Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School
| Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre | |
|---|---|
|
Create. Collaborate. Innovate. To Think. To Pray. To Serve. | |
| Address | |
|
1515 Bloor Street West Roncesvalles, Toronto, Ontario, M6P 1A3 Canada | |
| Coordinates | 43°39′23″N 79°27′04″W / 43.65639°N 79.45111°WCoordinates: 43°39′23″N 79°27′04″W / 43.65639°N 79.45111°W |
| Information | |
| School type |
Bill 30 Catholic High school Art school |
| Religious affiliation(s) |
Roman Catholic (Sisters of St. Joseph) |
| Established | 1880 (St. Joseph CIS) |
| Founded | 1986 |
| School board | Toronto Catholic District School Board |
| Superintendent |
Dr. Jim Saraco Area 5 |
| Area trustee |
Barbara Poplawski Ward 10 |
| School number | 545 / 691798 |
| Principal | Derek Chen |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 896 (2015-16) |
| Color(s) | Royal Blue and White |
| Team name | Marrocco/Merton Royals |
| Website | www.marroccomerton.com |
Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Centre (referred to known as The Regional Arts School @ Marrocco, BMTMCSS, Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton, or simply Marrocco/Merton), originally known as Bishop Francis Marrocco Catholic Secondary School and St. Joseph's Intermediate and Commercial School is a Catholic secondary school located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada housed in the former West Park Secondary School building. The school is part of the Toronto Catholic District School Board and serves about 1000 students in grades 9 to 12. The schools were named after the Toronto Auxiliary Bishop who worked with Archbishop Pocock in the Archdiocese of Toronto's great efforts in the 1960s to extend the availability of catholic secondary education and the American monk Thomas Merton. The motto for Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton is "To Think. To Pray. To Serve."
History
One of the oldest catholic secondary schools in Toronto, Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton began as two schools. In 1880, the Sisters of St. Joseph established St. Joseph's Intermediate and Commercial School in the Cabbagetown area as an all-girls commercial school. Following the extension of funding for Catholic secondary schools by the province after 1984, St. Joseph Commercial was renamed to Thomas Merton Catholic High School as a co-educational school. The present day school, known as Bishop Francis Marrocco was officially established by the Metropolitan Separate School Board (later rechristened as the Toronto Catholic District School Board) on September 2, 1986 using the facilities of Richard W. Scott Catholic Elementary School in the St. Clair/Dufferin area.
The Marrocco and Merton schools were consolidated in September 1988 in the former West Park Secondary School on 1515 Bloor Street West in the Bloor/Dundas area, which was closed due to low enrollment and the property was ceded over to the MSSB as the new site of the school. The original school consisted of Michael Monk as the first principal, 250 Marrocco students, 500 Merton students and 350 new grade 9 Marrocco/Merton students totaling to 1100 students.
The arts program began in 2004 and the Arts and Culture High Skills program was launched in 2010. As of 2016, the school is enrolled with 896 students.
Feeder Schools
- St. Helen's Catholic Elementary School, Brockton
- Holy Family Catholic Elementary School, Parkdale
- St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary School
- St. Rita Catholic Elementary School
- James Culnan Catholic School
Notable alumni
See also
References
- Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School. Toronto Catholic District School Board. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.