Aerial View of the New Additions to the School -1995

This is an aerial view of the school taken in 1995 when the new additions were completed. If you look at the top right corner of the picture, you can see the reflection of the airplane window.

Three Principals Together

The first three principals of the school were nuns. They saw the transition from St. Joseph's High School, to Oshawa Catholic High School, to Monsignor Paul Dwyer High School. These are the first three principals together. Left to right is Sister Anne Schenck, Sister Conrad Lauber and Sister Mary Sheila. They are pictured in front of a portrait of Monsignor Paul Dwyer.

Here are their years of service:

1964 – 1967 Sr. Mary Sheila

1967 – 1979 Sr. Conrad Lauber

1979 – 1988 Sr. Anne Schenck

Student Council Electioneering 1969

Joan Taylor in the foreground and Greg Duquette in the background are electioneering for student council in the gym. Joan was the outgoing vice-president of the council and Greg was the incoming president.

Badminton in the Gym

Members of the badminton club have an impromptu game after yearbook photography in the gym. The year was 1973.

Bonnie Chisholm and Sister Anne

Bonnie Chisholm and Sister Anne at the 1966 first graduating class of OCHS ceremonies.

Former Alumni Who Came Back to Teach

Former Alumni Who Have Taught/Worked at O.C.H.S. / Dwyer C.H.S.

1960s = John Novak; Debbie (Micheli) Pankhurst

1970s = Bob McDonnell; Jim McGeown; Patricia (Pascoe) Frizzell; Jim Larkin; Dale Irwin; Sue (Knapp) Clancy;

Tim VanLeeuwen; Maureen Moloney; Ezio Azzano; Kevin Dillon; Anne (McGeown) Smegal; Joe Szekeres;

Randy Boissoin; Ed Staresnic; Suzanna (Oliviera) Periera; Cindy (Ervine) Winterink; Cathy Booth

1980s = Harry Lack; Mike Wilson; Michelle (Planeta) Flynn; Andrew Oliver; Barry Oliver; Christine (Tueph) Pineau;

Chris Goddard; Chris Traynor; Michael Drake; Sarah (Hottot) Sirizzotti; Leanne (Gourley) Oliver;

Nancy (Barrese) DiFlumeri

1990s = Michael Cain; Sandra (Cardona) Dantas; Bryan Wray; Michelle (Farragher) Kasprzak; Angela (Bagnal) Butler;

Romina (Barrese) Cain; George Guerreiro; Brandon VanAsten; Peter Wonnacott; Jennifer Pedro;

Annalisa Cara; Marla (Vesters) Cannon; Julie Wonnacott

Bonnie Chisholm and Robert Lambe

This is a picture of Bonnie Chisholm and Robert (Bob) Lambe on the occasion of the very first graduating class from OCHS in 1966. Tragically Bob Lambe was killed in an automobile accident while as a student at Royal Military College. An annual award is given in his name every year at the school to a boy who is Most Outstanding -- Non Graduating.

Thanks to Bonnie for these memorable and historic pics.

The Very First Graduation -- 1966

This is the only graduating class photo that the school didn't have. They have individual pics of the grads, but the photo of them all together went missing. The school gave up looking for a copy of this photo in 1996.

Teacher (and former student) Maureen Moloney who is writing a history of the school initiated a quest to find this photo. I am pleased to report that Bonnie Chisholm had a copy of it, along with a program of the names of the graduates. Unfortunately, we cannot put the names to the faces.

A copy of this photo will now join all of the others at the school, and the school will have a complete set of photos of every graduation class since it opened.

If you can identify the people in the photo from the list in the second scan, please leave a comment. Thank you.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Update from a reader:

I moved to McLaughlin before grad but started out with this first group. This should be pretty accurate ( a couple of the girls might be mixed up - perhaps someone could doublecheck)
BACK ROW ( L - R )
Peter Valks, Pat Drumm, Ted Marks, Jim Verall, Ziggy Martenyk, Bob Lambe
MIDDLE ROW ( L - R )
Lydia Krysa, Anna Grills, Lynn Conlin, Carol Lami, Sylvia Semiana, Paulett Babineau, Mary Byrne, Patricia Kahn, Mary Kirkland
FRONT ROW ( L - R )
Bonnie Chisholm, Mary Grygorcewicz, Christine Shaw, Sister Anne, Sister Mary Shiela, Frances Johnson, Anne Ivanko, Catherine Tenhaaf

Thank you.

Aerial View of the School - Late 1980's

The school was already bursting at the seams in the 1980's with portables and additions, as this aerial photograph shows.

Where Are They Now -- Sister Anne Schenck

Sister Anne Schenck was the third principal of the school from 1979 to 1988. She succeeded Sister Conrad Lauber who succeeded Sister Mary Sheila. This is a relatively contemporary picture taken of her. At the time of her tenure, the name of the school had already been changed.

New OCHS Gym - 1966

This photo is of the badminton team holding a trophy in the newly finished gym of OCHS in 1966. It was a photo taken with a simple camera and flash bulb so the faces in the center of the photo were washed out and the photo was blurry.

In this age of digital manipulation, I was able to "burn in" the center to see detail in the faces, and I ran a sharpening algorithm a couple of times to improve sharpness.

You will note that the girls are still wearing the crests of St. Joseph's High School on their jackets.

Update from Joan (identification):

Bernadette Van Hoof, Shelagh Kirkland RIP, Christine Paulocik, Lorna Harris (staff), ?? Mary or Anne or Mary Anne Novak, Suzanne Legere

front: Judy Aasen, Marg Fitzpatrick, Monica Kelleher

School Cafeteria 1966

This is a pic of the school cafeteria in 1966. It didn't look much different in the 1970's.

List of Vice- Principals

This is Maureen Moloney's list of Vice Principals in the history of the school. The Principals list is immediately preceding this post.

Vice-Principals

Sr. Anne Schenck 1965 - 1968

Sister St. Clare (Mary Buckley) 1968-69

Jack Cole 1969 - 1990

Joe Visconti

John Brown

Sharon Steele

Bob Henry

Chris Sammut

Mike Powers

Rob Fitzgibbons

Garry Booth

Bianca Cervoni

Jim Larkin

Mike O’Brien

Brendan Kennedy

Vanessa Taber

Shawn O’Hare

Shannon Brady

List of Principals

Principals

1964 – 1967 Sr. Mary Sheila

1967 – 1979 Sr. Conrad Lauber

1979 – 1988 Sr. Anne Schenck

1988 – 1991 John Brown

1991 – 1997 John Vesters

1997 – 2002 Marilyn LeBrun

2003 – 2007 Bianca Cervoni

2007 – 2009 Gloria Kramp

2009 – present Joe D’Amico

Maureen Moloney who is a graduate of OCHS/Dwyer, and is now a teacher is writing a history of the school. I will be posting some facts that she has compiled about the high school. Above is the canonical list of principals.

Where Were They Before We Knew Them

Treasure from the closet for sure. Thanks to Eddy J for sending me this. The caption on this photo is Grade 5 - Grade 6. It is from St. Gregory the Great Primary School located next to the church on Simcoe Street North. The year was 1950.

Who knew that two larger than life figures would be in the same class and who would go on to teach at OCHS and even further .

The boy with the red dot on him, is none other that the irrepressible Jack Cole who was vice-principal and taught at OCHS/Dwyer for 21 years. The student with the yellow dot was my English teach Tony Meagher, who went on to be a priest, Monsignor and Bishop.

I never knew that they were classmates at St. Gregs.

Another photo of Jack Cole in his early days is playing hockey with St. Gregory's CYO in 1952 - 53. Jack is in the middle of the back row with a small red dot over him.



Click on the pic to enlarge it.

Where Are They Now - Sister Marie Howorth

Sister Marie Howorth had a classroom near the end of the hall on the north west wing of the school opposite George Callendar's classroom. I was in one of her classes. She taught languages.

Prior to the change-over to given names, she was known as Sister Eulalie-Marie.

The Indomitable Tony Seaver (again)

I don't know why I have several shots of Tony Seaver mugging in front of my camera, but I do. Tony Seaver is now my Facebook friend, and one would have difficulty identifying him using this photo.

Where Are They Now - Sister Mary Buckley

This is a contemporary photo of Sister Mary Buckley today. Sister Mary Buckley was one of the more popular nuns. Among the subjects that she taught was math.

She is also a survivor of the horrific automobile accident in front of Jack Cole's house as a carload of nuns was pulling out of the drive and was hit by an oncoming car.

Some 50th Anniversary Activities for the School

SAVE THE DATES AND MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!

ATTENTION: ALL GRADUATES OF ST. JOSEPH/OSHAWA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL/MONSIGNOR PAUL DWYER CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

More activities are being planned, but please save the following dates and mark your calendars now. Times and venues to be announced:

Sunday September 9, 2012 - Opening Mass to honour the Sisters of St. Joseph and Drop-In Reception

Friday May 10, 2013 - Pub Night

Saturday May 11, 2013 - School Open House and Dance

Where Are They Now - Sister Conrad Lauber

This is a current picture ~2011 of Sister Conrad Lauber. She must be at least 80 years old now. She was the principal during my entire tenure at OCHS.

The Very First Principal - Sr. Mary Sheila

Sister Mary Sheila was the first ever principal.

I have to say that looking over these pictures of the nuns really takes me back to another time. I have an aunt who was a sister of St. Joseph, so I was used to seeing this garb from an early age. However, looking at it now, with the head dress, veil, the headcloth, white bib and the habit, it must have been onerous to wear.

When I was at OCHS, for 4 out of the 5 years, the nuns had switched habits to street clothes, and most of the pictures here of Sister Conrad Lauber, the next principal after Sr. Mary Sheila, are in civilian garb.

That's a Fact Jack -- Jack Cole

People who are larger than life are known by one name only. At OCHS, it was Jack !!!

He was Vice Principal, disciplinarian and ironically considered a "cool" guy by ever one.

During my first year at OCHS, there was student/teacher hockey game. The first time that he carried the puck, it left his stick and dribbled between his feet. Without even looking down, he gave it a shot with the back of his skate, which put the puck back on his stick and the little deke got him around the defense. We looked at each other dumbfounded, knowing that we had just seen pure artistry on ice.

Jack played Junior A hockey, and was part of the winning 1960's Championship team, the Saint Michael's Majors, who withdrew from the Ontario Junior Major A Hockey League in 1962 to be replaced by the Toronto Marlies. Our understanding was that Jack had a chance to turn pro, and chose teaching instead. One of his peers at St. Mike's was famous Toronto Maple Leaf Goalie Gerry Cheevers.

Jack taught another Toronto Maple Leaf and goalie as well -- Rick St. Croix who was a year ahead of me in my brother's class.

Jack's tenure lasted 21 years at OCHS. It was a record until Debbie (Micheli) Pankhurst came along. She has 41 years into the school. Five years was spent as a student, and she has been teaching there for 36 years.

In case you thought that Jack was pure jock, one of the subjects that he taught was calculus. He signed his full name in my yearbook: John D. Cole.

The Smoking Area -1970's

This is something that you probably don't find at all now in high schools -- the smoking area. My how times have changed.

Thanks to the reader for the update: This is Jim Lamb, John Ciosk, Brian McNeely, Cathy Rush et al

Aerial View of the School 1966

In this aerial view of the school in 1966, the school was open, but the convent was still under construction.

1967-68 Student's Council

Top Row: Steve Jarrell, Dermot O"Brien, Pat Mullen (RIP), Joan Taylor, Chris Paulocik, Rick Dobby, Michel Rancourt.

Bottom Row: Sandra McLaughlin, Paul Scott, Sue Paulocik, Steve Horvath, Monica Kelleher, Linda McLaughlin, Mary Adams

Click for a larger image.