Jarod Tessier joins the Marauders

By Bernie Puchalski: BP Sports Niagara - November 5, 2020

Like several of his Notre Dame teammates, Jarod Tessier saw his 12B season of high school football terminated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a tough one because I didn’t need to come back and upgrade any of my marks or anything,” the 18-year-old Welland resident said. “I was coming back so I could play with my brother (Jacob) and figure out what I was going to do next year. I didn’t know what to do when I heard. I was kind of speechless.”

Notre Dame head coach Tim Bisci felt his pain.

“It would have been great to see all the kids play,” he said. “One year in high school is big and that year between 12 and 12B is huge. We had five to seven kids who were coming back and who knows how good they could have been and how good the team could have been.”

Normally at this time of year, Bisci would have been busy preparing his football team for a run at another championship but on Thursday, he had to get his football fix by attending a signing ceremony for Tessier. Wearing masks, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Tessier celebrated his signing with his brother, his parents, Trevor and Kim, and members of the Notre Dame coaching staff and school administration.

“It was a really tough decision and it was between Mac and Guelph,” said Tessier, who played defensive back, slotback and running back for the Fighting Irish. “Mac just kind of spoke to me and it was kind of a process.”

Continue Reading

Bisci’s labour of love

By Bernie Puchalski - September 22, 2020

Tim Bisci couldn’t wait to get started on his 19th year as head coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish senior football team.

“I look forward to it every year, no matter what,” the 51-year-old Welland native said. “You could have the worst team possible but I walk in every first day thinking that maybe there’s a chance. I find some optimism and maybe midway through the season I am not as optimistic any more but this is what I do and I absolutely love it.”

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic tackled the 2020 season before it even began.

“It kills me not to be out here and the field is quiet and there is nothing going on,” Bisci said. “It has been 38 straight years that I had been on a football field in the fall and I don’t even come out here now. I don’t want to be out here.”

Continue Reading

Transitioning between In-Person Learning and Online Remote Learning

Secondary Student Requirements:

Parents/Guardians of secondary students who wish to transition between in-person and online remote learning must complete the Secondary Student Transition Form by the dates below:

Transportation Requirements:

Regardless if your child transitions between in-person or online remote learning, if your child is eligible for transportation you must complete the Opt-In / Opt-Out Transportation Request through Niagara Student Transportation Service (NSTS).  Read the detailed Back to School Transportation Plan for additional information.

Re-Registration Link

Irish! As part of our return to school, please fill out the re-registration survey. This will help us create the cohorts that will be attending school. The re-registration link is here and our School Reopening Plan is now available below this article.

The deadline for re-registration is next Friday, August 21.

NCDSB Back to School - Reopening Plan