Loretto College School

Loretto College School was founded as a private school by the Sisters of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1915. The roots of the school go back to 1847 when the Loretto Sisters from Ireland opened a boarding and day school for young Catholic women in Toronto. However, the origins began in 1913 while the building is being erected, classes for the school began in a three storey house with the commercial students from Bond Street moved to the "Casa" and the 538 music students moved the following year. The Loretto Day School opened in September 1915 on Brunswick Avenue with 200 girls, boarders and day students from Grades 1 to 13 with a few boys from Grades 1 to 3.[1] Afterwards, Casa became simply a residents for the sisters. In 1918, following the move to Brunswick from the old Abbey, the school became known as "Loretto Abbey Day School and College" before becoming "Loretto College School" even though the College component moved to St. George Street in 1937.[1][2]

With the school population growing, Casa and Bains (acquired in 1947) were demolished in May 1953 and the modern three storey high school was erected and opened in September 1954. Eventually, the Junior School was shuttered in June 1949, followed by the Boarding School in 1960 and the Secretarial Department in 1981.[1] In 1967, the Sisters entered an agreement with the Metropolitan Separate School Board to educate the school's Grade 9 and 10 students, while the Sisters retained control of Grades 11-13 classes. Beginning 1985, following the provincial extension of high school funding for the final three grades of high school, Loretto College is ceased to be a private school

As more and more young women attending LCS with the growing population, so does the covenant, starting in 1986, LCS opened an annex on the former site of St. Dominic Savio Catholic School on Bathurst Street to accommodate overflow from the main campus.[1]

On December 3, 1999, a fire broke out at the Brunswick building with 16 nuns escaping the blaze. The fire marked the end of an era of the Sisters living in the property. By 2001, the Loretto Sisters sold the Brunswick properties to a developer and the school was relocated on Markham Street in the former St. Peter Catholic School.[1][3]

The school was relocated to a new building on 151 Rosemount Avenue, the former home of Richard W. Scott (Senior) Catholic School, in September 2005.[4] Originally, the site was shared by Bishop Francis Marrocco Catholic High School that opened in 1986.[1] The Brunswick building has since now been converted into condominiums.[1]

Loretto College is a semestered school. Students select a program of study from courses at the academic, applied, open and locally developed levels. In Grade 11 and 12, courses are selected based on the student's post-secondary choice of destination- university, college, apprenticeship or the workplace.

Loretto's special education services are delivered through integrated programming in the mainstream classroom.

In addition to the academic program of study, students are encouraged to explore and develop the full range of their talents and interests by participating in athletics, student government, peer ministry, yearbook, leadership, drama, dance and musical activities.

As at all Catholic schools, students at Loretto College School take a religion course each year. The school's faith life also includes retreats, liturgies, charitable works and Catholic perspectives across the curriculum. Mary Ward and the Loretto Sisters are role models.

One out of six students are on the school's honour roll. 84% of applicants have been accepted into post-secondary education in recent years.

• Marilyn Bell, the first person to swim across Lake Ontario.[5]
• Barbara Greene, former Member of Parliament and city councillor.
• O R Melling (G.V. Whelan), author.

Diane Vautour, a history teacher, was awarded the 2010 Governor General's Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History.[6]

• List of high schools in Ontario

• Loretto College School
• Loretto Alumnae Association
• Loretto Sisters (Canadian Province)