Our History
DSBN Academy is part of the District Board of Niagara founded in 2010 by a group of educators committed to providing a comprehensive education to students that will result in post-secondary graduation. As the first of its kind in the Ontario public system, DSBN Academy was born out of the recognition that education plays a vital role in helping children overcome the effects of life's challenges. The comprehensive social and academic support provided by DSBN Academy teachers, families and our valued community partners will be key to empowering students to become the first in their family to graduate from a post-secondary institution.
The school opened its doors in September 2011 in the former Empire Public School building in Welland with two Grade 6 classes and three Grade 7 classes. To accommodate our growing needs, DSBN Academy relocated to the main floor of the former West Park Secondary School building in St. Catharines in September 2013. This marked the beginning of the DSBN Academy Secondary Program. At full capacity DSBN Academy will become a Grade 6 to Grade 12 school in 2016. Our students come from all 12 municipalities within the Niagara Region and are accepted through a formal application process.
Our Mission
DSBN Academy is committed to providing an environment of high expectations where first generation students are encouraged, supported, and empowered to distinguish themselves academically and be competitively eligible for admission and then graduate from a post-secondary institution.
Our Vision
The DSBN Academy Vision is "Achievement through Opportunity.” DSBN Academy will offer its students a rigorous academic curriculum supported by a differentiated system of key strategies. As students move from grade 6 through 12, students will be continually encouraged and empowered to develop a greater sense of confidence through self-sufficiency and pride in their academic accomplishments.
Our Values
DSBN Academy teachers and students are committed to a process of teaching and learning in an environment that embraces and instills our set of C.O.R.E. Values.
To demonstrate
Commitment, we:
Take personal responsibility for our actions.
Show loyalty to friends, colleagues and the school.
Work to the highest level.
To demonstrate Optimism, we:
Believe in the positive potential in ourselves, others and society.
Look at the bright side of any situation.
Expect the best possible outcome.
To demonstrate Respect, we:
Value all members of the school community.
Acknowledge and appreciate diversity.
Honour our commitments and act with integrity.
To demonstrate Excellence, we:
Show pride in personal achievement.
Produce work of the highest quality.
Set high standards and personal goals for improvement.
Make best use of talents, time and resources.
Our Creed
A school culture that is rooted in a shared belief that every student will strive for excellence to become a post secondary graduate is a key strategy for DSBN Academy. We foster and sustain this by holding our students accountable to live within a set of guiding principles within the DSBN Academy Creed, which they recite with teachers each morning in community. The Creed was collaboratively written by students, teachers, parents and members of the original design team. We believe that the Creed challenges and nurtures students in ways that inspire resiliency and promote highly effective learning.
We believe!
We are DSBN Academy.
We have a future for which we are accountable.
We will be College and University graduates.
We are committed and optimistic.
We strive for excellence, not because we say it,
but because we work hard for it.
We see obstacles as opportunities to persevere and grow.
We make no excuses.
We respect ourselves, and embrace diversity.
We stand together and advocate for what's right.
We believe in ourselves.
We believe in each other.
We believe in the DSBN Academy.
We are the Argonauts.
We believe and we will achieve!