DUFFERIN PEEL CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD Catholic School Improvement Learning Cycle 2017 2018 Lester B. Pearson Catholic Elementary School MISSION STATEMENT Religious Education, through liturgies, catechism, daily prayer, the sacraments and good works, creates a Christian atmosphere, which permeates our school community. The mission of Lester B. Pearson Catholic Elementary School, in partnership with the family and church, is to provide, in a responsible manner, a Catholic education which develops spiritual, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional, social, and physical capabilities of each individual to live fully today and to meet the challenges of the future, thus enriching the community. Students are provided with opportunities to achieve success in the basic skills, concepts and attitudes. These opportunities will allow them to be life-long learners. The school must be a safe comfortable place that nurtures learning. Self-esteem is crucial to the healthy development of each child. We believe that all children can learn and that making mistakes is only a starting point for further learning. Promotion of a friendly interchange among students and adults will lead to mutual understanding and harmony within the school community. We believe the child as learner, is the central focus of all our endeavours. We recognize that we all have special gifts and talents to share. MOTTO We Can Make a Difference CATHOLIC FOCUS Lester B. Pearson Catholic Elementary School is located at 140 Howden Boulevard in Brampton. The school is named in honour of Lester B. Pearson, Canada s 14 th Prime Minister. Lester B. Pearson was known for his diplomacy skills, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for facilitating Britain and France s departure from Egypt during the Suez Crisis. During his term as Prime Minister, Canadians would benefit from the implementation of a Canada Pension Plan, a universal medicare system, a unified armed force, and a new flag. The school opened its doors on December 10th, 1973 at 9:00 a.m. with approximately 110 students Junior Kindergarten to Grade 4 housed in four portables and one administrative unit. A mass was said by Reverend C. Tipping and each portable was blessed individually. This small grouping of portables, located at the north east corner of the property, watched over the site as the construction proceeded on the main building to its completion in August 1974. The formal opening and solemn blessing of Lester B. Pearson Catholic Elementary School took place on Wednesday, June 18, 1975.
In March 2010, construction would begin on a new building just to the east of the original site. Construction would take place throughout 2010 and the building would be ready for the staff and students to move in on December 20, 2010. The new building would receive its solemn blessing on June 16, 2011. Lester B. Pearson Catholic Elementary School has a strong partnership with St. Anthony of Padua Parish. The school has a long history of participating in faith formation activities and social justice initiatives, including supporting Sharelife, the Canadian Food for Children, local food banks and the Canadian Cancer Society. In support of the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board's Catholic Board Improvement Learning Cycle, Lester B. Pearson Catholic Elementary School is further committed to: Deepening the understanding, appreciation and practice of the Catholic Christian lifestyle, with Jesus as role model; Aligning a school-wide approach to Catholicity, whereby all educational practices are implemented through a Catholic lens; Developing students who are fully alive in Christ, not only in terms of knowledge and skills, but in terms of values, attitudes and actions. As a diverse educational community responding to God's call, Lester B. Pearson Catholic Elementary School fosters and nourishes an inclusive atmosphere rooted in tradition and scripture while: Being authentic witnesses to our Catholic Faith; Being responsible stewards of God's grace in the world; Respecting human dignity; Modelling all learners after Jesus, as ministers of compassion CATHOLICITY DUFFERIN PEEL S STRATEGIC SYSTEM PLAN CORE PRIORITIES How does the school community model, celebrate and nourish gospel values in the teaching and learning of our Christ-centered programs and services? Our Catholic school models, celebrates and nourishes gospel values in teaching and learning of our Christ-centred programs and services through: Pastoral planning through liturgies, catechism, daily prayer, preparation and celebration of sacraments Living our mission statement Ontario Catholic School Graduate Expectations/ Virtues Assemblies I Can Make a Difference campaign
Supporting Share Life, United Way and organizing food drives, Christmas care, social justice activities and other charitable events (Terry Fox, Hats Off to Kidz, Toys for Tots, Jump Rope for Heart, Dr. Simone, etc.) Supporting faith development of staff and students through Rosary Apostolate, Gideon Bible Program, schoolwide Advent and Lenten retreats and Adult and Youth Faith Ambassadors Organizing and participating in Catholic Education Week activities Weekly/Monthly Scripture Study Presenting visible signs of our faith in the front foyer, showcase, office and every classroom learning environment Providing a Pastoral Plan to staff and community detailing Catholicity goals and initiatives Religion/Family Life programs CATHOLIC LEARNING ENVIRONMENT Summary of the school's most recent (2016-2017) EQAO Primary Assessment Performance Reading Writing Mathematics 83% of students at or above Provincial Standard 73% of students at or above Provincial Standard 56% of students at or above Provincial Standard Summary of the school's most recent (2016-2017) EQAO Junior Assessment Performance Reading Writing Mathematics 71% of students at or above Provincial Standard 71% of students at or above Provincial Standard 27% of students at or above Provincial Standard Describe how the school fosters the achievement, well-being and continuous development of all through a caring, safe and inclusive environment. Our Catholic school will foster continuous development of a caring, safe and inclusive environment by: Establishing inclusive classrooms (inquiry, collaboratively building success criteria, responsive classroom design) Continuing the Safe Schools Policies, Bullying Prevention and Leadership Programs (e.g., presentations, speakers, Leadership team) Providing positive learning environments that establish student engagement and a sense of belonging Developing a Special Education model that values and promotes inclusion of all Working through the Catholic Community, Culture and Caring Action team to create groups and activities that highlight students talents and interests, (athletics, clubs, academic competitions etc.) Student leadership opportunities (Athletics, Catholic Leadership Team, Youth Faith Ambassadors, PALs, liturgies) Analyzing data from the Catholic Community Culture and Caring School Climate Survey Implementing resource and support programs, such as Junior Achievement, RAID program, Peel Police Youth Education
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT How does the school demonstrate that it values the involvement of community through partnerships and collaboration? Our Catholic school builds and sustains community partnerships and collaboration as evidenced by: Pastoral connection with St. Anthony of Padua including school visits from the Youth Education Group (Edge), the lay pastoral sacramental education team, and visits from Fr. Pham and Fr. Gikonyo Working closely with community partners (Region of Peel, Peel Police, Public Health Nurse, Mental Health and Addictions Nurse, Children s Aid Society, Big Brothers & Sisters, YMCA, Howden Recreation Centre, Knights of Columbus, Knights Table) to enhance and support learning opportunities and well-being as well as support the greater community Supporting student learning and well-being through meaningful relationships with our Catholic Trustee and Catholic School Council, Welcoming and supporting co-op students from local secondary schools and colleges Working closely with Secondary partners to ensure successful transitions for all students Inviting Peel Police community and Youth Education program officers in to provide various safety programs: Raid Program, Bullying, Drug Education Working with Brampton Parks and Recreation Promoting Medic-Alert PARISH HOME SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS Describe how the school demonstrates strong partnerships and collaboration among Parish, Home and School that are based on mutual respect rooted in our lived Catholic Faith. Our Catholic school promotes the ongoing positive relationship between the parish home and school by: Inviting the parental community to participate in school masses and liturgical events Working collaboratively with the Parish team to support student participation in Sacramental preparation both at the Church and in school Attending St. Anthony Parish meetings to plan Liturgical Plan for the school year supporting and planning for Parish priest s visit to classrooms Providing Parish information, bulletins and events in the school newsletters and on the school s website Displaying copies of the Parish bulletin in the school Supporting Parish activities: Share Life, Adopt a Family at Christmas, Food Drives, etc. CSC Parish Rep communicating the needs of the community
STEWARDSHIP OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Describe how the school is committed to healthy and safe learning and working environments that enhance well-being, engagement and achievement. Our school is committed to healthy and safe learning and working environments that promote enhanced wellbeing, engagement, and achievement through: Focused professional learning in Literacy and Numeracy across all divisions Provision of resources to staff to support Numeracy Inquiry based professional learning that is job embedded builds capacity, informs instructional practice and contributes to a culture of learning that support student achievement Using achievement data on an on-going basis to inform instruction and to provide specific interventions and strategies for students Continued support of students with special learning needs with the use of resources and technology Parent engagement sessions to promote resiliency, well-being and growth mindset Promotion of Homework-Help (on-line Program) EQAO After-school Tutoring Ensuring that school budget is aligned to system/school goals for improved student achievement Maintaining a balanced and sustainable budget to balance student achievement with fiscal prudence within the Catholic stewardship context. Adhering to Health and Safety regulations TECHNOLOGY How is the school committed to a responsible approach in addressing the technology needs of our learners in a global context? Our Catholic school is committed to a responsible approach to technology and a global perspective by: Utilizing SMART Board technology to enhance program delivery Utilizing Dell, Chromebook and ipad carts in all classrooms to support instructional practices and learning needs Introducing and modelling Catholic Digital Citizenship expectations Providing students with special learning needs access to assistive technology Accessing Apps for the classroom Providing professional development opportunities for staff for improving the use of technology as a teaching and learning tool Coordinating Peel Police Youth Education educational presentations on Cyber safety
SACREDNESS OF OUR ENVIRONMENT How does the school encourage the respectful and sustainable environmental practices of reducing, reusing and recycling? Our Catholic School encourages respectful and sustainable environmental practices as evidenced by: An active Recycling Program including a Recycling Team and an ECO School Team who model and promote good stewardship of resources on a continual basis (Recycling, Park Clean Up, Earth Club, Earth Week Activities) Implement a photocopy plan to reduce paper use (e.g., electronic newsletter, Shared documents, etc.) Participating in Ontario Eco-Schools Certification (Gold Certification) Implementing GOOS (good on one side) bins Water bottle filling stations Bike racks Encouraging litterless and lights out lunches Using DP Cloud as a repository for electronic resources for staff and students Newly renovated Kindergarten outdoor space allows for a more inquiry based approach in outdoor learning Collecting pop tab for wheel chairs