The School
The building was once called Tabor Park Vocational School, built in 1965 by the Scarborough Board of Education until Tabor Park became a surplus building after an overall drop of the area population during the period of reorganization by public school boards across Ontario following a decision by the Ontario Government to extend funding of Catholic schools to include secondary school grades 10 to 13 (OAC) in the 1980s. After Tabor Park closed in 1986, Scarborough Centre for Alternative Studies began in this site. As a result, the Tabor Park building was ceded to the Metropolitan Separate School Board (later the Toronto Catholic District School Board) and was reopened as Jean Vanier to serve the rest of Scarborough.
Originally opened in September 1989 with 18 staff and 198 grade 9 students under the leadership of founding principal Michael Leroux, the first students graduated Vanier in 1993. Jean Vanier was established to relive overcrowding at Blessed Cardinal Newman Catholic High School. Construction and renovation were not complete until the spring of 1994, and the school now accommodates close to 1000 students. From the onset, the school was de-streamed in grade 9. The school was opened and blessed in November 1994.
Outside the classrooms, the Student Council organizes certain events to show school spirit such as Pep Rally, Fearfest, Semi-Formal, 12 Days of Christmas, Winter Activity Day, School Dance, 30 Hour Famine, SAC Gives Back, and Dress Down Day. In addition to SAC, there are certain organizations and clubs run and operated like Social Justice, History, Maverick Athletic Council, Anime, Chess, Mathematics, Best Buddies, Improv, School Plays, and many others.
In February 2011, Jean Vanier CSS has received Dr. Bette M. Stephenson Recognition of Achievement award from EQAO. It is the only TCDSB school to given such award.
Read more about this topic: Jean Vanier Catholic Secondary School, History
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