
St. Agnes Catholic Elementary School
Our School
Our School message coming soon!
Principal's Welcome
Welcome Back, Flames!
It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome you to the 2024/2025 school year. On behalf of the staff at St. Agnes, I extend a warm welcome to our vibrant school community, where the needs of children are our top priority. It is my privilege to serve as Principal of a dynamic team dedicated to the holistic success of each child—mind, body, and spirit. A special welcome to all new members of our community, particularly our Junior Kindergarten children who are starting school for the first time.
We are fortunate to be located adjacent to St. Agnes parish, which enriches our faith life with the support of our pastor, Father Aleks. Under his guidance, our students will have the opportunity to grow in their daily lives and celebrate the Sacraments. Together with our staff, parish team, and parent community, we will strive to make this year safe and excellent for our students in academic, spiritual, and emotional growth.
The staff at St. Agnes is uniquely talented and collaborates effectively to ensure that Christ is present for our children and that a love of learning is both modeled and encouraged. It is important to remember that teachers are only one part of the learning process; parents play a crucial role in determining how well a child performs and how much they learn throughout the school year. Your involvement in your child’s education is vital. I feel truly blessed to be part of such a wonderful school, church, and neighborhood community.
Communication is essential in the teaching and learning process. Please maintain regular communication with your child’s teacher and the school. I look forward to working together to ensure an excellent school year filled with academic excellence and spiritual growth for our students.
Heart of the community—success for each, a place for all.
May God Bless You,
G. Johnstone
Catholic School Advisory Council
Welcome to our Catholic School Advisory Council!
The education of our children is a partnership, working together to build a strong school community. Welcome, we’re glad you’re here.
What is the Role of the Catholic School Advisory Council?
A school council is an advisory body that functions within the parameters of Ministry of Education and Board policy. School councils provide an opportunity and the means to advise the principal and the Board on any matter on the improvement of pupil achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents/guardians. The ultimate responsibility for the administration and management of the day-to-day operation of the school rests with the principal.
A school council is an important venue for the various stakeholders in education to work in partnership. Its role, in collaboration with the principal, staff, and the community, is to help set the priorities of the school and to enhance learning opportunities, through various activities, for the benefit of our children/students.
What a Catholic School Advisory Council is not
A school council is not a place to pursue your own agenda or advocate for your own child. Individual issues should be pursued through the classroom teacher and/or principal.
Information
Please see the following information from our Catholic School Advisory Council. Our first meeting is Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 at 7:00pm in the Library of the school. All parents are welcome!
What is the purpose of the Catholic School Advisory Council? Our Catholic School Advisory Council (“CSAC”) works to spread positivity and create a sense of community at St. Agnes through school events and initiatives. We work as a team to make sure that all of our FLAMES feel welcome and valued at school. The purpose of the CSAC is to improve student achievement and to enhance the accountability of the education system to parents, through the active participation of parents. CSACs are advisory organizations, with a primary means of achieving their purpose by making recommendations to the Principal of the school and the School Board. Boards and Principals are responsible for considering recommendations made by each CSAC and advising the Council(s) of the actions taken in response to the recommendations.
Last year, our CSAC had a very rewarding year. The CSAC held 5 meetings that were open to the public to encourage input from parents and other members of the school community to inform our discussions of the various issues considered and the best path to achieve success for our students. Some notable achievements of the CSAC in 2024-2025 were the Dance-a-thon fundraising efforts, amazing Spring Carnival, Catholic Education Week event and Volunteer Appreciation activities. In addition, CSAC contributed financially towards our outdoor yard and new playground efforts that took place over the summer.
Minutes of all meetings are available on our school website.
We wish to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the many individuals who volunteered their time to contribute to the success of the CSAC last year!
How do you get involved? If you want to strengthen the bond between home and school, consider attending CSAC meetings. CSAC meetings are open to everyone in the community, so you do not have to be a voting member to attend. It is a great way to keep up with what is happening in the school. You can also contact members of our CSAC if you have questions about how to get involved at the school or if you are looking for information from a parent’s perspective. Please consider joining the Catholic School Advisory Council meetings for this upcoming year! CSAC meetings take place Tuesdays from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm on the dates listed below. We welcome everyone’s voice, ideas, and opinions!
- October 1, 2024 – Elections
- November 12, 2024 – Budget meeting
- February 11, 2025
- April 22, 2025
- June 10, 2025
We look forward to another successful year with our CSAC team!
Updates
Parent Outreach Plans

Contact Us
254 Neilson Avenue,
Waterloo, Ontario,
N2J 2M3
Phone: 519-885-3180
Extended Day Phone: 519-575-5872
Principal: Gilda Johnstone
Vice-Principal: Angela McLean
School Hours
9:20 — Entry Bell
10:30 – 10:45 — Morning Recess
12:05 – 1:05 — Lunch
2:25 – 2:40 — Afternoon Recess
3:50 — Dismissal
Register for Kindergarten
Ready to start your child’s learning journey?
Ready, set, grow! Enroll your child in WCDSB Kindergarten — where playful learning meets Catholic faith, and every day is filled with wonder, joy, and discovery!

Calendar Highlights
Nothing from July 14, 2025 to July 14, 2027.
St. Agnes Catholic Elementary School Calendar
Add our Calendar to your Smartphone, Tablet or Computer
Please use the following link to access our calendar from other applications.
Land Acknowledgement
The schools in the Waterloo Catholic District School Board are situated on the Haldimand tract of land that is the traditional home of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe and Chonnonton People. We acknowledge the enduring presence and deep traditional knowledge, laws and philosophies of the Indigenous Peoples with whom we share this land today.
We seek a new relationship with the Original People of this land, one based on honour and deep respect. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn here and reaffirm our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our community.
Parish
Our Catholic Faith is taught, reinforced and celebrated in our school, homes and parish. We are so fortunate to have an excellent relationship with our local parish.