Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School

NOTE: PLEASE READ MY OTHER REVIEW WITH ONE STAR OF THIS SCHOOL. THIS REVIEW IS FROM MY FIRST YEAR (grade 9). MY MOST RECENT (under HAHLOL) IS FROM MY GRADUATING YEAR. PLEASE DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE. “I would just like to say that this school is the best school that I have ever been to. I was supposed to go to IRHS, in fact I had always wanted to go since I was a toddler, but after my parents convinced me to go and try just one information session at HT, I was convinced. It wasn’t even my feeder school, yet, I was willing to leave everybody that I knew so that I could go to this school. Now ask yourself why I would do something like that - me, a close minded person? It’s an amazing school with an amazing environment. I highly recommend it. IM BEGGING YOU, please give the school a chance. I can’t imagine how different my life would have been if I had gone to Iroquois instead. In fact, I noticed some strange changes in the people that did go to Iroquois, they all became darker and some of my friends even ended up with anxiety and depression. This school has changed me for the better and taught me how to be a better version of myself. 10/10 highly recommend. ” ***DO NOT GO HERE. ***

I have absolutely no qualms in posting this 5 years later. It is almost embarrassing to be posting this at all. Back in 2016-2017, I was a student at Holy Trinity who had severe mental health issues and agoraphobia. I ended up getting a doctor’s note for the many months of school I missed. I want to clarify that this review does not reflect the wonderful teachers, only the very poor teacher I had. I had a teacher for a writing class named Mr. Martino or Marteno who completely destroyed my whole high school career. My parents tried to contact him but they were never able to so I never got closure it feels like. This is my opportunity now. It’s such a shame that I have had to wait 6 years since my other teachers heard about this situation but that’s besides the point. Mr. Martino or Marteno or whatever his name was (I can’t find him on the class portal so hopefully they removed this man from teaching) not only hyper focused on me, but continuously tried to discipline me based on my performance in class. Full transparency, i didn’t do well in class because my mental health was so bad that I had to constantly keep myself preoccupied to be in class. If not, I would have too hard of a time and go home (AKA not attend which meant not passing classes). He was aware of this from the social worker (who I could also say things about but it is not worth it. Just be cautious of the social workers at this school). This, with my projects, didn’t seem to bother my other teachers. But it bothered this teacher. (I am just gonna call him Mr. Marteno since I cannot find him on the school website) He decided to hold me after class one day, told me to lock to the door, before disciplining me in such a traumatizing way. He told me I’d never amount to anything, I would never go to university or be successful on any job, and patronized me when he asked if “he should call my social worker? ” Because I was crying. I remember crying and uncomfortable with the door being locked saying I was going to achieve things despite my mental health in 2017. He went in on me for what felt like ages, breaking me down piece by piece. In my 24 years of life, I have never been so humiliated and criticized. To be honest, he broke me down. He treated me like I was nothing and will amount to nothing. It made me feel like with my life how it was, I would never be anything. I would never amount to anything and I would never be bigger than my mental illness. Well! Guess what! I have an honours bachelor. I have graduated with my degree. It is honestly so disgusting to have a teacher working here (amongst wonderful teachers) who is
So genuinely horrible towards students he doesn’t understand. Students who are struggling everyday to wake up and go to school, struggling to do assignments, struggling to do their best. It was so bad my other teachers heard about it in 2017 and did their best to accommodate me. I truly appreciate those teachers. But this created a hostile environment for me that not even my parents could help fix Cos the secretary wouldn’t put Mr. Marteno through. I went through hell in that class but I survived. Sometimes I think I’d love an apology but I’d never get it. It’s just so disappointing that this is a lot of students’ stories in high school. Please be careful because Holy Trinity perpetuates a culture of ignorance to mental health issues. It may be different now but I went through hell. This is a warning to everyone else. AND IF A TEACHER EVER TELLS YOU YOU AREN’T WORTHY OR INCAPABLE-SHOW THEM OTHERWISE! I did and I couldn’t leave my house for years. You can to. Anyways, I want to say thank you to so many wonderful teachers I had, this has nothing to do with them. However, one bad teacher can completely destroy someone’s dreams and ambitions in one conversation, and I want parents to continuously have talks with their kids to avoid this. Every kid deserves someone on their side who is gonna fight for them.

To clarify “youwannagotostarbucks” was my old account. Originally I posted a 5 star review of this school in my first year. I’m updating it now as a graduate. I forgot the password to my old account so this is my new account updating with everything. This schools administration is horrible. Like absolutely completely horrible. They do not care for the students whatsoever and have no regard for anything but money. As a recent graduate, DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD HERE. If you’re a student (especially one that isn’t entirely into sports), I’m begging you. Please don’t go here. The kids are great and the teachers are mostly nice but the administration ruins EVERYTHING. Don’t make my mistakes. I wish I hadn’t chose to go here. It’s not worth it, trust me.

The school admin makes a lot of excuses for not providing better service or care for students. Tries to cover themselves. Some of the teachers are very good, but it seems admin does what's easiest for them and not best for the student.