On Tuesday, March 16, 2010, about 48 members of the OLSWA community took part in the Academy’s annual pilgrimage to the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario. Each year the Academy marks the anniversary of the capture and martyrdom of the Jesuit missionaries, St. Jean de Brebeuf and St. Gabriel Lalemant. This Academy tradition is now catching on with other groups, and this March 16 saw over 100 pilgrims at the Shrine and holy sites! Warm temperatures and sunny skies greeted the pilgrims from OLSWA, Wayside Academy, Sisters of Life, and two youth groups from Lindsay and Toronto.

   OLSWA has launched a new and much more extensive program of student aid. It will feature a greatly expanded work-study program, and more bursaries. Students who face financial difficulties are encouraged to apply for the work-study program: application for this program is a pre-condition for consideration for most bursaries.
   The rate of pay for the work-study program is $10.25 an hour. The minimum number of hours which can be worked in the program is three hours a week, for fourteen weeks a semester (thirteen weeks of classes and one examination week). The maximum number of hours a week is eight. Students may opt to work more hours in one semester than another, as long as the minimum of three hours per week is met. The work involved will typically be clerical or janitorial. Satisfactory performance of the work assigned is essential: failure to discharge one’s duties may result in the termination of participation in the program.
   Bursaries, varying in value from $500 to $1500, will also be awarded. While these will normally be held in conjunction with a work-study position, in exceptional circumstances they may be held independently.
   The Academy also awards a number of merit based scholarships, and these continue to play an important part of our aid program.
   An application form for the Student Aid Program can be found on this website. Link
 

Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy offers congratulations to Languages teacher, Christopher A. Zakrzewski, on his receipt of the Sarmatian Review Literary Prize, which is bestowed from time to time on candidates for their "significant and disinterested contribution to Polish Culture." The Sarmatian Review (Rice University, Houston, Texas) is currently serializing  Zakrzewski's prose translation of Adam Mickiewicz's 10,000 line poetic masterpiece, Pan Tadeusz. Webpage: Link 

February 2, 2010, the Feast of the Presentation, marked the second anniversary of the deaths of OLSWA students Paul Sanders and Janine Lieu.  The Third-Year class, Paul and Janine's classmates, organized the commemoration services which included a slide show presentation, prayer service and candlelight vigil, and memorial Mass.  

Classmate Cassie Farrell offers the following reflection:

In the fall of 2007, a group of young people from across Canada, the U.S.A., and England came together in Barry’s Bay, Ontario, to form the new first year class at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy. At this point in time, these young people had no idea what challenges they would face together, or the strong friendships that they would forge. They could not have imagined the type of impact they would make on each other’s lives. With each passing day, the first years only grew closer, and while there were some odd characters in the mix, each person played an integral role in the dynamic of the entire class. Paul Sanders and Janine Lieu were two of these young people.

Books are an integral part of learning at OLSWA. Our library seeks to promote the liberal arts and preserve the Catholic tradition. Learn more about OLSWA's Library Collection here.

Our Lady Seat of Wisdom is becoming of increasing interest to our southern neighbours. Over the last ten years, we've had students from 17 different US states, and currently 10% of our student body is American. To learn more of the American connection at OLSWA, click here.