About Us
Virtual Tour
Quick Facts
School Hours: 8:55 AM to 3:30 PM
Grade Distribution: Kindergarten to Grade 8
Student Enrollment: 223
Grade Distribution: Kindergarten to Grade 8
Student Enrollment: 223
Our Parish
About Our School
Welcome to the St. David School website! As you explore our site you will come to know why we are so proud of our students, staff and parent community.
St. David Catholic School opened in 1963 and is situated in the vibrant, friendly, family-oriented village of Dorchester, ON. Our school colours are red, black and white, and the school mascot is the Wildcat. Our patron saint is St. David (of Wales) and we celebrate his Feast Day every March 1st.
St. David Catholic School is a haven for nurturing compassion, service to others, respect for the dignity of all persons and working for the common good. There are many distinctive purposes for a Catholic education and our school plays an integral role in helping to achieve those purposes.
We are blessed with a dedicated group of parents that support school improvement through their participation in our Catholic School Council. St. David is truly a wonderful place to learn and work!
Mission Statement
“To serve the Catholic students of St. David in a community that nurtures a living faith and provides a quality Catholic education that enables the individual to become a contributing member of the Church and community.”
School Motto
“Learning in the name of the Lord.”
Staff Goals
The staff at St. David Catholic School is committed to working together to support the following outcomes:
- To guide our students to the person of Jesus Christ as the centre from which relationships with God, self, others and Creation develop;
- To promote achievement of the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations through our Catholic curriculum; and
- To nurture learning that is holistic and links moral and spiritual development to the life experiences of the learner and a way of life rooted in a Christian call to discipleship and service to our local, national as well as our global community.
Facilities
The original school was erected in 1963. In 2003, a $1.7 million major renovation and addition was completed to house 12 classrooms, an expanded library and computer lab, and a bright and welcoming entrance and office space. The school also has a small gymnasium and a Learning Lab.
In 2008, two more classrooms were added to the school and a major renovation of the original building allowed for a makeover of two Full Day Learning classrooms and the staff room.
Living Our Faith
St. David is a vibrant, Catholic community where students and staff have many opportunities to demonstrate their Catholic faith. The religious traditions at St. David Catholic School are honoured in various forms:
- School-wide prayers
- Monthly school-wide masses and class liturgies
- Celebrations
- Sacraments of First Eucharist and Reconciliation in Grade 2
- Sacrament of Confirmation in Grade 8
- Symbols
- Virtues education
- Student art
- Bulletin boards
- Prayer tables
- Volunteering
- Social justice projects
- Fundraising for local, national and international charities
These are some of the Outreach Initiatives supported by St. David School:
- Terry Fox Run
- Dorchester Cereal Box Drive
- United Way
- Angel Tree Gifts for Children
- Support a family at Christmas
- Food Drives
- Pop-tab Collection
Transportation Information
Ninety-nine percent of our students travel to school on 18 busses and 1 van. School transportation is provided by the Southwestern Ontario Student Transportation Services, and is shared with River Heights and Northdale Public Elementary Schools. Bus operators include Elgie Bus Lines and First Student.
School Safety
To promote safety the school conducts daily attendance checks under the Safe Arrival Program, and reinforces the School’s Code of Conduct and Dress Code as required by Ministry regulation.
Students in grades 1-4 attend Children’s Safety Village field trips. Buster the School Bus Safety Program is shared with Kindergarten-Gr. 3 students. The School Bus Evacuation Program is shared with students in Grades 4 to 8.
Three fire drills are held in the Fall Term. Three fire drills are held in the Spring Term. In addition, a tornado drill and safe secure drills (lock down procedures) are practised once a year.