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Teachers make school fun

After being a student at Canadian Martyrs for eight years, I can honestly say I’ve had the time of my life.

I’ve met some amazing people and developed some life long relationships with my classmates.

Most people think school is boring, but being at Canadian Martyrs showed me that you can learn and have fun at the same time.

My teacher, Mrs. White, makes even the most boring subjects fun. I go to bed at night thinking of all the fun things we did that day and I wake up excited and ready for the day ahead of me.

During the eight years at my school, I have had five different and great teachers. They explained the work to the fullest and if I ever had questions, they were there to answer them.

They would always give good advice and they were always there if you needed someone to talk to.

Without your classmates, a day at Canadian Martyrs wouldn’t be the same. They are always there to support you and help you through the rough times. They constantly make you laugh and find ways to cheer you up when you’re feeling down.

There are many activities going on at my school too. I have been on lots of sports teams such as volleyball, basketball and soccer. Being on all those teams was a blast. I met new people and it helped me stay active.

We also do a lot of fundraisers. Lately, we’ve done some to support the Grade 8 trip to Canada’s Wonderland (which I’m really looking forward to!).

I don’t think anything will equal the eight years I’ve had here. I’ve been here since Grade 1 and I have a lot of memories I’ll never forget.

Hopefully, after I graduate, all the kids remaining or just starting at Canadian Martyrs will have just as much fun as I did!

Ashley Jackson is a Grade 8 student at Canadian Martyrs Catholic School in Oshawa.
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Faith and community at Canadian Martyrs


May 26, 2007 By: Jillian Follert

OSHAWA -- As she pokes her head in the classrooms at Canadian Martyrs C.S., principal Mary Lou Elliott pauses to chat with the students -- discussing upcoming birthdays, reminding them to remove hats indoors, solving a dispute over a pencil.

And she knows every single one by name.

“We’re very small,” she says of the cozy lake-side school, home to about 110 kids. “It’s great, because everyone knows everyone.”

The 33-year-old Catholic School is situated in South Oshawa -- but Ms. Elliott prefers to call it the “lake district,” because the schoolyard backs onto the glittering waters of Lake Ontario.

At this school -- named in honour of the eight Jesuit missionaries who were the first martyrs in North America -- faith is key.

Teaching Catholic values and helping students prepare for sacraments like first communion, is a big part of school life. Students attend monthly mass at nearby St. Philip the Apostle and the newly formed school choir has started singing there as well.

“Religion is the heart and soul of everything we do here,” Ms. Elliott says.

Also important is a strong sense of community.

While not a community school, Canadian Martyrs does open its doors to some community uses, like a weekly pre-school program and after-school meetings of Youth to Youth, an initiative that encourages kids between the ages of 8 and 14 to talk about social issues like smoking and drug use.

The school’s breakfast program serves up an early morning meal to about 30 students a day, while homework clubs and literacy clubs provide after-school help to those who need it.

“We are not the most affluent community and we are a community of a lot of single-parent families. A lot of people look to the school for support,” the principal says. “But everyone gives support back.”

Every year before Christmas break, parent volunteers cook and serve a full turkey dinner for staff, students, parents and relatives, feeding more than 300 people at a time.

Volunteers also fundraise to help pay for things like the annual June trip to Cedar Park, which the entire school takes part in.

“That’s one of the great things about being such a small school. Instead of dividing them up, we can fit the whole school on two buses and away we go together,” Ms. Elliott says.