St. Francis de Sales Catholic School

Best School and teachers I've ever met :)

Best school in ajax. Best teachers and friends for my son and best principle .thank you all

This is not the great place it once was, very disappointing to share. Ineffective resolution of incidents of verbal and physical harassment/assault has impacted student mental health. There is invalidation by the principal who jokes with parents during meetings about incidents - parents who are very upset about their children being harassed/assaulted and the fact that there is NO change in the offending student's behaviour after dozens of parents' complaints over the years re the SAME student. The principal jokes and gets defensive.Offending students get a little talking to, may miss some recesses, get a call home to parents who are disengaged from their parenting responsibilities (clearly) and the cycle repeats itself. It's the 'definition of insanity' in a place where children are being educated.I have tried my best to be respectful and diplomatic time after time, year after year, with the teachers and principals in an attempt to work cooperatively to resolve issues, but I'm now fed up at this point given that nothing has fundamentally changed despite all our extensive efforts while some people who chose to become teachers can't manage student behaviour adequately or run a school properly, and none of this would bother me if it didn't result in MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HARM BEING INFLICTED ON MY CHILDREN who happen to be bright, respectful BIPOC students.As a parent, I have been treated poorly by the current principal and the previous one who so many parents successfully lobbied to get rid of. I've been accused of recording our meeting conversation by the current principal. As a BIPOC mother who has seen how empathy and validation have not been appropriately demonstrated towards her son, this accusation by the principal has served to further expand my family's emotional injury.Lately my phone calls to the school office and soundings of the front door buzzer have gone completely unanswered when I try to pick my children up for an appointment (or give them reprieve from this toxic place) if the secretary is on her lunch break and the principal fails to ensure front office coverage but is found sitting in her office, door closed. I raised the issue with the principal via email, expressing my displeasure and asking very clearly for a written email reply, but never received one. These seemingly small incidents are perceived as microaggressions in the context of a BIPOC family's concerns chronically being swept under the rug. I find all of this to be quite unacceptable and insulting and reflective of an overall incompetence and lack of respect and understanding.One of the grade 7/8 teachers eavesdropped on my son's private lunchtime conversation with his friend (he was venting to his friend 1:1 as we all do) and the teacher proceeded to express angry opposition about his privately communicated frustrations. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees freedom of thought, belief and expression, but somehow this teacher saw herself as having greater authority than the Charter that day.Overall, I struggle to see true evidence of Catholic values and stewardship being reflected in this school amongst the older grades and amongst the (post-Mr Condon) grade 7/8 teachers. Please feel free to prove me wrong. These grade 7/8 teachers have all acted inappropriately over the past two school years, whether it is in how they mishandled classroom incidents, spoken to my son disrespectfully (e.g. victim-blaming after a bullying incident, not respecting his rights) or getting upset with him re his self-advocacy. They and their boss, the principal, all lack emotional maturity and that is truly something I never thought I would witness at any school. In hindsight, this school was not the right choice (esp. gr. 4/5 onward) and I hope that prospective parents, incl. BIPOC parents, will take note and learn from our mistake. Things HAVE to change. Going to school shouldn't involve having to endure physical/verbal assault, misogyny and a principal and gr. 7/8 staff who do the bare minimum wrt student wellbeing and school climate.