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 Proposed Separate School, Charles H. Gillin, Architect |
New School
On Tuesday, September 06, 1955, 100 students assembled in St. Joseph’s Church, as members of the newest school in Stratford – ST. ALOYSIUS SEPARATE SCHOOL. The children were excited to be part of this new school although they were not to be in their new building until December 21, 1955.
Earlier that year, the Huron-Perth Roman Catholic Separate School Board had approved the building of the new school to alleviate overcrowding at St. Joseph’s School, on Grange Street, and Immaculate Conception School, on Well Street. St. Aloysius School area would be the district north of the Avon River. Rural pupils from Ellice and North Easthope townships would be transferred to the new school in the fall. Children aged four years and eight months on the 1st of September 1955 would be admitted to Junior Grade One as full day pupils. The school would accommodate pupils up to and including Grade Five, while senior grade pupils in this area would go to St. Joseph’s School, to complete their elementary education.
Land was purchased from Andrew and Elizabeth Gajda, on Avondale Avenue at the end of Charles Street. Architect C. H. Gillen, 389 Queen’s Avenue, London presented plans for a school with three classrooms, although it would be equipped with wiring, plumbing and heating facilities for future expansion to a six-room school. The building would measure 86 feet by 48.6 feet. The general contract for the construction of the new school went to the lowest bidder, the McDowell Construction Company from Centralia. A sum of $55,000 was borrowed “for the purposes of acquiring suitable lands and constructing a three-room Roman Catholic Separate School and to provide equipment for such school”. The loan was to be paid over twenty years. While Immaculate Conception School was still using coal for heating, the new school would use
oil.
Bishop John Cody of London sent a letter to the chairman of the school board, announcing his selection of the name St. Aloysius for the school, as he is one of the patrons of youth. The Bishop wrote, “ I choose him at once so that his intercession will help you to complete your tasks all the more successfully.”
The first official duty of Rev. J. L. O’Rourke as newly appointed pastor of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church was blessing the site where the new school was to be built. On July 11, 1955, Robert Butler, chairman of the school board, turned the first sod, marking the beginning of the long-awaited school. Parents breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that their children would no longer have to cross at least three main streets to get to school.
Temporary quarters were arranged for students from September until December when they would be in the new building. Junior Grade One and Grade One students and their teacher, Rev. Mother Simeon were placed in a classroom at Avon School on John Street between Charles Street and Caledonia Street. Grades Two and Three were at the Public Library on St. Andrews Street with Miss Audrey Kennedy as teacher. Grades Four and Five were also at Avon School with their teacher and the school’s principal, Rev. Mother Anacleta, I.B.V.M., of the order of Loretto. Mr. F. McCaffery would be appointed part time caretaker when the building was ready.
On Sunday, November 13, 1955, the school was officially opened. Although it would be several weeks before classes were held in the school, over 100 parents and children were happy to get a preview of what their new school would look like. The original three classrooms are what is now Rooms 1, 2, and 3. From the front door, they are the first two on the left and the first room on the left across from the boys’ washrooms.
Bishop Cody blessed each classroom, and called for a united effort by parents, students and teachers to raise moral standards, which he said, “are at the lowest point in years”. He said that the teachers and students would shape the destiny of the future. He added that Catholics have made great sacrifices to make sure that religion is taught in separate schools. Bishop Cody lauded the opening of the new school as the fulfillment of the dream of Monsignor D. J. Egan, “a man who has endeared himself to the hearts of Stratford citizens.” Monsignor Egan was the previous pastor at St. Joseph’s Church and had retired earlier in the year because of illness. Hymns were sung by a choir composed of students from Stratford’s three separate schools, led by Mother M. Anita and Mother M. Frederic.
Bringing greetings of the city, Mayor Wilfred P. Gregory, Q.C. cited St. Aloysius as a “fine model for an institution of learning”. Architect Charles H. Gillin of London presented the keys to the new school to Principal Mother Anacleta.
Mrs. W.A. (Irene) Gingras, secretary of the St. Joseph’s School Parent-Teacher Association had previously presented Mother Anacleta with the statue of St. Aloysius, which still presides over the front entrance of the school.
Finally the day came! On Wednesday, December 21, 1955, one hundred students and their teachers started classes in their new school. Before they left Avon School that day, the students presented a gift to Principal Grant Kropf, for his co-operation in making their stay there a pleasant one. Jane (Mavity) Gladding recalls walking down Caledonia Street from Avon to St. Aloysius on that first day. The children all carried their books and supplies in bags from Jack Hood School Supplies, a local company. She remembers that it was a cold day. Many students recall the mud around the schoolyard, and the wooden planks for them to walk on. Mother Anacleta was determined to keep her new school clean. It had been decided that all outside grading and cement work would be done in the spring.
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 Turning The Sod – Frank McCaffrey, C.A. MCDowell, Robert Butler, Rev. J.L. O’Rourke, Maurice Reinhart |
Renovations
At the opening of the original building in 1955, Stratford Separate School inspector W.H. Bulger predicted that further expansion of separate school facilities could be expected over the next five years because post war expansion had come to Stratford later than in the larger communities. Before the school was finished, plans were being made for an addition, to be completed in 1957.
The extension would include two standard classrooms, an additional washroom, a principal’s office and a storage room. The new washroom would be for the girls and the present two washrooms were to be joined and used by the boys, as was planned when the basic unit was built. This last change did not take place, as the boys’ washroom is still two separate rooms. The addition was built on the northern end of the existing building, and necessitated the removal of a large tree, which had been the centre of school social life since the school was occupied in 1955.
Enrollment figures pointed to the first classroom being occupied in September of 1957, in order for the school to expand to Grade Six, and the second classroom to accommodate Grades Seven and Eight by 1958, however, both new classrooms were in use at the beginning of the 1957 year. $40,000 was borrowed at a rate of 5.75% interest to pay for this new addition. Construction was done by Frank Van Bussel and Sons of Lucan.
On Sunday, November 03, 1957, Rev. J.L. O’Rourke, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, officially opened the addition. The program was opened with the singing of “O Canada”, led by a choir of 40 voices drawn from Stratford separate schools.
A third addition in 1965 consisted of two classrooms, a Kindergarten room, health and staff rooms and a new principal’s office. This required a loan of $33,000 at 4% interest over nine years.
In 1973, at a cost of $200,000, an extensive building project added a gymnasium, library-resource centre, and a new administrative office complex. Of the five Stratford separate schools, St. Aloysius, now a Kindergarten to Grade 6 school, rated second in enrollment to St. Michael with 239 pupils. It was promised that when the building was completed, the two schools would share their library and gymnasium facilities with the rest of the system.
The official opening of the new addition on Sunday May 12 1974 began with the singing of “O Canada”, followed by remarks by Principal Gary Birmingham, and a blessing by Rev. Carl Keane. This was Father Keane’s last official act a pastor of St. Joseph’s Church, before taking over a new post in Windsor. Mayor Keith Culliton spoke briefly to the assembly as well. A musical interlude was presented by the St. Aloysius School Choir.
In 1986, three interior portable classrooms were added at the back of the school to accommodate French Immersion classes which began in the Fall of 1986 with grades kindergarten, 1, 2, 3. Each year, the French program added a year, until it went up to grade eight. In 1993 the entire French Immersion program was relocated to Jeanne Sauve School on Waterloo Street in the former St. Michael School building.
In 1988 an additional two classrooms were built on the Britannia Street side at the back, as the school was expanding to include grade seven in 1988, and grade eight in 1989.
During the summer of 2006, renovations were made to the library; lighting, alarm systems and washrooms were upgraded; a physio/quiet room, a resource room and a barrier-free washroom were added; as well as rooftop cooling systems for the library and gymnasium. The roof of the school was replaced. The work was done by Sierra Construction Company from Woodstock, Ontario at a cost of $871,956.
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 Classroom 3 – June 1956, with nurse’s room and stage at back of the room |
Principals and Staff
Since 1955, there have been about 125 teachers, 50 support staff, and six principals. Former and present students have fond memories of many of their teachers, especially in the primary grades. They speak with great affection of Flora Murphy, Donna MacArthur, Marg Bossence, and Patty Anderson. However, Mark Chandler, a student from 1987 until 1996 recalls his favourite being Paul Gainer, his grade 7 teacher. “Mr. Gainer made it clear from day one that he would not put up with bad behaviour, yet his class was lots of fun, and we felt that we learned a lot that year. We appreciated being able to work without distractions.”
Following are the principals of St. Aloysius –
Mother Anacleta Miles 1955 – 1970 (deceased)
Gary Birmingham 1970 – 1978
Sam Alberico 1978 – 1993
Mike Dewan 1993 – 1998
Rita Lauwaert 1998 – 2004
Larry Murray 2004 –
Activities
St. Aloysius School has a long history of winning sports teams. The Rotary-Y.M.C.A. School Boy Hockey League in Stratford consisted of teams made up from individual schools. The same players were together on a team for several years, and knew what to expect from their teammates. Adrian Pontsioen, teacher and coach, and John Haldane, a student from 1962 to 1969 remember the St. Al’s team, which won several championships. Both men recall the friendships and love of the game, which grew from their time on the St. Al’s team.
Throughout the years, the local newspapers would often have headlines such as, “St. Al’s Sweeps Counties Title”, when referring to successful sports competitions such as baseball, soccer, bordenball, volleyball, basketball, cross country running, track and field. The gymnasium walls are filled with pennants won at many different events.
Dramatic productions have ranged from simple class plays to major productions. In a city where we have a world class theatre, it isn’t difficult to find adults and students who are willing to help organize these plays, many of which have shown talent that seemed beyond that of an elementary school. In 2000, teacher Patty Anderson put the whole school to work on the play “Jesus Christ Superstar”, which amazed and impressed the record amount of people who came to see it over several days.
Students have also participated in Math, Science and Chess competitions, bringing more glory to the school with their successes. Each year several students participate in a school board program for gifted students. In 2005/06, these students were involved in a test through the University of Western Ontario, in London, called “Emaginations”, which is working on developing new methods of teaching mathematics, using online lessons.
As the school evolved to include special needs students, the rest of the student body has learned how to help them participate and grow in a setting where they feel safe and welcome.
Peer mediators are pupils who are trained to help on the playground when conflicts arise among their fellow students.
Celebrations
In September 1980, St. Aloysius celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special Mass at the school, attended by about 150 people. Words of welcome were expressed by Stratford Mayor Ted Blowes, and by Ron Marcy, chairman of the Huron-Perth Separate School Board. Fr. Joseph L. O’Rourke, who celebrated the Mass, recalled being present at the original sod turning ceremony for the school. Among the former teachers who were at the anniversary were Margaret Culliton, who taught there from 1956 to 1966, and Julia Lennon, a teacher at the school from 1965 to 1974.
In May 2006 the school celebrated its 50th year. Festivities had been going on all week, and included Mass at St. Joseph’s Church, and a very moving rendition of “O Canada” sung in front of the school, as the Canadian flag was raised there for the first time. The party at the end of the week was no less spectacular as about 400 adults and children enjoyed games in the yard, and reminisced as they looked at photos and memories spread throughout the school. Every living Principal was there to cut the cake. Audrey (Kennedy) Mageau, who taught at the school the first year for an annual salary of $2100, was present and enjoyed visiting with many of her former students.
Changes
Physical changes to the building forced changes to the land around the school. The playground was a paved lot at the end of Charles Street, where the kindergarten classes are now. When the school was built, it was “in the middle of nowhere” as some have said. The back yard was a field and there were no houses behind or beside the school. Jane (Mavity) Gladding remembers skating between the cornstalks from the school out past the horse barns at the fairgrounds.
Many of the classrooms had pets. Teacher Shirley Lacey kept a rat named Templeton in her class, and Adrian Pontsioen kept a snake in his room. Of course, sometimes these creatures escaped (or perhaps were aided in their escape by mischievous students) and a merry chase was on to find them and return them to their homes. Pets are no longer allowed in the classroom due to allergies, and the possibility of spreading disease to humans.
In the early days at St. Aloysius, some classes were taught by nuns wearing black habits. There have been no nuns at the school since the early 1970’s. A class consisted of one teacher in a classroom with 30+ students, usually with two grades in each classroom. Today, class sizes are smaller, and teacher’s aides are available to help with special needs students. Parent volunteers are also welcome in the classroom.
There were no physical education classes when the school opened, and the only library books were on shelves at the back of each room. Teachers taught basic academic subjects. They still teach those subjects, but now they also have lessons on drugs, tobacco, alcohol, bullying and sex.
In 1955, the school taught children in junior grade one to grade 5, expanding to grade 6 in 1957 and grade 8 in 1958. In 1962, grades 7 and 8 were once again sent to St. Joseph’s school, then in the fall of 1963, they were in the new St. Michael School on Grange Street at Waterloo Street where the Loretto Academy and St. Joseph’s School had been located. In 1988 and 1989, grade 7 and 8 classes were included again at St. Aloysius School. In 1991, the addition of Junior Kindergarten meant that a child could go to the same school for ten years with two years of Kindergarten and grades one through eight.
Ironically, fifty years later, in 2005, in order to alleviate overcrowding at St. Aloysius School, school boundaries were changed, and all students on the far side of Huron Street and beyond were transferred to the newly renovated St. Joseph’s School now located on St. Vincent Street South.
The Legacy
St. Aloysius School has undergone many changes since it began in 1955. The building of course, while still recognizable, has expanded and become more modernized. Many staff and students have come and gone, but their spirit remains, as the school continues to form young children into productive adults. Through their Catholic faith, family bonds, friendships, academics, sports and reaching out to the community with charitable and environmental concerns, St. Aloysius School continues to lead the way from a proud beginning to a bright future.
Researched and compiled by Clara Chandler, October 2006, with files from St. Aloysius School archives, The Huron-Perth Catholic District School Board Archives, and Stratford Perth archives.
Thank you to all who shared their memories.
St. Aloysius School
228 Avondale Ave.
Stratford, ON
N5A 6N4
Phone: (519) 271-3636
Fax: (519) 271-3617
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