House System
Our school uses a house system to promote participation and competition among the students. The house system is designed to create a sense of community and belonging among students, while also encouraging them to engage in friendly competition with their peers. We have four houses, each named after admirable Catholic Educators, and every student and staff member is placed into one of these houses.
The houses provide an opportunity to take part in various events throughout the school year to gather house points. These events range from food drives, mission donations to sports and trivia competitions. Through these events, students can earn house points based on their participation and performance. House points are also awarded to students whose behaviours benefit others, such as helping on school occasions or simply being supportive toward a classmate or friend.
At the end of the school year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup, which is a highly coveted prize among the students. The House Cup serves as a symbol of pride and accomplishment for the winning house, and it also provides motivation for all students to participate and contribute to their house’s success. Overall, the house system at St. Ann’s Academy is a vibrant and integral aspect of our school’s culture, promoting participation, camaraderie, and healthy competition among our students.
House Bates
Brother James C. Bates was the first Christian Brother principal of the St. Ann’s Academy high school in 1980. His ideals were: To serve as Christ served and to love as Christ loved. Brother Bates was a very gentle and well-rounded man who loved sports, literature and opera. He was a former College Professor with Doctoral standing, a former Superintendent of Schools in the Archdiocese of Vancouver, and he served as an Assistant Provincial for the Canadian West Indian area of the Christian Brothers for twelve years.
House Exner
Archbishop Adam Exner was the bishop of Kamloops from 1974 – 1982. Archbishop Adam Exner played a vital role in the reopening of the high school at St. Ann’s Academy in 1980. He invited several religious communities to Kamloops with the aim of starting the program, and his efforts bore fruit when the Christian Brothers came forward to manage the school. The Catholic Civil Rights League created the Archbishop Adam Exner Award for Catholic Excellence in Public Life in his honour. It is presented annually to give recognition to “outstanding achievement in advocacy, education, life issues, media and culture, and philanthropy”.
House Cassidy
Brother William Cassidy became the 2nd principal at St. Ann’s Academy from 1984 until 1990 and was the 2nd longest-serving Christian Brothers principal. He had taught in Vancouver, Montreal, Victoria and St. John’s prior to his time at St. Ann’s Academy. The staff and students of St. Ann’s Academy held him in high esteem for his dedication to the school. He loved sports, photography and was a devoted teacher and coach. Brother Cassidy was a missions coordinator and vocations director who dedicated his life to his service as a Christian Brother.
House Blondin
Esther Blondin also known as Marie Ann Blondin (1809-1890), was a Canadian teacher who became the foundress of the Sisters of St. Anne. In 1848, she founded a plan for her religious congregation to educate the “poor country children” and create a school for both boys and girls, which was a new and daring concept at the time. Ester Blondin was a woman of courage and tenacity who had a desire to learn and then give back by teaching others.
