- Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School
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Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic Secondary School Address 700 Stevenson Road North
Oshawa, Ontario, L1J 5P5, CanadaInformation School board Durham Catholic District School Board Superintendent Joe E D Principal Joe D'amico Vice principal Shawn O'Hare & Shannon Brady Grades 9-12 Language English Motto "Veritas Bonitas"
"Truth & Goodness"Team name PD Saints Colours Blue & Gold Founded 1965 Enrolment 1250 (2011) Homepage Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School is a secondary school located on 700 Stevenson Road North in the city of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Contents
Background
Originally called "Oshawa Catholic High School", the school was renamed after the late Msgr. Paul Dwyer who had not actually founded the school but petitioned constantly to have a Catholic school during his lifetime. Currently, Msgr. Paul Dwyer C.H.S. serves the Catholic population of northern Oshawa and other municipalities as far north as Port Perry. The school is one of seven secondary schools in the Durham Catholic District School Board.
Incidents
2010 School Stabbing
On March 30, 2010, a stabbing took place just outside the school. Michael McDonald(16), known to his classmates as "Biggie", was fatally stabbed by another Paul Dwyer student, Jacques Amakon(18). This was during a fight at a bus stop just outside the school shortly after classes were let out that day. Following the incident, the victim was rushed to Lakeridge Health Centre in Oshawa where he was pronounced dead. Although the school was completely devastated by the loss of Michael, the community was able to pull together to create a fund for Michael's family. A shrine was erected at the bus stop, and had to be moved to the Paul Dwyer football field due to the size. Vigils were held daily up until Michael's funeral.
Arrests
Shortly after the incident, an 18-year-old suspect, Jacques "TK" Amakon was arrested, after running from the scene and disposing the weapon. He has been charged with second-degree murder. Durham Regional Police said an ongoing dispute between two Oshawa teens sparked a fight that ended with a 16-year-old boy being fatally stabbed in front of a crowd of students at a Durham Regional Transit bus shelter Tuesday afternoon.
The victim, identified by friends as Michael McDonald, got into a fight with a fellow student from Oshawa's Monsignor Paul Dwyer Catholic High School while they waited for the bus across the road from the school at Rossland and Stevenson Rds.[1]
Athletics
The school's sporting teams are called "Dwyer Saints". In addition to football, the school puts together yearly hockey, basketball, volleyball, baseball, track and field and lacrosse, but do not offer rugby.
Dwyer has a ball hockey club. They have won several OFSAA Championships.
Dwyer, under the guidance of Head Coach Kevin Dillon, has won several OFSAA (All Ontario)cross-country team championships. Several of its graduates, including U of Louisville's Matt Hughes (2011 and 2010 NCAA Outdoor 3000m Steeplechase Champion) and Geneva Winterink (High Point) are attending D1 American Universities on athletic scholarships. Matt Hughes also qualified and competed in the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, in the 3000m Steeplechase event and won the 2011 Athletics Ontario Senior Mens Distance Athlete of the Year Award.
In February 2008, the Dwyer Girls Hockey Team won the LOSSA Championships, earning themselves a gold medal; the first ever gold medal for Dwyer Girls Hockey Team in Dwyer history, as well as earning themselves a bronze medal in the AAAA OFSAA Championships.
In May 2008, the Dwyer Junior Girls Soccer team went to the AAAA LOSSA finals.
Dwyer's lacrosse team won the first ever OFSAA medal for a team sport.
In March 2011, the Dwyer Senior Girls hockey team won gold at OFSAA.
Notable alumni
- Andre Talbot, CFL player
- Ben Eager, NHL player
- Ricky Foley, Football Player
- Matt Hughes, NCAA D1 2011 Outdoor Track and Field 3000m Steeplechase Champion
- Shawn W. O'Driscoll, Mayo Clinic Orthopedic Surgeon
- Douglas Zochodne Professor of Clinical Neurosciences
- Rick St. Croix Goaltender Toronto Maple Leafs
- Larry Hopkins (ice hockey), NHL player Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets
- Dr. Sharon Vitali, Oxford United Kingdom, Lecturer Social Work
- Dr. Cristina Santos, Associate Professor, Brock University
Performing arts
The school is well known for its theatrical performances and arts programs. In recent years, the school has produced musicals such as: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (2011), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2010), Beauty and the Beast (2009), Guys and Dolls (2008), Grease (2007), Les Misérables (2006), Jesus Christ Superstar (2005), and Into the Woods (2002). The production of Les Misérables proved to be the school's best-selling production to date, with sold-out performances each night including standing-room-only-tickets. For the 2011-2012 school year, the school is performing its third version of Damn Yankees. The Sears Drama Festival is a regular feat that offers several one act plays from the school's acting population. In previous years, Msgr. Paul Dwyer has won a variety of prestigious awards.
The Performing Arts Program is offered to students who wish to take on the challenge of studying four different forms of the arts: Dramatic, Dance, Vocal, and Visual. The student must audition before they are considered to be enrolled in the course; however, a student is not required to audition again for the following years of study. Pertaining to the end of the year musical, Performing Arts students must still audition for roles along with the rest of the school's population, as they are not automatically given roles.
There are separate programs that are open courses for vocal, drama, instrumental, visual arts, guitar, and media arts. Like the Performing Arts program, it is a custom that a student takes their desired programs throughout all four years.
References
- ^ Teens watch as schoolmate stabbed to death in OshawaHours after youth killed in Oshawa, another is injured in Mississauga www.thestar.com, published March 30, 2010,
External links
Categories:- High schools in Oshawa
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