The Ave Maria school
Even before Sutton High School students left for their new premises on Highland Street in the fall of 1955, negotiations had already started between Sutton’s anglophone school board and the village’s Catholic school commission, which was now responsible as well for children who had previously attended schools out in the countryside. These rural schools were now closed.
Discussions ended with the sale of the former Academy to the Catholic school commission, and by October 1956 the new owners approved preliminary plans to restore, modernize and enlarge the building.
![AM 1 1956 AM 1 1956](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AM_1_1956.jpg)
Credit: Archives Société d'histoire de la Haute-Yamaska
A major event speeded things up. On the night of March 17, 1957, fire destroyed part of the Soeurs de la Présentation de Marie's convent.
![Derrière du couvent, feu couvent Derrière du couvent, feu couvent](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AM_2-1.jpg)
![Derrière du couvent, feu couvent Derrière du couvent, feu couvent](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AM_2-2.jpg)
Credit : Archives Héritage Sutton
Credit : Archives Héritage Sutton
From what we read in the minutes of the meeting of the Catholic school commission less than a week later (on March 22,1957), we can see that the commissioners of the commission scolaire catholique du village de Sutton approved accelerating the renovations. In August, the school commission borrowed $4,000 to finance the project.
![AM 3-1 AM_3-1](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AM_3-1.jpg)
Credit : Archives Société d'histoire de la Haute-Yamaska
![AM 3-3 AM_3-3](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AM_3-3.jpg)
Credit : Archives Société d'histoire de la Haute-Yamaska
The Ave Maria School was born. To help trace its history until the school closed in 1986, dozens of former students and teachers were contacted and nine were interviewed on camera.
![08 Jacqueline Brazeau-Cyr 08 Jacqueline Brazeau-Cyr](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/08-Jacqueline-Brazeau-Cyr.jpg)
![09-Josée Barette 09-Josée Barette](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/09-Josee-Barette.jpg)
![16-Lorraine Cournoyer 16-Lorraine Cournoyer](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/16-Lorraine-Cournoyer-300x300.jpg)
Jacqueline Brazeau-Cyr
1957-1959
Josée Barrette
1964-1968
Georgette Beaulac
1962-1968
![lorraine cournoyer 3 lorraine cournoyer 3](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/lorraine-cournoyer3.jpg)
![10-Diane Dominque 10-Diane Dominque](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/10-Diane_Dominque.jpg)
![11-Janice Hill 11-Janice Hill](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/11-Janice-Hill.jpg)
Lorraine Cournoyer
1962-1968
Diane Domingue
1962-1968
Janice Hill
1962-1968
![12-Monique Sévigny 12-Monique Sévigny](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/12-Monique-Sevigny.jpg)
![13-Edith Dandenault 13-Edith Dandenault](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/13-Edith-Dandenault.jpg)
![14-Louise Delorme-Kelly 14-Louise Delorme-Kelly](https://heritagesutton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/14-Louise-Delorme-Kelly.jpg)
Monique Sévigny
1962-1968
Edith Dandenault
1982-1984
Louise Delorme-Kelly
1965-1966 et 1969-1973