be added this year at St. Augustine CHS in Markham, and at St. Maximilian Kolbe CHS in Aurora, respectively. A new innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship component, developed with the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, will be embedded into the Board's 21 SHSM programs this year, to teach students specific skills employers seek.

"We are delighted to introduce new programs for both elementary and secondary students for the 2016-2017 school year," says Patricia Preston, Director of Education. "Such specialized programming supports our commitment to student achievement and provides our students with more meaningful learning experiences so that they can achieve the vision that we have for them. It is our vision that all students in our learning community will become creative and critical thinkers who integrate Catholic values into their daily lives as socially responsible global citizens."