The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Students and staff impressed by new St. Thomas AquinasContinued from page 1teacher Steve Catlin, who has been at video presentations to celebrate thethe school since it opened in 1990, old and the new buildings and said asaid he and another original teacher prayer.became emotional during the presen-Afterwards, the students walkedtations commemorating the old from the old building and entered thebuilding.new one where a ribbon cutting cer-A lot of students have gone emony took place in the cathedral-through here the past 20 years, a lot style foyer.of teachers some of whom have Then the students were given 30passed away so I think all those minutes to walk around and getmemories came back to us, he said.accustomed to the new buildingI myself have been in a bit of before they headed off to their firstculture shock being in a new build-classes.ing. Its overwhelming that way.A pair of Grade 11 students, TonyCatlin also carried the statue of Goulart and Mitchell Debargas, saidthe saint the school is named after they were most excited about the newfrom the old building to the new one. programs that will be available in theCatlin was actually given the statue new building, the new gym, the newby a custodian at the church in music room and more.France where St. Thomas Aquinas is Its unreal, said Goulart. Imburied when the original school was flabbergasted.in its early years.Its unbelievable, addedAn educational assistant at the NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVERDebargas. I really cant believe howschool, Dante Luciani, also had warm it changed so much. I will miss thewords for the new building. He had OPENING DAY:Students and staff gather in the atrium old school, but this new school isactually graduated from Aquinas in of the new St. Thomas Aquinas Secondary School building.great.2003.The construction of the new build-Wow, its phenomenal, he said. Carpet Cleaning SpecialistsSince 1952ing was originally postponed fromI wish I was going to Grade 9 the spring of 2009 to that summeragain.because of a delay in the issuance of aThe new building is larger, with building permit by the Town of more classroom space and is home to Spot!Oakville. This resulted in the laterabout 800 students.completion of the new building andIts not yet fully finished. The the-RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL pushed back its opening for the startatre and library are expected to be WALL TO WALL FURNITURE & UPHOLSTERYof the second semester.completed by the end of March, while During the presentation, the prin-its shop wing will not be operational AREA RUGS PERSIAN & ORIENTALcipal thanked both the teachers anduntil the start of the next school staff and the students for putting upyear. Truck Mount In-Plant Servicewith life in the old facility withoutShop and industrial classes are Water Damage Restorationcomplaint, while having to trek fromcurrently being offered to Aquinas the buildingSee the transformation of what to portables betweenstudents at St. Ignatius of Loyola and classes.Holy Trinity Catholic secondary we can do in relation to others!In many ways the staff is proud of schools. That will remain the case what you have done in the last twountil the next school year.years (during which time construc-The school will not reach 100 per tion took place), Daly said to thecent completion until September, by students, as what youll do in thewhich time the old building will be next two, five, 10, 20, 30 years.demolished and converted into a The presentation also included aparking lot and portables will be speech from Halton Catholic Districtremoved.School Board chair Alice AnneSome of the highlights at the new LeMay.building include new science and I know all of you are so excited tocomputer labs, new vocal and instru-25%be in this new building and it is amental music room and a 380-seat Drop-offbeautiful new building, she said.theatre and dramatic arts classroom, Discount!But the building itself does nota specialist high skills major program make St. Thomas Aquinas. The teach-in healthcare with a new health care FREE 250 mL SPOTTING BOTTLEers, the students, the parents andclassroom and lab, a range of classes www.onthespotcleaning.caeverybody who comes through thein technological studies such as doors of this building, thats whatdesign and communications, trans- 1446 WALLACE RD.QEWmakes St. Thomas Aquinas the won-portation, construction and hospital-OAKVILLE, ONSpeersderful place that it is.ity, along with the schools already WallaceAfter the presentations were made,established cosmetology.905-825-4256Bronte13 Friday, February 4, 2011 OAKVILLE BEAVER www.insideHALTON.com