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Pastoral Plan 2023-2024:
Cardinal Ambrozic Pastoral Plan 2023 2024.pdf
Catholicity:
The Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board is committed to providing quality Catholic education which serves the academic, social, physical and spiritual developmental needs of our students.
The historical mandate of the Catholic school system in Ontario is to model the entire syllabus of the school on the life and teaching of Jesus. As such, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board has expectations of all students admitted.
Our religious expectations are as follows:
- All students will enrol in a Religion course in each of the four years. All religion courses are approved by the appropriate Catholic authority. The Government of Ontario recognizes that Religion credits count towards a secondary school graduation diploma.
- All students will participate in an annual retreat for the first four years that they are in a secondary school. The retreat normally takes place during the school day at a site off school property. The school chaplain organizes the annual retreat based on spiritual developmental themes appropriate for adolescents.
- Given that the spiritual component of Cardinal Ambrozic Secondary School is infused throughout all aspects of school life, students will participate in the prayer and in the liturgical life of the school. Catholic students are expected to participate fully as mandated by their sacramental Baptism. Non-Catholic students are expected to participate to the extent that they can. It is not the intention of the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board to proselytize, however, it is our tradition that the entire school participates in all of the religious events that occur during the school year.
- The Catholic District School Boards of Ontario follow approved provincial curriculum. Given the distinctiveness of Catholic schools, the Government of Ontario recognizes parallel curricula for our system based on Catholic course profiles. All courses in all subject areas, in a Catholic secondary school, are taught from a Catholic point of perspective.
Retreats:
One of the most wonderful aspects to Chaplaincy is being able to lead our students in retreats. The opportunity for yearly retreats is a cornerstone of Catholic Education. Retreats allow students to step back from the hectic routines of the school building, take a relaxing breath, and focus on the life and mission of the Catholic Church. The grade level retreats give students an opportunity to build community, reflect on their purpose and current direction, and participate in a prayerful experience in an alternative setting.
This year's Grade 9 retreat program is well under way and focuses on the theme of Welcome & Transitions- A New Beginning. Our primary focus is to share how our personal stories impact our daily lives, of those around us and our own relationship with God. The retreat is facilitated by our CORE Team retreat leaders, who have been trained to facilitate large group retreats and assist grade 9 students with the transition from elementary to secondary school. These retreats take place in our school chapel and around our school grounds. They consist of prayer, small group discussions, and teambuilding activities. Lunch and snacks are provided. These retreats take place during period 1, 2 and 3 (students will return to period 4) throughout the months of September and October.
This year's grade 10 retreat program will begin in November and students will be going to Regeneration Outreach in Brampton with their Religion classes. Students will prepare and serve lunch to the homeless community in Brampton. This will also include education in the areas of poverty and homelessness, including a review of the services and resources available to low-income families in the Peel Region. Lunch is provided and this retreat will take place during periods 1, 2 and 3 and students will return to their period 4 class. We will be collecting food items during our Thanksgiving Food Drive (October 3-7) and bring these items to Regeneration on our retreat days.
The grade 11 retreats will be focusing on interfaith dialogue and will involve a tour of various places of worship, in connection to the World Religions studies in the Grade 11 Religion course. These retreats will also begin in November and students will be going with their grade 11 Religion teachers. The day begins in the chapel with a brief introduction to the Catholic Church teaching on Interfaith dialogue. Next, students have the opportunity to tour (with an available tour guide at each venue) BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Hinduism), Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar (Sikhism) and we will end our day in prayer in our school chapel at Cardinal Ambrozic (Catholicism). Lunch is provided and this retreat will take place during periods 1, 2 and 3 and students will return to their period 4 class.
The grade 12 retreats will take place at Dr. Simone's Canadian Food for Children warehouse in Mississauga. These retreats will also begin in November and students will be going with their grade 12 Religion teachers. It is a day of education and service to the poor in third world countries. Students will have the opportunity to learn, serve and participate in the response to the daily needs of those who are less fortunate. The day will consist of dialogue and sorting/packing of goods that have been donated. Lunch is provided. We will be collecting food items throughout the school year and will also bring food donations to Dr. Simone's on our retreat days. We will also be accepting household donations for Dr. Simone's that we will take with us on our grade 12 retreats. Please drop off any clothing, houseware item, sporting goods, and educational items (books, puzzles, markers, crayons, etc) at the school prayer wall, by the flags, across from the Main Office. Again, lunch is provided and this retreat will take place during periods 1, 2 and 3 and students will return to their period 4 class.
Finally, we will also be going on retreat with our students in our Planning for Independence Program (PIP) and for our students in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) program (organized by the Academic Resource Department, in collaboration with Chaplaincy). Students will be going to Riverwood Conservancy in Mississauga, where they will enjoy God's creation through various indoor and outdoor nature programs. Lunch is provided and this retreat will take place during period 1, 2 and 3. Students will return to their period 4 classes.