June 2026

Dear Yellowknife Catholic Schools Families, as we approach the end of another incredible school year, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our students, staff, families, and trustees. Together, we have nurtured minds, strengthened our faith, and built a community where our students can truly thrive. Reflecting on the final weeks of the year, we have so much to celebrate and look forward to, beginning with our annual Board and Superintendent evaluations which were held from May 22–24. This was a highly valuable process for our school division, providing an opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments, identify areas for growth, and reaffirm our priorities moving forward. During these discussions, the Board highlighted several key areas where it will continue to advocate with the GNWT. First, the Board remains committed to promoting and strengthening the value of Catholic public education, ensuring that families continue to have access to a faith-based learning environment that supports both academic excellence and spiritual growth. The Board also reaffirmed its commitment to advocating for equitable, needs-based funding that enables YCS to provide the specialized services, programs, and staffing required to support the diverse learning needs of our students. Our school board’s vision remains absolute: As a learning community we are committed to developing capable people through inspiring thinking, cultivating well-being, and building relationships.

This dedication to student success was on full display during the École St. Patrick High School Graduation Celebration; an inspirational event to cap off a wonderful year. Our graduates began their week with the annual Grad Retreat, a beautiful opportunity to reconnect and reflect on how they can use their achievements to "let their light shine" in the wider world. The graduating class then shared a beautiful Graduation Mass at St. Patrick’s Co-Cathedral alongside family, staff, and the parish community. It was a moving ceremony centered on our students’ spiritual growth and the Gospel Teachings of Jesus Christ. Later, the Grand March was a spectacular success as families, friends, and staff cheered on our graduates. The touching speeches from students, staff, and families reiterated to me just how fundamental our Catholic school system is in nurturing these lifelong relationships. We also celebrated the strength of our school community earlier in the month at the Weledeh Catholic School Community Feast on May 14, which brought students, families, staff, and community members together in fellowship. Trustees also had the opportunity to visit the WCS Junior Kindergarten On-the-Land program, where they were absolutely blown away by the outdoor classroom, noting the students' problem-solving skills, their growing Wılı̀ı̀deh Yatı language skills, and their wonderful ability to cooperate with one another. This program has been a tremendous success in fostering relationship-building and ingenuity, and we look forward to expanding this on-the-land programming to support our Kindergarten students next school year.

As we enter these final weeks, I want to encourage all of our students to apply themselves fully and finish academically strong. It is vital that students put time aside to study for final exams and to complete any outstanding assignments. Doing so ensures that your teachers have all the necessary evidence to accurately assess your growth and achievement this school year. This dedication will pave the way for our upcoming year-end celebrations and school awards ceremonies, where we look forward to honouring our students' diverse talents and discovering who this year’s Spirit in Christ award recipients will be from each of our three schools. We also want to recognize and congratulate all the athletes who represented our three YCS schools at the Track & Field Meet in Hay River from June 3–5. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and outstanding sportsmanship. We are proud of the way you represented your schools and the YCS community.

Please remember that the last day of school for students is June 18. As you head into the summer holidays, I encourage all our families to set aside some time to participate in the numerous community activities celebrating National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21; if you see me out at any of the festivities, please make sure to say hello. I wish you all a safe, restful, and enjoyable summer break. Please make some time for reading over the warmer months, and I hope to see many of you at St. Patrick’s Co-Cathedral for Mass or other parish activities. May God bless you and keep you safe this summer.