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°W / 43.65639; -79.45111Coordinates: 43°39′23″N 79°27′04″W / 43.65639°N 79.45111°W / 43.65639; -79.45111
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
Vice Principals Heather Hickey
Vincenzo Bellissmo
CSPC Chairs (2015-16) Maria Luisa Tavares Ali
Reno Borg
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. Rita Catholic Elementary School

Notable alumni

See also

References

    External links

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