Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger (1904-1991)
Our Mission Statement
The students and staff at Cardinal Leger Secondary School, celebrate spirituality and diversity through achieving, believing and community living in an inclusive Catholic environment.
It is the mission of the school community at Cardinal Leger Catholic Secondary School to challenge students to: engage in life-long learning and the pursuit of excellence in reaching their full spiritual, academic, social, emotional and physical potential; acquire and demonstrate the required skills and attitudes that equip them for the future; grow in an understanding of Roman Catholic teachings and traditions and to incorporate these into their everyday life.
It is the mission of the school community at Cardinal Leger Secondary School to provide an environment: where we grow and learn within the context of a cooperative, community team of the Family, School and Church; where the ideals of mutual trust, responsibility, equality and respect for all are encouraged.
Our School
Cardinal Leger Secondary School offers students a variety of courses and programs in Grade 9 to Gr. 12. We began this current school year with a student population of 1601. Our school population generally reflects the population of Brampton, coming from diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds and a wide socio-economic mix. Our boundaries, sometimes referred to as the “catchment area,” cover quite a large geographical area extending as far south as the City of Brampton borderline, as far east as Highway 410, as far north as Old School Rd., and as far west as Winston Churchill Blvd.
Cardinal Leger initially opened its doors in 1976 (although under the name of St. Stephen’s at that time) to support Catholic parents in their responsibility for the spiritual, religious, moral, academic and physical needs of their children in accordance with the teachings of the Church. It expanded in 1980 and underwent major renovations in 1995 to upgrade its technological status and attain its current, modern appearance. Our school community is committed to the search for excellence, the uniqueness of the individual and the education of the whole person while experiencing a life in a community founded on gospel values.
Cardinal Leger is a caring school and community environment that stresses tolerance and acceptance of others, commitment to our Catholic faith and high academic standards. We strive to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment where models of gospel values and Catholic doctrines, teachings and beliefs are an integral part of the daily life of our school. The school motto, "Growing in Truth and Love," reflects a holistic philosophy where religion, goodness and daily life are intertwined. As such, all activities of administration, management, counselling, academic and pastoral work, extracurricular involvement, prayer and worship, help to prepare Cardinal Leger students for their lives as Catholics in the community.
Our students come to us with a variety of strengths and needs, with our Catholic faith as our common bond. Our prayer life, liturgical celebrations, retreats, the sacraments, and our faith and values system form the foundation of our school program. Students are encouraged to wear their school uniform faithfully and with pride. We begin each day, each class, each meeting, each staff and student activity with some form of prayer and/or reflection.
At Cardinal Leger, we are proud of our balanced religion, academic, arts, technology and athletics programs. We offer students a well-rounded and value-centred education to help them make good choices for the future and allows us to reflect and serve the entire community as we prepare our students for post-secondary education and careers. The curriculum planned and provided in the school is broad, balanced and relevant to the needs and aspirations of all students. A wide range of subjects and learning experiences is offered in order to develop the skills, abilities and talents of individual students. Accordingly, appropriate assessment procedures are employed regularly to motivate and encourage student success. To ensure coherence and wholeness, subjects are taught that are in keeping with the Ontario Secondary School Curriculum, the gospel values of Jesus Christ and sound educational practices.
In partnership with the home, parish and community, we ensure that the teachings and values of Jesus Christ are integrated in all aspects of school life. To achieve this goal, a school team has developed a school improvement plan based on the Ontario Secondary School Curriculum and the Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations. This year, we will continue to implement the following initiatives: continue implementation of the Ministry curricula and the electronic report card; ensure the infusion of Gospel values in all areas of the curriculum and social action and justice initiatives; promote and celebrate the many accomplishments of students in all aspects of student life; and assist students to successfully demonstrate the skills and knowledge necessary for lifelong learning and participation in society.