Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year!
I hope you and your families had a restful and enjoyable summer. To those joining the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board for the first time, I extend a warm welcome. We are grateful to have you as part of our Catholic school community and look forward to journeying with you in faith and learning throughout the year ahead.
There is something special about the start of a new school year. Our schools once again come alive as students reconnect with friends, meet their teachers and discover new opportunities to learn, grow and share their gifts. We also recognize that returning to school can bring feelings of uncertainty, especially for students entering school for the first time or moving to a new school. Our hope is that every student feels welcomed, supported and confident that they belong.
A great deal of work took place over the summer to prepare for students’ return. Through summer learning programs and Focus on Youth camps, students continued to learn, build relationships and develop new skills. Approximately 2,200 incoming Grade 9 students also participated in our expanded Passport to Grade 9 program, helping them become familiar with their new schools and begin their transition to secondary school with greater confidence and a sense of belonging. Across the system, staff worked diligently to ensure our schools were ready to welcome students back, and I am grateful for their dedication and commitment.
We continue to be guided by the priorities of our Multi-Year Strategic Plan: Believing, Achieving and Serving. At the heart of these priorities is our commitment to helping every student grow in faith, achieve their full potential, discover their God-given gifts and understand who they have been called to be.
Families are essential partners in this work. As the first educators of your children, your encouragement, guidance and support play an important role in their learning, faith development and well-being. This year, our new Student and Family Support Office provides an additional pathway for families seeking information, guidance or support, building on the relationships and supports already available in our schools.
Our Catholic faith remains at the heart of who we are. This year’s Catholic Education Week theme, “Catholic Education: Becoming Artisans of Peace,” calls us to be active peacemakers, building peace patiently and lovingly through our daily words and actions. Catholic Education Week, celebrated from May 2 to May 7, 2027, will provide a special opportunity for our school communities to reflect on this call and to give thanks for the gift of publicly funded Catholic education.
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve a Catholic school system that has been such an important part of my own life and that of my family. As a former student, teacher and principal in our Board, and as a parent whose children have journeyed through our Catholic schools, I have seen firsthand the lasting difference Catholic education can make in the lives of young people.
Thank you for the trust you place in us and for the important role you play in our Catholic school community. I look forward to all that we will share and accomplish together in the months ahead.
May God bless our students, families and staff with a joyful, successful and faith-filled 2026–2027 school year.
Blessings,
David Hansen
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Chief Education Officer (CEdO)