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For Alicia (De Leeuw) Dupasquier, St. Ignatius School has always felt like home.  It’s a place she has known her entire life. Not just as a student, but as part of a family deeply rooted in its community. A place where connection isn’t something you build over time, it’s something you feel the moment you walk through the doors.

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“I still walk into that school and I feel like I’m coming to a relative’s house. It’s welcoming.”

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Alicia’s grandmother was part of the parish community. Her mother attended St. Ignatius School with her siblings, later becoming a founding member of SISPAC. Her uncle served on the school board. Alicia and her two sisters attended St. Ignatius, and today, her own children have followed the same path.

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“It always felt safe. I had excellent teachers. You’re in the same class with the same kids from Kindergarten up, you really feel like you develop really special relationships,” she says.

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There was a moment that confirmed everything. While dropping off her son Ben’s registration, Alicia observed Principal Jeannine Pistawka greeting students in the hallway by name. She knew who they were. She knew their families. She asked about their lives with genuine care.

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“I knew I had made the right decision,” Alicia says.  She believes students at St. Ignatius are shaped not only by what they learn academically, but by how they are taught to live. Faith is introduced in a way that meets children where they are, offering a sense of comfort and reassurance as they grow.

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“I think because it’s rooted in Catholic faith, you know, kindness is something that comes first,” she says.

 

“There’s talk of bucket filling and how your actions have impact on other people. You’re encouraged to do things for others.”

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Today, her son Ben is thriving at St. Paul's High School.

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“With Ben going to St. Paul’s and their motto being a man for others. Because he learned that at such a young age, he’s thriving there,” she says.

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For Alicia, continuing this tradition is deeply personal. It is about honouring what her mother helped build. It’s about giving her children the same experience that shaped her.

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“Continuing in the tradition my mom started, it’s really special. My mom was always at school and I loved that, and I want that feeling for my kids.”

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Today, Alicia remains closely connected to the school community through her role as Chair of SISPAC, helping carry forward the spirit that has defined St. Ignatius School and her own family for generations.

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“It’s such a small, tight-knit community… There are still lots of people I went to school with that I keep in touch with. It’s just a really special feeling,” she says.

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A school where students are known. A place that stays with you, long after you leave.