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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, February 21, 2013 · 4 New French high school names its principal By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF There's no question school is a place of learning, but it is also where students can make memories, says Claire Lapierre, principal of the new French Catholic high school in Oakville, École secondaire catholique de Halton. The school is scheduled to open in September. "We want students to reach their full potential," the Hamilton resident said. "We want to offer all the supports that they offer in the other schools. We want to be competitive. We want to offer theatre. We want to offer music because those things create memories for the students." Lapierre said while academics are important, the extras create lasting memories, such as student participation in team sports, theatrical productions, music and much more. There will be new opportunities for students in a new school, too. The equipment and technologies available to students will be new. There will be many choices academically and for extracurriculars. The high school also aims to have International Baccalaureate programming for Grades 11 and 12, but not in the first year as the school will open with Grades 7-9, with additional grades added in subsequent years. Lapierre taught in her native Québec until she moved to Ontario and began teaching in a Hamilton French Catholic school in 1992. She has been with Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud (CSDCCS) since it formed in 1998 as a teacher, teacher consultant and assistant director of programming services. Lapierre is currently principal of Hamilton's École élémentaire catholique Monseigneur-de-Laval. She said she's happy to be returning to a high school, especially a new one. "This gives me a chance to go back and work in a high school environment," she said. "I'm also happy to work in a new community. Opening a new school, you have a lot of choices to make. You work in teams. You decide what kind of vision you want to give to the school, what you want to offer to the students. It's exciting." Lapierre said she expects her staff to give their students the feeling that they come first and that they can all succeed. Building the students' knowledge, skills, and competency are key "The students have to be in a safe, secure and respectful environment. That was always very important to me. That is something we will put a lot of time and energy into make sure the students feels safe because you cannot learn when there is bullying." Claire Lapierre, principal École secondaire catholique de Halton to teaching them to become responsible and open-minded adults. "We want to make them good Christians, good people, good citizens of the world," she said. "I hope every student who will graduate will be proud of their culture, of the Catholic value and also knowing that when they graduate we made a difference in their lives." The opening of the school can't come soon enough. Current local students with CSDCCS travel to Mississauga's École secondaire catholique Sainte-Famille, which has an enrollment of 900 students, as there are no French Catholic high schools in Halton. The Oakville school, which will draw pupils from across Halton, will have a student capacity of 450 students. Its feeder schools will be Oakville's Sainte-Marie, Burlington's Saint-Philippe and Milton's SaintNicolas. "The community has been expecting this school a long time. They're anxious and happy about it," said Lapierre, who touted a safe and welcoming environment for students. "The students have to be in a safe, secure and respectful environment. That was always very important to me," she said. "That is something we will put a lot of time and energy into make sure the students feel safe because you cannot learn when there is bullying." Construction for the new school, located at 2500 Grand Oak Trail, is underway. Registrations for Grades 7-9 are now being accepted. For enrollment information, visit http://esch.csdccs.edu.on.ca or call 905-339-0812. Call today for your personal tour. We'd love to have you join us! · Enjoy our fresh home cooked meals- never catered · Daily housekeeping including linen and laundry service · Our spacious sun filled facility · Nursing staff 24 hours a day for your peace of mind Retirement Living 380 Sherin Drive, Oakville, Ontario (905) 847-1413 www.vistamere.ca At Its Best