School Information

Welcome 

Austin O’Brien Catholic High School is located in southeast Edmonton with a student population of 966 students. The school has a long standing tradition of excellence in academics, the arts and athletics. Austin O’Brien offers a learning environment that reflects the values of a Catholic education… respect, honesty, loyalty, fairness and communal and personal growth. Students participate in prayer, retreats, social justice and community work throughout the school year. Strong emphasis is placed on assisting others less fortunate in the local and global community. Our Student Leadership and Christian Leadership opportunities help students strengthen their faith through serving others. 

Students are well prepared for the challenges of post secondary education as a result of the strong academic program within the school. Experiential and digital learning opportunities in the humanities, sciences, the arts, health education and career and technology inspire our students to pursue further learning at the post secondary level in a variety of areas. Austin O’Brien also offers three Bilingual Language Programs in Ukrainian, Polish and Spanish. In these program students are immersed in language and culture with their peers over their three years.  

Austin O’Brien has a long standing tradition of excellence. Our motto, “Many Gifts, One Spirit” exemplifies our school mission to graduate students who are prepared and confident to lead happy, productive lives and in turn, to share their gifts with others.

Introduction

The school is named in honor of, and after, Sir Austin A. O’Brien. In 1924, Sir Austin O’Brien was appointed Superintendent of Edmonton Separate Schools and served until 1961.  His leadership led to high morale and loyalty necessary for the financial sacrifices needed to preserve Edmonton Separate Schools during the depression years.  He aimed to build a system characterized by traditional respect for high academic standards and by a modern regard for better methods of teaching.  This made him an outstanding   business administrator and educational supervisor.  Never one to make hasty decisions, he is noted for making the right decisions.

Although such recognition is usually postponed until after death, his services were such that honoring him while alive was deemed appropriate. In 1963, there were nearly 18,000 students in fifty-five schools, five of which were high schools – largely through the progressive policy brought to the School Board by Sir Austin O’Brien.  His sense of courtesy and fairness was largely responsible for the good relations existing between the two City School Boards. His relations with the Provincial Department of Education were also amicable, while he continued to demand the same measure of justice for both the Separate and the Public Schools.

Sir Austin O’Brien gave a speech at the official school opening, and was presented with a miniature spade, in commemoration of the sod-turning ceremony. A portrait of Sir Austin was presented to the school, and hangs in the front foyer.  Austin O’Brien High School was officially opened on November 24, 1963.  Seven teachers and Sr. Marie Lillian as Principal staffed the school.

Mission Statement

It is the mission of our school to help each and every student realize his or her potential and become a responsible, productive, and balanced individual within the context of our Catholic faith. 

The Catholic Church calls the faithful to be responsible, productive, and balanced individuals as part of their vocation to holiness and service in the world. Rooted in the belief that each person is created in the image and likeness of God, Catholic teaching emphasizes the dignity, freedom, and moral responsibility of the human person.

In Catholic teaching, responsibility means making intentional and ethical choices that reflect our dignity as beings created in God’s image. It involves accountability to God, others, and oneself, expressed through stewardship of creation, caring for the vulnerable, and promoting justice and the common good. The Church teaches that true freedom is the ability to choose what is right, guided by a well-formed conscience, developed through prayer, Scripture, and the teachings of the Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1731–1738). Responsibility is a vocation—a response to God's love shown through how we live and care for the world.

AOB students demonstrate responsibility through social justice initiatives, like fundraising for the school's foster child and participating in the Bike-a-Thon for Catholic Social Services. These actions reflect Catholic values such as compassion, solidarity, and stewardship. Students also engage in the Truth and Reconciliation process, participating in events like Orange Shirt Day and Metis Week, which help cultivate moral responsibility toward Indigenous peoples and the wider community.

Being productive, in Catholic teaching, means actively participating in God’s ongoing work of creation. Work is not just a necessity for survival or financial gain but a profound expression of human dignity and a means of fulfilling our vocation. The Church teaches that work is a duty and a participation in Christ’s redemptive mission (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2427–2429). Through work, individuals contribute to the common good, promote justice, and express solidarity. Productivity extends beyond paid employment to include caregiving, volunteering, artistic creation, and community engagement, each reflecting God’s gifts and providing opportunities for holiness.

AOB students demonstrate productivity by engaging in academic and extracurricular activities that contribute to God’s creative work. With programs like the unique Generations classrooms and Advanced Placement courses, students develop and use their gifts. Whether through social justice initiatives like the Bike-A-Thon for Catholic Social Services or volunteering for community projects, students learn that productivity is about contributing to the common good. By aligning their work with love, justice, and service, they live out their vocation as co-creators with God.

A balanced life, according to Catholic teaching, integrates body, mind, and spirit, acknowledging the human person as both material and spiritual (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 362–368). The Church emphasizes holistic development—intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual—as essential to flourishing. A well-ordered life includes time for prayer, work, rest, and healthy relationships, which helps individuals live in right relationship with God, others, and themselves, reflecting the call to holiness and to live fully as persons created in God’s image.

At AOB, the pursuit of balance is evident in how the school supports students’ spiritual, emotional, physical, and academic growth. Students participate in prayer three times per day, liturgical celebrations, and service projects such as volunteering at Edmonton Food Banks and working with Big Brothers Big Sisters. The school also offers personalized learning and collaborative teaching to foster intellectual and social growth, with access to a large number of Chromebooks. By emphasizing balance, AOB encourages students to develop a well-rounded sense of self, embodying the Catholic values of responsibility, productivity, and harmony, and preparing them to live in right relationship with God, others, and themselves.

In short, the Catholic Church calls the faithful to live responsibly, work purposefully, and seek balance as a response to God’s love and a path toward becoming fully alive in Christ.

Vision Statement

Austin O’Brien Catholic High School must have a clear sense of the goals that it is trying to accomplish, the characteristics of the school it seeks to become, and the contributions that the various stakeholders in the school must make in order to transform ideals into reality.  The following vision statement is intended to provide the standards that Austin O’Brien Catholic High School should strive to achieve and maintain.  These standards should serve as both the blueprint for our improvement efforts and the benchmarks by which we will evaluate our progress.

At Austin O’Brien Catholic High School, students take pride in themselves as individuals, as students of Austin O’Brien, and as members of a faith community.  

Our Namesake

Sir Austin O'Brien was superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools from 1924 to 1961. He administered the school district with a sense of fairness and justice.  His leadership led to high morale and loyalty among staff, inspiring people to make financial sacrifices in order to preserve Edmonton Separate Schools during the depression years. He helped build a system characterized by high academic standards and by outstanding teaching methods. He was an outstanding business administrator and educational supervisor, noted for making the right decisions on behalf of Catholic education.

Sir Austin O'Brien spoke at the official opening of the school on November 24, 1963.  A portrait of Sir Austin which still hangs in the front foyer was presented to the school.  The original staff consisted of seven teachers with Sr. Marie Lillian as principal.

By 1963 the school district consisted of 18,000 students in fifty-five schools, five of which were high schools. the district's growth was largely through the far seeing progressive policies brought to the school district by Mr. O'Brien.  Mr. O'Brien's sense of courtesy and fairness was largely responsible for the good relations existing between the two City School Boards. His relations with the Provincial Department of Education were also pleasant, while he continued to demand the same measure of justice for both the Separate and Public Schools.

School Colors and Theme

Do you know anything about the colors and theme chosen for AOB?

The green of our colors signifies healthy growth academically, athletically, culturally, and spiritually.

May our theme of Knighthood inspire us to fight with determination and zeal for excellence in athletics, culture and studies.

May courtesy and kindness of our students demonstrate that chivalry still lives.

Printable PDF's are below:

• AOB Blessings and Official Opening November 24 1963.pdf
• A Tribute to Austin O'Brien June 14 1961.pdf
• Sir Austin Page Vol.1 No.2 1963 version 2.pdf
• Special Grad Issue September 1966 first graduating class at AOB.pdf