St. Augustine, Meet Your New Principal 

St. Augustine students: meet your new principal, Mrs. Vander Doelen. You may have already seen her at assemblies, or greeting smiling students as she’s walking down the halls. You have seen her in pictures, or you may have already introduced yourself in the office. Mrs. Vander Doelen is the newest addition to our beloved administrative team, and having many years of experience working with schools in the York Catholic District School Board, we are sure she will have a very positive impact upon the St. Augustine school community. This issue, we sit down with Mrs. Vander Doelen in her ‘oval office’ to find out a little bit more about who she is.

Before coming to St. Augustine, what did you do?

“I was a vice-principal for about nine and a half years—six and a half at Sacred Heart and three years at Cardinal Carter. Prior to that, I was math department head at Sacred Heart and a math teacher at St. Elizabeth Catholic High School. I absolutely love math,” she adds with a smile.

So far, what is your favourite thing about this school?

“The Community has been very welcoming. The staff and the students are friendly. Teachers have welcomed me into their class to experience firsthand the innovative teaching strategies that are implemented across the many departments at St. Augustine.”

What is one thing that you look forward to as a principal of this school?

“I look forward to the success of our students. This means meeting their needs, interests, strengths and engaging them in learning and preparing them for graduation and beyond.”

What is the one vision you have for St. Augustine currently?  

“The staff of St. Augustine have engaged in many discussions on what our vision for 2020 will be. We’ve had the laptop learning program for many years. Education is constantly evolving and we want our students to have the skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century.  We are looking at new ideas that are innovative and creative. We hope to bring experiential learning opportunities to all our students. Our hope is to give students the edge that they need to be successful in post-secondary. Our students have consistently demonstrated that they perform strong in their academics, but it is also important that students participate in social justice opportunities, arts, physical activity, extra-curricular clubs and teams.”

If you weren’t a principal, what would your next ideal career be?

“I love to travel, so to be honest, my sister has suggested that we open our own travel agency. Just a thought for the future, though,” she says as she laughs. Mrs. Vander Doelen’s favourite travel destination is wherever it’s warm. Her family loves to cruise, and one of her favourite stops includes the ABC Islands, which are Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao.

What is one random, interesting fact about yourself?

“I donated bone marrow to my sister about 24 years ago. She was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 27 and I was lucky enough to be a match.  Our family was also very thankful that the transplant was successful.”

Any hidden talents?

“I like to cook. Not sure if I can consider it a talent but I do love to go on Pinterest to find a new recipe for my family to try.  Between working and being a mom of three teenagers it does not leave much time for hobbies. I do enjoy spending time with my family.”

Mrs. Vander Doelen is extremely excited for what the rest of the school year has to offer, and we don’t doubt that the rest of the St. Augustine student body is just as excited. If you ever have a spare moment, feel free to drop by the office to say “hi” to her and the rest of the administrative staff!

By Julia S.