鈥淚t certainly isn鈥檛 for the structure that we all love this place,鈥� said McIntyre, who has taught at the school for a year. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app just a fantastic place that is rooted in tradition and those wonderful Christian values that we profess.鈥�
After a year of preparation, centenary celebrations were to include Mass at nearby Holy Name Church May 25, followed by a social at the school.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been working on it for pretty much the whole year,鈥� said principal David Hogan. 鈥淚t鱿鱼视频app really just sort of to let people get to see people they haven鈥檛 seen in a while.鈥�
The elementary school opened in September 1913 to serve immigrant Catholic families who sought an alternative to the publicly funded Protestant schools. Staffed entirely by nuns and laywomen, it had just four classrooms on the main floor while the second floor functioned as a chapel until Holy Name Church opened in 1914. By 1918 four more classrooms had been added and six years later two portables were installed to accommodate a growing student body.
Martin O鈥橪eary, 86, was a student at Holy Name during the 1930s. He fondly remembers the friendships that were forged, many of which lasted a lifetime.
鈥淭here were guys like Basil Gregoire, Hugh Canning, Dave Sullivan, George Robertson and Greg Tierney, who was the best man at my wedding,鈥� O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淲e stayed friends all our lives.鈥�
O鈥橪eary also remembers the nuns and their sometimes-strict discipline.
鈥淔or not answering the bell right away after recess, I wouldn鈥檛 say they would give you a licking but you鈥檇 get a talking to 鈥� a talking down to,鈥� said O鈥橪eary, who graduated in 1939. 鈥淭here was no sassing back or anything like that. You wouldn鈥檛 dare do that. If they said jump you said how high. But it didn鈥檛 seem to bother anyone.鈥�
Not only did the no-nonsense atmosphere keep the school running smoothly 鈥� except for the occasional abrupt ending to a ball-hockey game due to a broken window 鈥� it also instilled valuable lessons into O鈥橪eary and his classmates.
鈥淲e learned the value of education, the value of discipline and obeying authority at the top of the line,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was reflected in the home atmosphere of the crowd I hung around with. They all seemed to turn out pretty good.鈥�
Among Holy Name鱿鱼视频app notable graduates are Chicago Blackhawks鈥� Jamal Mayers and two-time Grey Cup champion Nick Volpe (now a consultant with the Toronto Argonauts).
Holy Name has changed in many ways over the decades but teachers say what remains unchanged is the school鱿鱼视频app welcoming atmosphere.
McIntyre was impressed with the school from the time her daughter became a Holy Name student 30 years ago.
鈥淲e were new to living in Ontario and I was new to the teaching profession and I just thought, wow, if only I could be a teacher like those teachers at Holy Name,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 sort of modelled my career after them. When Mr. Hogan gave me the opportunity to come on staff it seemed like a dream come true.鈥�
Donna Paterson has taught at Holy Name for 24 years.
鈥淭he supply teachers who come in and out of our school are forever saying that there is something about this place that is very special,鈥� Paterson said. 鈥淚t has an amazing community, tremendous parental support (and) a really nice varied group of kids.鈥�