About Rockway

Strategic Plan: LEADing into the Future 2021-2025

Rockway’s new Strategic Plan: LEADing into the Future 2021-2025 was first introduced at in November 2021. The vision was lead by previous principal Ann L. Schultz and her Administrative Team to be carried out by our Strategic Plan Implementation Team. This team has started prioritizing the 64 key deliverables outlined in the plan and will provide oversight and guidance for the work ahead.

Our Mission

As a Christian educational community within the Anabaptist Mennonite tradition, Rockway Mennonite Collegiate integrates sound academic learning with growth in character and faith, together with a passion for peacemaking and service to God and all creation.

Rockway’s objectives are:

To partner with the families and congregations that comprise the Mennonite Church Eastern Canada in the mission of Christian education.
To teach the Bible as the story of God’s revelation to the world and to encourage students to choose the teachings of Jesus as guidance for their daily life.
To lead students to understand and appreciate the history of people of faith, with emphasis on the Anabaptist/Mennonite witness of faithful discipleship.
To equip students to discern values in the world, in order to responsibly participate and lead in their church, community and global society.
To enable students to weigh educational, lifestyle, vocational and voluntary service choices that offer healing and hope in a world of disparities.
To offer a program of academic excellence recognized by both the Ministry of Education and institutions of higher learning.
To inspire academic achievement in order to broaden, enrich and challenge students’ learning and world-view.
To foster a stimulating and safe school environment where students, faculty and staff reconcile individual freedom with mutual accountability and learn a wholesome respect for self and others.
To enrich classroom learning with diverse extra-curricular opportunities for participation and leadership development.

Rockway Student and Graduate Vision

Forming Faith…Building Character

From a Christian Mennonite faith perspective, and in partnership with families and congregations, we are committed to walk with students to help form and transform their learning, character and faith. Our desire is that students and graduates will learn, grow in faith and build character as they practice virtues that demonstrate the best of who they are. With grace we will walk with students as they practice becoming responsible, globally-minded, compassionate and reflective learners. We refer to these as the four pillars:

Responsible

Teachers teach with purpose and passion; students learn to demonstrate academic self-discipline, focus and determination.

Globally-Minded

Teachers open the world to their students, modelling hospitality and love; students learn from the experiences and perspectives of others, alongside seeking opportunities for cross-cultural learning and friendships.

Compassionate

Teachers build safe, nurturing and stimulating classes for learning; students learn to work together and collaborate with others.

Reflective

Teachers model their Christian faith commitment and help their students engage and reflect on questions and convictions that matter; students are encouraged to ask questions and seek to align life choices and faith convictions.

Our History

On February 15, 1945, delegates from The Mennonite Conference of Ontario, now part of Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, voted in favour of opening a new Mennonite high school. With seven months to plan, they went to work and hired the schools first Principal, Harold Groh and secured a 14 acre plot of land located close to the Rockery (now Rockway Gardens). A fundraising goal of $50,000 was quickly set and the community went to work in making alterations to the existing house and barn to accommodate the first group of students. Rockway’s first teacher, Salome Bauman, was also hired to guide the academic program.

And so Rockway was born; 27 students crowded into the grade 9 room and 11 students into Grade 10 that first year. School life was closely monitored and extracurricular activities were closely regulated. A devotional committee was struck, the student newspaper was called “Classroom echoes,” a social committee began and instead of custodians, students had to clean that facility. Boys swept, washed blackboards, emptied ashes from the furnace; girls waited on tables, washed and dried dishes, peeled vegetables and cleaned the dorm area on the second floor.

Overriding all of the logistics of both opening and operating the school, was the underlying vision and mission of Rockway. Rockway’s founders desired a school that would provide a strong academic and faith education while also creating opportunities for students to both grow in character and understand their ability to positively impact the world around them.

These ideals still ring true today.

For a detailed understanding of Rockway’s History, please read “Lead Us On,” written by Sam Steiner to celebrate Rockway’s 50th Anniversary.

Living Wage Employer

Rockway is proud to be a certified Living Wage employer since 2017. In line with our school’s mission and values, this means that Rockway chooses to pay their employees not just mimimum wage, but an hourly rate that reflects what people need to earn to cover the actual costs of living in their community. Rockway is committed to maintaining our certification by increasing our wages as new rates are calculated for our geographical area. Read more at the Ontario Living Wage Network website.