Five Signs it's Back-to-School Time

It's hard to believe it's been five years since we launched this blog with a back-to-school post!

So, we thought we'd celebrate our Wooden Anniversary with Five Signs it's Back-to-School Time, illustrated with archival photographs from our collection...

Photographs Special Collection, School Series, PH30W/06P

#5: Children in brand new outfits being walked to school by their parents

Photograph of St. Margaret Mary Elementary School, Woodbridge, ca. 1960, by John Sexton for The Catholic Register

Photographs Special Collection, School Series, PH29S/06P

#4: Teachers waiting eagerly in the schoolyard to greet their classes

Photograph of priests (Monsignor Kenneth Robitaille, second from left) and Vincentian Sisters of Charity standing outside the new St. Boniface Elementary School, ca. 1960, by John Sexton for The Catholic Register.

Photographs Special Collection, School Series, PH29S/13P

#3: School Mass held outside or in the gymnasium

Archbishop of Toronto James C. McGuigan celebrates Mass at St. David's Elementary School, Toronto, in 1939.

Photographs Special Collection, School Series, PH29S/27P

#2: School Uniforms

Class photo of the "The Boys' Side" of St. Michael's Elementary School, ca. 1932, when enrollment included both boys and girls. In 1937, it became the home of St. Michael's Choir School for boys.

Unfortunately, the three piece suits with lace collars and boutonnières, as well as the girls' sailor collars seen in the St. David's photo above, have been replaced by the ubiquitous polo shirt. 

Photographs Special Collection, School Series, PH29S/26P

And the #1 sign it's Back-to-School time is...
...bumper to bumper parking during drop-off and pick-up times

Photograph of  St. Michael's Elementary School on Bond St., adjacent to the Cathedral. It now houses part of St. Michael's Choir School.

Renewing the Promise

We thought Catholic Education Week was the perfect opportunity to share with you one of our favourite photos from our collection, which shows a group of very serious school children.


Group photograph of girls from St. Paul's School seated at their desks, c. 1905

Buckley Collection, PH 93S/76P

The theme for this year's Catholic Education Week, Renewing the Promise, reminds us of our call to service and positions this in the framework of Catholic Education. It seemed appropriate to share a photograph of a confirmation ceremony at St. Paul's School, where ties and promises to Christ are strengthened.



Group photograph of a girls' Confirmation class of St. Paul's School with Reverend John L. Hand, Pastor of St. Paul's Parish, in the middle. 1906
 Buckley Collection, PH 93S/80P

Record of the Week: St. Paul's Girls' School

St. Paul's Girls' School Grade 8 (Entrance) Class, 1910
Buckley Collection, PH 29S/32PC

To mark the first day of school, we thought we'd share this postcard of an enthusiastic grade eight class from St. Paul's Girls' School in Toronto. Standing in the back row is Rev. Msgr. John Laurence Hand, pastor of Toronto's oldest Catholic parish from 1892 to 1936.  The girls' teacher, Sister Arsenia, is not photographed; one of the students sent her this souvenir postcard in the summer of 1910. This item was donated by Sr. Mary Buckley, CSJ, whose ancestor Margaret Buckley is identified as the girl in the second row from the back, third from the left.

On this day of new beginnings, we are thrilled to publish our first blog post!  The staff at ARCAT is hoping to keep our Archivist's Pencil sharpened for weekly features and other updates.