Our history

ICS is over 80 years old. In 1926 the Jesuit Fathers founded and opened Immaculate Conception Parish, as the church now stands, in what was then the hinterland of the city of Vancouver.

Immaculate Conception School (ICS), run by the Religious of the Sacred Heart sisters, first opened its doors in the basement of our Church in September of 1926, with 41 students from Grades 1 to 7. By 1932 IC Parish established a separate building for the School, where the IC Parish Centre now stands. Change continued at ICS over the decades.

In September 1954 our present school building was opened and was then staffed by the Sisters of St. Ann. ICS then had over 200 students including many children from the neighbouring Musqueam First Nations Band, beginning the rich shared history of ICS with the Musqueam people.

In September 1965 the first elected school board, similar to the present Parish Education Committee, took office. In 1980 the Sisters of St. Ann withdrew from the School and in 1984 the Jesuits withdrew from the Parish both due to lack of manpower in their religious orders.

Our Parish and School are forever in debt to the founding Jesuits and the Religious Sisters who made the establishment of a faith community and the priority of a school their life’s work. In September 2005 IC School began using the beautiful Parish Centre and Gym, built through the generosity and sacrifice of Immaculate Conception parishioners, carrying on the work of the founders of our IC Parish and School.

MISSION, MOTTO AND GOALS

Mission: We are a Christ-centered community. We are committed to creating a nurturing environment in which all may develop a personal relationship with God, and live the moral values taught by Jesus. We recognize the strengths in each child and strive to foster continuing growth in the knowledge and skills necessary in preparation for life long learning.

Motto: Our school motto “Today, I will grow in knowledge, love of God and service to others” guides the students and staff at ICS.

We are Christian educators, growing in the knowledge and love of God, sharing our God given gifts to provide an environment where children may develop a personal relationship with God, where they learn to live the moral values taught by Jesus Christ and where they acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to be fulfilled, responsible and contributing members of the community.

The Spirit of Immaculate Conception School is one of community. Everyone is working together – pastor, teachers, students and parents – supporting each other in the education of children and in the activities of school life.

We believe each child is a unique creation of God and that each has the right to acceptance, love and respect within our school community.

Goals: A Positive Catholic Formation

We strive to provide our students with a positive learning environment in the light of the Catholic faith. In cooperation with the parents and parish community we:

Work to build a living Christian community
Nurture a positive self image in the students
Provide an environment for, and encourage students to strive for academic excellence
Recognize that enrichment is the core of educational goals for all students and strive to expose all children to a curriculum that enhances their ability to think creatively and critically as they learn
Endeavor to develop the whole person
Encourage students to live their lives in empathy and understanding of others
Develop a greater awareness of the variety of values and attitudes in regard to ethnic, religious and social differences within our own school community
Integrate faith in personal life so that the students are able to take their place in society as mature, loving and caring persons committed to the living of their faith
To assist staff, students and parents in reaching our educational objectives we offer guidelines which lead to a sense of order and discipline at school. These guidelines aim to assist in creating the living Christian community we strive for at Immaculate Conception. Each part of our community (students, parents, teachers and administrators) plays an important role in the growth of the school.

GOVERNANCE

Immaculate Conception School is a member of the Catholic Independent Schools of Vancouver Archdiocese (CISVA) and as such is required to have a Parish Education Committee (PEC). The PEC is comprised of the Pastor and seven members from the Parish, five elected and two appointed by the Pastor, to serve for overlapping two-year terms. Its role is to assist and support the Principal and the Pastor in the running of the school. Parish Education Committee (PEC) members are often school parents but need not be.

The PEC represents the Board of Directors of the CISVA at the local level, it implements Archdiocesan policies, and it sets local school policies. Its responsibilities include, among others:

Setting and managing the school’s operational budget
Hiring staff through liaison with the Superintendent’s Office of the CISVA and in consultation with the Principal
Ensuring the maintenance of the school buildings and execution of prioritized capital improvement projects

All parents are welcome to attend Parish Education Committee meetings, which are usually held the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm in the School Library. Meetings are open except for in-camera sessions. The required procedure for making a presentation at a meeting is to inform the Chairperson in writing seven days prior to the meeting. PEC members can be easily contacted at any time through the School Office should you wish to do so.