History
By 2005, Michael Power/St. Joseph was a co-educational community of over 2000 students. The present school began as two distinct high schools. The Sisters of St. Joseph opened St. Joseph, an all-girls high school named after the patron of Canada herself, Saint Joseph, near Islington Avenue in 1949 with a population of 150 girls. Eight years later in 1957, the Basilian Fathers started Michael Power, an all-boys high school named after the first Catholic bishop of Toronto.
- In 1982 the two schools were amalgamated officially – the designated principal was a Basilian Father while the vice-principal was a Sister of St. Joseph. In 1986, the Basilian Fathers continued to lead Michael Power/St. Joseph, a commitment that concluded with the retirement of Fr. Paul James.
- In 1985, the south campus of Michael Power/St. Joseph was established as Father John Redmond, a former principal and teacher at Michael Power/St. Joseph. Father John Redmond, a Basilian priest, educator and prominent national track and field coach.
- In 1993, the school moved to its present location on Eringate Drive. Previously, the building housed Vincent Massey Collegiate Institute.
- In June 2002, Michael Power/St. Joseph received approval from the International Baccalaureate Organization in Geneva, Switzerland to offer the IB Diploma Programme.
- In 2004 portable facilities started making their way back to Michael Power/St. Joseph. There are currently 6 portables.
The current enrolment of the school as of the 2011-2012 school year is 2004 students.
The teachers have established a strong tradition of strong academic standards. Currently, almost 80% of MPSJ graduates gain admission to university and college.
Started in 2004, Powerful Visions is Michael Power/St. Joseph’s annual creative art and media exhibition. The show takes place in the spring of the academic school year. Its galleries of student created artwork, movies and animations last for about one week and are open for the public to see. Featured student work has gone on to win awards at the national Mind, Media and the Message Festival and displayed in their exhibition at the Ontario Science Centre.
The school was certified to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme in June 2002. The current IB coordinators are Mr. Gregory Scully and Mrs. Luana Fanelli.
Read more about this topic: Michael Power-St. Joseph High School
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