Administration
Principal Paul Walsh’s Message for February 2012:
On behalf of the school community I bid farewell and best wishes to Mr. Neil Whitley, who retires from teaching after a 34 year teaching career. After many years of service at both Regiopolis-Notre Dame and Holy Cross, Neil will retire from our Alternative Education program on Progress Avenue. Neil has been a mentor to many who have valued his wise counsel, storytelling ability and thoughtfulness over the years. He is well known for his generosity, concern for others and ability to meet the needs of a wide variety of students. We wish Neil and his family well as he begins his travels. Welcome back to Mrs. Christine Waters and Mrs. Joanne VanNest. I welcome also Mrs. Patricia Karl, Mrs. April Di Rinaldo, Mrs. Andrea Johnson, Mr. Justin Murphy, and Mrs. Tracy Airhart in teaching positions.
As we start fresh in the new semester, I hope that all students and staff are re-invigorated and ready to tackle the academic, extracurricular and spiritual opportunities that arise. In particular, I would like to emphasize the importance of being compassionate – of taking the time to be witnesses in faith for one another (particularly as we prepare for the Holy season of Lent) and on a more mundane level, simply being present to one another in your classes. As students fall into a pattern of being absent, they begin to feel more and more disconnected from their classroom activities and also begin to feel overwhelmed by the work that piles up – the connection between absences and failure is very clear. We will renew our efforts to encourage better attendance from our students in order to nurture a sense of community and to ensure that students are as successful in their courses as they can be.
As we begin the second semester and new classes and routines are forming, we revisit existing expectations at Holy Cross. In particular, we expect that students will be in full compliance with our uniform policy as outlined in the Code of Conduct, found in student agendas and here.
Through informal discussions with parents, students, and staff at Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School, it is quite evident that a significant number of students at the school identify stress and stress management strategies as one of their top health priorities. “Mental health and mental wellbeing are fundamental to the quality of life and the productivity of individuals, families, communities, and nations, enabling people to experience life as meaningful and to be creative and active citizens” (WHO, 2005)
To address this health priority at Holy Cross, Youth Worker, Terrie Hoey, and Public Health Nurse, Lisa Lollar, have developed a week-long event to be held at the school from February 27th – March 2nd. This week will coincide with a Parent Night on Wednesday, February 29th at 7 pm, that has been organized by the Holy Cross School Council. With funds secured through a Parents Reaching Out grant, the School Council has arranged to have Dr. Mike Condra speak on Teens, Stress, and Distress. Dr. Condra is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry and Director of Health Counselling and Disability Services at Queen’s. Dr. Condra is familiar with the mental health concerns of university students through his work as a counsellor. He is an instructor in the Department of Psychology and an experienced workshop presenter on many topics, including Crisis-Intervention, Mental Health First Aid and the Assessment of Suicide Risk. I encourage all parents to attend this evening in support of our young people.
Paul A. Walsh
Vice Principal - Terri Daniel
Terri Daniel was born and raised in the Kingston area, attending Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School. In her first year of teaching, she joined the Holy Cross English Department for the second semester. After eleven years of teaching elsewhere at the secondary level and a year of being Vice-Principal at St. Thomas More and St. Joseph / St. Mary Catholic Schools, she is delighted to return to Holy Cross. She is looking forward to working with the students and staff of such an accomplished community, both in the classroom and in extracurriculars. “Holy Cross has such a tremendous reputation; it is a privilege to be part of the Crusader community,” explains Ms. Daniel. Her philosophy prizes social justice and empowerment of all.
Vice Principal - Paul Melim
The Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board has the admirable distinction of retaining many of its graduates as support, teaching, and administrative staff. As a graduate of Regiopolis-Notre Dame, Mr. Melim went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts, Honours and a Bachelor Education from Queen’s University before beginning his teaching and administration career in secondary with another school board in Southern Ontario. After 12 years away from Kingston, he returned home taking a position as the Principal of St. Mary Catholic School in Trenton for the past five years.
It is with enthusiasm that he returns to the secondary panel. Mr. Melim looks forward to fully participating in the development of the Holy Cross student’s mental and spiritual growth before they move into their post-secondary lives. “I feel it is a tremendous opportunity to help students become active and responsible participants in their school, community, and faith. I look forward to being a part of the Holy Cross community.”