About Our School

The HCDSB Vision and Mission Statement

Corpus Christ Catholic Secondary School Mission Statement

Guided by our Catholic values and teachings, and supported through student, parent, staff, parish and community partnerships, Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School provides a safe, welcoming, caring, and inclusive school community.

With a focus on academic excellence, co-curricular activities and faith practices, we guide students toward varied pathways, while nurturing and developing the Ontario Catholic Graduate Expectations in each of our Longhorns graduates.

The History of Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School

Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School opened its doors to serve North Burlington in September of 2008. During the previous 2007-2008 school year, the HCDSB chose Stan Gajewski to be Corpus Christi’s first principal and he took great pride in overseeing construction of the school that was to open the following school year. In Corpus Christi’s first school year it offered grades 9 through 11 to just over 600 students. Corpus Christi’s first graduating class was the Class of 2009.

The school name celebrates the Feast of the Body of Christ and honours the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. The staff and chaplaincy at Corpus Christi CSS work hard to impart  Catholic values in both education and in school spirit, providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. Over the years, our chaplains have created many opportunities for us to pray as a school community and to keep the Catholic Gospel values in our hearts and minds throughout the school year. The staff and students have also participated in many charitable activities that give back to our community over the years.  Some of these are Relay for Life, We Scare Hunger, Christmas Angel Tree, Christmas Toy Shop, and our Pink Football Games to raise funds for cancer research.

Corpus Christi in the News

Corpus Christi has made headlines over the years. In 2011, a plane made an emergency landing on our backfield. Thankfully no one was injured, and Corpus Christi teachers were quick to offer aid. We have also made the news for our many athletic accomplishments, charitable service, and the academic achievements of our students. Several of our students have represented the municipality of Burlington as Student Trustees for the HCDSB, providing crucial student voice during important decision-making procedures. Of note, Corpus alumni Dylex Suan made headlines in Halton news by advocating for feminine hygiene products to be accessible to all students in all schools, while Gabriela Masri Ahmar was instrumental in voicing student concerns, advocating in favour of raising the PRIDE flag at all HCDSB schools. This motion was approved in the 2021-2022 school year. 

Athletics and the Longhorns

Choosing our formidable Longhorns name, logo, and athletic colours came from many meetings between Principal Stan Gajewski and various stakeholders, including board staff, school staff, parents, and students. Corpus Christi CSS had the very first artificial turf field in the Golden Horseshoe setting the bar for secondary schools.  This is now commonplace at every secondary school in the board.

In the first school year, our Longhorns won the Halton Championship for football, beginning a winning tradition in sporting events throughout the history of the school. Our mascot, Lonny the Longhorn, was introduced in 2008 and continues to inspire our fans in the stands to chant “Hook ‘Em Horns” and “Go Longhorns!!”

Since the inaugural year, our Longhorns teams have shown the value of hard work and perseverance. Cheered on by our students, staff, and Corpus community, our football, basketball, softball, hockey, soccer, golf, volleyball, badminton, and alpine teams have competed at GHAC and OFSAA championships. We congratulate all our Longhorns athletes, both past and present, for their devotion, grit and tenacity.

Clubs and Activities

In the school’s first year, staff and students established the Corpus Christi Christmas Concert, affectionately known as C4 – a longstanding tradition and celebration of the many musical and artistic talents of our students.  Over the years, the school has produced four musicals including The Sound of Music, Crazy for You, Little Shop of Horrors, and We Will Rock You.

We also offer opportunities for student leadership such as Student Council and Student Mentors.  Some of our clubs include DECA, GSA: Be You Love You, Longhorns for Wellness, Reach teams, Best Buddies, Esports Rocket League, Chess Club, Computer Science Club, Band, and our environment protecting Greenhorns.

10 Year Reunion

In 2018, Corpus Christi celebrated its 10th anniversary with many former teachers, administrators, and student alumni gathering to help commemorate this event. We look forward to many more years of school spirit, a wonderful Longhorn community, and more alumni to celebrate. Hook ‘Em Horns!!

De Franco, RobAbout Our School