This fall, schools from coast to coast have grappled with the challenge of safely reopening doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Public Health regulations and restrictions varied from city to city across our beautiful country, a few things were consistent in Catholic school communities throughout Canada– servant leadership, innovation and flexibility. In a recent virtual Board meeting, our members brought forth encouraging reports on the state of Catholic education in Canada.

While this fall presented more than its fair share of challenges, the Atlantic Region helped us put things all in perspective. “September 2020 was marked with the joy of students' faces as they reunited with friends and teachers after six months. This joy and trust of students helped ease the tension and uncertainty of the staff. In many ways, the return of the students reminded us all what Catholic Education is all about and sparked in us a greater fervour for this mission to which we have been called.”

Read more: Back to school highlights from Catholic schools in Canada

CCSTA Remembers John Stunt

It is with great sadness we share that former CCSTA Executive Director, John Stunt, has passed away.

Surrounded by his family at his Pembroke, Ont. home, Mr. Stunt passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

Mr. Stunt’s involvement in Catholic education in Canada will be remembered as a lasting legacy, particularly amongst his CCSTA colleagues.

Read more: Former CCSTA Executive Director John Stunt passes away

CCSTA Announces Winners of the 2020 Toonies for Tuition Trophy Challenge

The Canadian Catholic School Trustees’ Association is pleased to announce that Kenora Catholic District School Board has taken the top spot for school boards and Saskatchewan has reclaimed its provincial title in the Toonies for Tuition Trophy Challenge!

Each year, a trophy is awarded to the individual school board or division in the fully-funded provinces that raises the most money per capita based on Full-time Enrolment. A second trophy is awarded to the province that raises the most money based on FTE.

For Kenora CDSB, the Toonies for Tuition campaign is about much more than bragging rights.

“The need for supporting this initiative became very apparent when attending the CCSTA AGM in Newfoundland several years ago. Since then, we have recognized the importance of this initiative,” explains KCDSB Trustee Frank Bastone. “I have travelled to other provinces and networked with fellow Catholic school trustees where provincial funding is either very limited or non-existent. Yet, we’ve heard the stories of the sacrifices that families have made to ensure that their children receive a Catholic education. These sacrifices made me all the more grateful for the funding of Catholic education in Ontario and aware of the need to assist those families that choose a Catholic education for their children.”

To meet their fundraising goals, Kenora CDSB took a multi-pronged approach.

They hosted a board-wide fundraiser in February for all staff and students. On top of that, the Board’s trustees collected a fee from all attendees at the Trustee Christmas party in December that was donated to the CCSTA’s Toonies for Tuition program. The school board also accepted donations from individual supporters such as Tom Shura who donated $2,095.72 as well as from other individuals, the Knights of Columbus and the Notre Dame Church Catholic Women's League.

Read more: CCSTA Announces Winners of the 2020 Toonies for Tuition Trophy Challenge