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what high school did you go to?

 
Old 08-24-2008 at 12:11 AM   #16
samantha__
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dvy88 View Post
My brother went there.. and i used to live like a block away from there for a while.. however, after his experiences we realized that private school = waste of money. lol.
So true.. my friends that went there are getting slaughtered at Mac.
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Old 08-24-2008 at 12:19 AM   #17
Iman
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Originally Posted by dvy88 View Post
Oh wait.. another thing to add after reading about all of your schools. My school was not multicultural at ALL!!! I only had one asian friend and one black acquaintance. Out of a grade of 200ish... we only had like 5 asian people, 4 black people, and 2 middle eastern people.. I mean, not that I care what race my friends are.. but its good to add a little multiculturalism to a school. But alas, what can I expect from a rich, white-dominated surbuban Ancaster? v.v
Oh wow, I never even thought to mention multiculturalness in my post...Scarborough has so many different kinds of people. And at my school, if you're white, you're a minority.

I can't imagine ever being told that homosexuality is wrong in ANY school setting though!! That's just... wow... That's so wrong. D:
Old 08-24-2008 at 12:28 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by samantha__ View Post
So true.. my friends that went there are getting slaughtered at Mac.
ahaha. my brother was a genius though.. so he held his own during uni.. but i mean.. he was an international student at appleby too.. so that must've cost a fortune!! i cant even imagine it... 4 years of private high school + 4 years of uni.. aaah.
Old 08-24-2008 at 12:33 AM   #19
davey
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Originally Posted by Iman View Post
Oh wow, I never even thought to mention multiculturalness in my post...Scarborough has so many different kinds of people. And at my school, if you're white, you're a minority.

I can't imagine ever being told that homosexuality is wrong in ANY school setting though!! That's just... wow... That's so wrong. D:
wow. sounds awesome. i wish i went to a GTA school. =[
Old 08-24-2008 at 02:15 PM   #20
Cippi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dvy88 View Post
i went to Bishop Tonnos Catholic Secondary in Ancaster...
some teachers and the adminstration especially, annoyed the hell out of me. They were overly preachy and not very liberal. They were quite keen to censor ANYTHING that was against catholic teachings.
Honest question: did you really expect otherwise?

I guess this issue is sort of a source of ongoing confusion for me. I grew up attending Catholic schools, and now I am starting to teach in them. I say that not as a prelude to a defense of them, but rather just to say that I'm quite familiar with how they operate, to say the least.

I can fully understand how someone who has had no exposure to that system would find policies like that somewhat shocking (we've heard some of it already in this thread), but what is a constant surprise to me is how many parents choose to send their kids to a school where they basically completely disagree with the premise behind its existence.

I find that non-Catholic parents tend to send their kids to Catholic schools due to a number of perceptions (true or not) they may have - that they are safer, that they are educationally better, that they have better/newer facilities (which is certainly true in Hamilton), that they are closer to home, etc. Again, some of these may be objectively true, others aren't. But it does happen. And then the students (and sometimes parents) get up in arms that they have to take a religion class that doesn't match their belief system, or they aren't allowed to discuss certain topics. To me, it just doesn't make a lot of sense.

You have to choose to go to a Catholic school, and you should know exactly what that entails beforehand. Catholic schools, being publicly funded, can't turn away any eligible student who wants to attend, but that student does have to act according to the expectations of the school. Right or not, they are constitutionally protected and are allowed to "discriminate" in hiring practices (i.e., you have to be Catholic to teach there) and in curriculum (the mandatory religion class, and potentially the Catholic spin on other subjects). Several supreme court decisions have upheld this, so it's not going to change.

Again, I'm not defending it, but I just continue to wonder why people walk into something that they know will clash with their beliefs. I don't want to totally derail this thread :p
Old 08-24-2008 at 03:02 PM   #21
Videlle
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Another person from Mississauga!

I went to Glenforest Secondary School which was on the other side of Mississauga from where I lived, instead of St. Joeseph which was RIGHT by my house. I went there for the gifted program (they still provide bussing in Mississauga) and the international baccualrette (or w.e) program.

I disliked my school because of 2 reasons:
1. The bus ride to and from school was an hour long - I had to wake up at 7 am and I'd get home at 4. The bus would come 10 mins after school finished and if I didn't catch it, I'd have to take the transit which took about 2 hrs. So, I BARELY participated in anything at all.
2. My school's programs caused LOTS of competition. Every program thought they were better then the other and in there was some bashing (amongst the teachers as well). This calmed down last in my last yr. There was also competition in the classes. I remember being in math class once and asking a question only to hear someone whisper "Go back to applied." I lost ALL confidence in math for 2 yrs until one of my teachers made me realize I was actually pretty good.

But I loved my school anyways . We were really diverse and I learned a lot about other religions and cultures. Most people were really cool and some of teachers were incredible (such as one bio teacher who used to wait up until 12 - 1 am) while we emailed him questions. He'd then email the entire class with all the answers and tips). We also lacked the styerotypical cliques that most schools had.
So yeah high school was pretty awesome overall
Old 08-24-2008 at 03:07 PM   #22
sinthusized
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I went to Cawthra Park Secondary School in Mississauga, this school is also an arts high school however teachers who ran the arts extracurricular activities really liked it when students from other disiplines (or locals) got involved and always seemed to welcome their involvement but most students were not very comfortable in trying other arts I think. Before I went, I thought it was gonna be like that Fame movie but ppl didn't burst out into song in the caf lol .

I really liked being exposed to the arts, I enjoyed musicals the most. I did grow tired of seeing the same exact people in the plays and musicals every year though.. Socially, I liked that most people didn't have friends from just their "major" and though their were cliques, everyone generally got along. Many students, including myself, always seemed to be tired of the program in senior years... I quit in gr 12 to focus on other courses. I guess I have had an overall positive experience in highschool, but there were those who were very pretentious and snobby. Also, there was some homophobia in the school, I suppose not as much as my brother's school... our school presented the Laramie project a few years ago and it was kind of ironic to see that quite a few members of the cast were homophobic though the play still adressed the issue of homophobia.

Ah, my school is not as multicultural as other schools, mostly white people and some asians (mostly chinese)and even fewer blacks and browns. lol, but yeah it would be nicer to have more diversity.
Old 08-24-2008 at 04:18 PM   #23
davey
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cippi View Post
...they aren't allowed to discuss certain topics.
This is the part the pisses me off the most. Sure, the student is in a catholic school, but the school is located in a country where free speech is a basic human right. I understand the teachers and administration are obligated to maintain a catholic-focused environment as they have been hired by the school for this particular reason.

However, some students who attend the school are not catholic, or they are catholic but do not agree with some church teachings. Not being able to discuss these issues is censorship for the student, and being penalized because of one's personal beliefs is just wrong. I remember in religion class, I would always be faced with a dilemma: I would have the choice of writing my own personal beliefs on a particular issue (in which i would get a crappy mark) or writing what they wanted me to say to get a desirable mark. Free thought always came with consequences.

Last edited by dvy88 : 08-24-2008 at 04:28 PM.
Old 08-24-2008 at 04:31 PM   #24
davey
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cippi View Post
Again, I'm not defending it, but I just continue to wonder why people walk into something that they know will clash with their beliefs. I don't want to totally derail this thread :p

As a student of a Christian household, this could not be avoided.
Old 08-24-2008 at 06:14 PM   #25
Cippi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dvy88 View Post
This is the part the pisses me off the most. Sure, the student is in a catholic school, but the school is located in a country where free speech is a basic human right. I understand the teachers and administration are obligated to maintain a catholic-focused environment as they have been hired by the school for this particular reason.
Perhaps "aren't allowed to discuss" was a poor choice of words on my part. I honestly can't think of any outright topic that would be verboten, but the teachers are obligated to give the Catholic perspective or viewpoint on that issue. Students (and teachers) are free to bring up opposing views, but it has to be made clear what the church's teaching is on it - that's the point of the school.

Free speech/freedom of expression (to use the Canadian terminology) arguments really don't enter into this, either - it does not mean you can say whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. Don't believe me? Tell your teacher to f--- off, and see how far your freedom of expression gets you :p

Seriously, though, the basis behind freedom of expression is often misunderstood, and I'd actually encourage more people to read up on it. It has a lot more to do with freedom from oppression by governments than being able to say anything you please to anyone without repercussions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dvy88 View Post
However, some students who attend the school are not catholic, or they are catholic but do not agree with some church teachings.
I hate to say it, but that really is irrelevant. Going to a Catholic school is a choice. By making that choice (for whatever reason), you agree to abide by a set of rules. It's the non-Catholic that needs to adapt, not the other way around.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dvy88 View Post
Not being able to discuss these issues is censorship for the student, and being penalized because of one's personal beliefs is just wrong.
As I said, discussion of all viewpoints is fine - a good teacher will even encourage it. But the Catholic viewpoint must be emphasized by them at the same time. You should never be penalized for your personal beliefs if that was, indeed, what a question called for. If it asked for the Catholic belief and you write how you totally disagree with it, then I can see how you'd run into a problem. In all honesty, religion class is where most of these conflicts play out, and it makes me very glad that I'm not a religion teacher :p
Old 08-24-2008 at 06:19 PM   #26
davey
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cippi View Post
Free speech/freedom of expression (to use the Canadian terminology) arguments really don't enter into this, either - it does not mean you can say whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want. Don't believe me? Tell your teacher to f--- off, and see how far your freedom of expression gets you :p
Profanity and religious freedom are two very different things.
Old 08-24-2008 at 06:52 PM   #27
Cippi
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Quote:
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Profanity and religious freedom are two very different things.
And you are more than free to practice whatever religion you choose without oppression, which is what the Charter guarantees. But that's not what we were talking about - it was freedom of expression. Which, by the way, includes profanity under many circumstances (for which the freedom actually applies), so they're actually not all that different.

All I'm saying is that if you aren't Catholic but choose to attend a Catholic school, you are still free to hold whatever beliefs you wish and follow whatever religion you want - just know that you're going to hear the Catholic viewpoint a whole lot, and you may not like it. If your parents forced you to go there, unfortunately it's their right to do so - you just sort of have to follow along with it, aware of what it entails.

Having said that, I know exactly where you're coming from, and I really do sympathize - for someone who doesn't want to be there or doesn't agree with the teachings, an environment like that can seem really hostile - but that's really not the intention.
Old 08-24-2008 at 08:10 PM   #28
rich quintyn
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Guess im the first and probably only kid on here from Oshawa lol. Anyways, I went Paul Dwyer Catholic High School.

My four years of high school were definitely the best four years of my life. The school is pretty nice, fairly new and such. We didn't have to worry about doors falling on people as I read in an earlier post. I'd say about half the teachers there actually care about their students, but its kinda of tough when you have a large student population. Academics are okay at best I'd have to say. Like some teachers in grade eleven and twelve know and want to prepare the students for post secondary education. Then the rest don't give a crap cause there's so many slackers they have to put up with. The kids that go there are pretty much all average students, so theres no like compeition and most people get along good. And school spirit was huge at Dwyer, our school took our sports very seriously. The school put alot of money and support into sports, so when i played football it was good to know that everyone was behind you. Plus, everyone loved to party, so there would always be sikk jams too.

Three things negatives about the schl tho. Little diversity in the student population. Like I'd say about 6 or 7% of the school was black or brown and there was pretty much zero asians. Which is kinda of puzzling since soo many kids go to the schl and like 15% of Oshawa's population is from a minority group. The religion thing that pretty much every catholic schl kid on here mentioned. The biggest problem tho, was drama/cliques. Like there's enough drama at that place to film 5 seasons of a soap opera. Cliques between girls were annoying too.

Oshawa's my homebase still even though I'm looking forward to Mac for meeting new people, new experiences, advancing knowledge, partying aha, etc, etc.
Old 08-25-2008 at 01:32 AM   #29
jhan523
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I attended Brebeuf College Secondary School. It's a Catholic school in willowdale, which is right before the border of Markham. They just rebuilt the school so it looks pretty nice. There are a few "weird" things about my school. Like how we have to go all the way downstairs in order to turn on the overhead fans in the science rooms. But I can't complain, most school don't have overhead fans. The school used to be private, owned by the Jesuits. There are still a few teachers that used to teach there when the Jesuits owned the school. As a result, we have a few extremely good teachers. Not only are they experienced but they had to go through a rigorous interview that spanned a couple weeks in order to be hired as a teacher. So they are well qualified for the job.

That is one of the reasons that I really like my school. The teachers were amazing and they never made school feel boring. On top of that a lot of teachers participate/run extra curricular activities so there was always something for everyone from breakdancing, to theatre, to guitars, to charity and academic clubs.

I don't think there were many bad things about my school. Just a few teachers that couldn't teach. But the good times outnumber the bad times so much that I tend to forget about the bad and cherish the good.
Old 08-25-2008 at 10:04 AM   #30
Quester
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jhan523 View Post
I attended Brebeuf College Secondary School. It's a Catholic school in willowdale, which is right before the border of Markham. They just rebuilt the school so it looks pretty nice. There are a few "weird" things about my school. Like how we have to go all the way downstairs in order to turn on the overhead fans in the science rooms. But I can't complain, most school don't have overhead fans. The school used to be private, owned by the Jesuits. There are still a few teachers that used to teach there when the Jesuits owned the school. As a result, we have a few extremely good teachers. Not only are they experienced but they had to go through a rigorous interview that spanned a couple weeks in order to be hired as a teacher. So they are well qualified for the job.

That is one of the reasons that I really like my school. The teachers were amazing and they never made school feel boring. On top of that a lot of teachers participate/run extra curricular activities so there was always something for everyone from breakdancing, to theatre, to guitars, to charity and academic clubs.

I don't think there were many bad things about my school. Just a few teachers that couldn't teach. But the good times outnumber the bad times so much that I tend to forget about the bad and cherish the good.
i <3ed your school! it has A/C!



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