School type Roman Catholic Superintendent John Mombourquette School number 4495 Phone +1 519-660-2798 Mascot Dragon | Religious affiliation(s) Catholic Area trustee Linda Steele Principal Linda Thomas Founded 1993 Number of students 901 (September 2014) | |
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Address 1360 Oxford St W, London, ON N6H 1W2, Canada District London District Catholic School Board School board London District Catholic School Board Similar AB Lucas Secondary School, Catholic Central High Sch, John Paul II Catholic Secondar, London District Christian, Huron Heights Public Sc | ||
St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School (STA) is a Catholic secondary school in London, Ontario, located in the neighbourhood of Oakridge in the west end of the city. It currently serves students in the London District Catholic School Board in the London Areas of Byron, Oakridge, Westmount, Lambeth, as well as some areas outside of the city limits such as Delaware, Komoka and even as far as Mount Brydges.
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History
STA was established at the site of the former St. Joseph Catholic school on Charles Street in 1990. Construction began on the school's permanent site in 1993, and the current building opened in 1994, and was highly technologically advanced for its time with internet access throughout the school, as well as cable television and VCRs in virtually every classroom. The building's size was inadequate to handle the influx of students to the school, and once the student parking lot became filled with 21 portable classrooms (rumoured to be the second highest in Ontario) in 1998 a satellite campus in downtown London was established at the former St. Peter's School on Clarence Street. From 1998 to 2001 grade nine students spent one semester at St. Peter's and the other half at the main STA campus. The campus was closed in 2001, a year after Mother Teresa Catholic School opened and relieved pressure from STA. At its peak in 2000, STA's population was about 1,800 students.
STA was built with a "cafetorium", a space which could be used as either a cafeteria or auditorium with portable seating stored under the stage. This cafetorium has been the site of many assemblies, school shows, and other various school events and performances.
The forum at STA was also used as a temporary location for Sunday services for St. George's Parish during church reconstruction in 1998–99.
Academics
STA has traditionally been successful academically since its opening, and is currently rated 89th of the province's 719 high schools. According to a London Free Press report, 21% of graduating students entered college, 63% entered university, and 16% entered the workforce.
In the 2007–2008 school year, the grade 10 students wrote the provincial literacy test and the school had a 98% passing rate.
Arts
The Arts Department has an extensive variety of programs ranging from Vocal Jazz to Technical Theatre. The Stage features catwalks above, where students can work on focusing lights and rigging flies.
Sports
STA generally performs well in most of its athletic endeavours. Notable championships include OFSAA AAAA Girls Hockey champions (three times: 200?, 2006, 2007), OFSAA AAAA Boys Hockey champions (1999), and Western Bowl football champions (in 2006). They have won numerous local, regional, and provincial championships in various other sports, including badminton, basketball, cross-country, curling, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and wrestling. Aquinas athletes have won the London area SPECTRA award at least once (Katie Orr 2005).