First Day of School Letter to Families

September 3, 2024

Dear families,

We trust that the summer has brought you rest, renewal and excitement about the start of the new school year. With today being the first day of school, we are reminded of when Pope Francis said, “Education is above all an act of hope...”. We are confident that the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board, as a faith community, will bring you, and your family, that hope.

Over the summer, staff have been preparing to ensure that students have the best learning environments possible - from setting up classrooms, registering students, and completing summer maintenance projects to meeting new school staff and new families. We are proud of their continued dedication. 

As a Catholic community, we remain dedicated to creating a safe, and inclusive environment for ALL. This year, our Board theme is Catholic Education | Pilgrims of Hope. You will see evidence of the theme throughout the school year, and we are excited to see it come to life in our schools.

As our Board continues to experience unprecedented growth, our two newest schools; St. Padre Pio Catholic Secondary School (Brantford) and Pope Francis Catholic Elementary School (Caledonia), continue progressing and are on track.

Together with you, our families, we support students to help them become innovative, conscientious, Catholic leaders of tomorrow. Our home-school-church relationships remain the foundation of ensuring we educate the whole child (mind, body and spirit).

Thank you for trusting the BHNCDSB as a partner in your children’s learning journey. We wish everyone an exciting and successful 2024-25 school year.

Thank you and God bless,

Rick Petrella – Chair of the Board
Mike McDonald – Director of Education