#521 -690 KING ST W, Kitchener, N2H5L8
690 King Street, Kitchener, Ontario N2H5L8
10 WOOLWICH Street, Kitchener, N2K1R9
10 WOOLWICH Street, Kitchener, Ontario N2K1R9
690 KING Street W Unit# 613, Kitchener, N2H5L8
690 KING Street, Kitchener, Ontario N2H5L8
20 UNION Street E, Waterloo, N2J1B7
20 UNION Street, Waterloo, Ontario N2J1B7
20 UNION Street E, Waterloo, N2J1B7
20 UNION Street, Waterloo, Ontario N2J1B7
480 VICTORIA Street N, Kitchener, N2M3A7
480 VICTORIA Street, Kitchener, Ontario N2M3A7
Read More About St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School
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Overview
St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School (simply St. Teresa from here on out) is a Kindergarten to Grade 8 school; its address is 270 Edwin Street, in northern Kitchener, and its phone number is (519) 743-2131. St. Teresa offers Extended Day Care.
St. Teresa was built in 1953, on the threshold of Downtown Kitchener. From the day it opened and throughout the ‘50s and ‘60s, the area around St. Teresa was growing rapidly – indeed, it was in this time period that the Conestoga Parkway (which many Kitchener-Waterluvians now take for granted) first opened, just a couple blocks north of the school.
With a rapidly growing population nearby, St. Teresa had to expand in order to accommodate the influx of students. Over the next few decades, the population slowed its rapid growth; however, after fellow Catholic elementary school Sacred Heart Catholic Elementary School closed, St. Teresa’s student population surged to 500. Its current enrolment is closer to 200.
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Location
St. Teresa stands fairly close to the Kitchener/Waterloo border. The nearest major street is Lancaster Street West. The beautiful Breithaupt Park is a short walk from the school, and the Conestoga Parkway (Highways 85 and 7, here) is quite close, too, making transit to and from the school quick and easy. St. Teresa is closer to Downtown Kitchener than many schools, but still in a fairly suburban neighbourhood.
Name
We usually try to look at the meanings behind schools’ names: some are as simple as the street where they’re located, but others are more unique. Many of the schools in the WCDSB, for example, bear the names of Saints. However, there are actually three schools in the board that have similar names: St. Teresa in Kitchener, of course, but also St. Teresa of Avila in Elmira and St. Teresa of Calcutta in Cambridge.
St. Teresa of Calcutta is more commonly known as Mother Teresa: living through most of the twentieth-century (1910-1997), Mother Teresa devoted much of her life to caring for others, particularly in Calcutta, and particularly with people dying of leprosy, HIV/Aids, and other diseases. Teresa of Avila, on the other hand, was a sixteenth-century nun and author, born in present-day Spain, who wrote influential, mystical literature and worked towards reform.
Faith
Alright, now let’s get back to 21st-century Kitchener! St. Teresa is affiliated with three Parishes: Holy Family Parish, west of Kitchener in New Hamburg; Sacred Heart Parish, near downtown Kitchener and with a longstanding Polish history; and, unsurprisingly, St. Teresa of Avila Parish. The St. Teresa of Avila Parish is closely connected with St. Teresa School – in fact, their buildings literally stand across the street from one another.
Ranking
We chose our top schools based on their current rankings by the Fraser Institute. In brief, the Fraser Institute is a Canadian organization that ranks and scores elementary and secondary schools in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec every year. The Fraser Institute derives the elementary schools’ scores from their performance in the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO)’s Grade 3 and Grade 6 Testing.
These standardized tests assess students’ performance in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics; the Fraser Institute also takes factors like Gender Gap, percentage of tests written below standard, and tests not written, into account. Each school receives a score out of 10.
St. Teresa’s score as of the 2017 testing (2018 results not yet available) is 7.6/10, placing it within the top (Green) quadrant of possible ratings. So, how does this stack up to other schools? St. Teresa presently ranks in the top 20% of elementary schools throughout Ontario (there are over 3000 in total). Locally, St. Teresa is the 5th highest elementary school in the entire WCDSB, and the 2nd highest school in Kitchener specifically (in both school boards).
On a final note, St. Teresa’s 2016 rating was an incredible 9.5/10 – to put that into perspective, consider that in 2017, only 37 schools in all of Ontario have a rating of 9.5+. The takeaway from all of this is that St. Teresa is performing exceptionally well, and it has great potential, too.
Extracurricular
Driven in large part by its active School Council, St. Teresa has a robust series of special events, community outreach programs, and activities throughout the year. They participate in Social Justice initiatives regularly, and students have many opportunities to get more involved. Athletics, community, and clubs are all available.
After Graduation
St. Teresa is part of the St. David Catholic Secondary School (St. David) family. After graduation, St. Teresa students are zoned for St. David for high school. St. David is located in Waterloo, near the intersection of Weber Street North and King Street North. You can read all about St. David here. Bussing is available, and students interested in courses not offered at St. David can transfer.
Staying Informed
As is usually the case, there are several ways to stay informed about St. Teresa, and everything that’s going on there. The first is their online calendar (check it out here). St. Teresa is fairly consistent with their calendar, and major dates (like EQAO assessments) and more minor dates (like Pizza Days – though it could be argued that Pizza Days are far from minor) are both represented clearly and concisely.
Next up is the online News page, which includes announcements with greater detail and more specific information. For example, on the year’s last ‘Freezie Day,’ the news page elaborated that freezies were being sold for a dollar each, and that the proceeds would go towards Social Justice initiatives.
Last, but certainly not least, is the St. Teresa Twitter account. It reliably tweets several times a month, and with a mixture of updates and reminders, and a variety pictures. Particularly during special events, checking out the St. Teresa Twitter account is a great way to see what’s going on at the school. For example: the St. Teresa Pilgrimage of the Cross. See the account in action here: St. Teresa (K) Tigers.
Conclusion
Though there may be three St. Teresa schools in the WCDSB, this school is still one of a kind. With a history of over half a century, a strong commitment to both education and community, and a close affiliation with its Parish Churches (one of which stands right beside the school), students at St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School (Kitchener) can expect a high-quality, well-rounded education. Its standing among the top WCDSB elementary schools is well-earned.
Written by Will Kummer