School Profile 2013-2014 Stephen Leacock Public School Grade 1-8 EFI Address: 25 Leacock Dr. Kanata, Ontario K2K 1S2 Phone: 613-592-2261 Fax: 613-592-3356 School hours: 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. School Website

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Principal Pauline McKenna Vice Principal

Rebecca Carver Office Administrator Teresa Leclair Chief Custodian Stephen Van Rumpt School Council Co-Chairs Carrie Marr Catherine Roberts Superintendent of Instruction Olga Grigoriev School Trustee Christine Boothby Chair of the Board Jennifer McKenzie Director of Education/ Secretary of the Board Jennifer Adams General Board Information: Phone: 613-721-1820 2 OCDSB Website 3 Accessibility Information

Our School Stephen Leacock Public School was first established as a community school and provided a regular English program to students from kindergarten to grade 5. Over time, the school became a French Immersion Centre, currently serving 750 students from grade 1 to grade 8. Programs are offered in Early (EFI) French Immersion. The school serves the students living in the Beaverbrook, Kanata Lakes and Briarbrook areas of Kanata for our EFI program.

Our Students There are 503 students enrolled at the school ranging from grade 1 to grade 8. The student population of Stephen Leacock reflects the diversity of the Canadian culture. Upon leaving our school at the end of grade 8, most students attend the Earl of March Secondary School.

Our Staff Academic staff: 40 teaching staff; 1 educational assistant; a fulltime vice-principal and a full-time principal. Most staff have additional qualifications in a variety of areas including Special Education; Early Literacy; French as a Second Language; Music; Computers; Science, Reading and Mathematics. Many staff have also completed post-graduate work and/or have specialist qualifications. The academic staff members are committed to a full range of extra-curricular activities for students as well as professional development after classes and during the summer to complement and further refine their skills. Administrative and support staff: one chief custodian, two evening custodians, an office administrator, one and one-half office assistants, and a part -time library technician. Below are comments about the school and staff from parents and students.     

“My teachers are great and they encourage me to complete my work.” “There is always a lot going on at Stephen Leacock such as art, computer, choir, soccer and a lot more. I want to stay at this school till I complete grade 8.” “School is great because there are lots of extra activities that are lots of fun.” “Staff at Stephen Leacock do not tolerate violence so I always feel safe.” “My children are thriving at Leacock. The teachers’ and staff’s commitment to the students’ academic and extra-curricular pursuits is outstanding.”

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Our Community Parents and Community Stephen Leacock Public School is in an exciting neighbourhood in Kanata that balances a rich sense of community with a spirit of growth and innovation. Leacock parents reflect their surroundings. They understand the critical role of education in an information-based society and are keen to see their children achieve their best. By making an active choice to send their children to the French Immersion program at Leacock, they recognize the value of bilingualism. They show their commitment to the school by the large amount of volunteer work carried out every year and through their willingness to promote and support school initiatives. The Stephen Leacock School Council provides tremendous support to our school through lunch program fundraising, the annual Hallowe’en Dance and the annual Walk to School Day. With a dynamic community and involved parents, Stephen Leacock Public School has the support to give its students a rich learning environment.

Mission Statement At Stephen Leacock, our staff believe that:  Each student be provided with opportunities to communicate and function effectively in a bilingual learning environment with an emphasis on French language and culture.  Each student is entitled to a safe and caring learning environment.  Each student be provided with meaningful, authentic learning experiences in order to develop a commitment to life-long learning.  Each student is entitled to learn and grow in an environment that fosters self-esteem, responsibility, and respect.  Each student should strive to achieve his/her personal best in the diverse aspects of school life.

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Programs and Services Academic Programs Our Early French Immersion program provides the opportunity for children to leave Stephen Leacock bilingual. 100% French instruction at the grade 1 level; 80% French and 20% English at the grade 2 and 3 levels; 60% French and 40% English in grades 4, 5 & 6; and 50% French and 50% English in grade 7 and 8.

Classroom Organization Presently there are 15 classes in the primary division, 11 classes in the junior division and 6 classes at the intermediate level. At the intermediate level, all our students participate in our instrumental music program and are part of the grade 7 and 8 school bands.

Special Education and ESL Programs Remedial support and educational assessments with one full-time and one part-time Learning Support Teacher (LST) are available for students in need. As well, we have a part-time Learning Resource Teacher supporting our primary students. English as a Second Language instruction is addressed through our English Language Itinerary Teacher. The needs of gifted students are addressed through differentiated instruction by classroom teachers.

Clubs and Activities               

Student Council and Band Council for Intermediate students Grade 7 and Grade 8 Concert Band participating in concerts and Festivals such as National Capital Music Festival The annual Grade 8 trip A wide range of athletic activities, including cross-country running, badminton, soccer, volleyball, basketball, skating, skiing, and track and field. Fundraisers for charitable organizations such as the Kanata Food Cupboard Weekly pizza, sub, and Lunch Lady days Participation in external contests such as Gauss Math Primary/Junior/Intermediate choirs Talent shows Spirit Days Family dances organized by School Council Primary/Junior Art Club Ecoschool Team (environmental issues) Student Announcers Partner school with another school within the OCDSB to share resources and cultural experiences

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Schools Initiatives Stephen Leacock prides itself on creating and maintaining a safe and secure environment for students. Code of Behaviour: Stephen Leacock has a code of behaviour which was developed by students, staff and parents. It is available on the Stephen Leacock Public School blog.Other safe school initiatives:       

Continuation of a Safe and Caring school program with the Safe@School committee Continued implementation of our Character Education initiatives Promotion of responsible citizenship through student leadership opportunities Restorative Practices and community building through classroom circles Safe Arrival Program Staff personal identification tags Visitor/Volunteer sign in process and identification tags

Facilities and Resources Stephen Leacock houses:  A library/resource centre with 14,000 volumes.  Le Centre Technologie Don Mills Technology Centre with two computer labs.  Forty-eight mobile laptops and six SMARTboards  LCD projectors, teacher and student computer in each classroom  Document cameras and Ipads in many classrooms  One gym with change rooms and a stage with enhanced sound equipment and curtains.  A play structure in the primary yard  Soccer pitches and baseball diamonds in the junior/intermediate yard.  An outdoor skating rink from January to March.

Google Map of Stephen Leacock Public School Educating for Success – Inspiring Learning and Building Citizenship

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Achievement and School Improvement Planning Measures of Student Achievement and Success      

Analysis of the standardized provincial report card GB+ French language reading assessment at primary grade levels CASI English Language assessments in the Junior and Intermediate levels Trousse d’évaluation rapide assessments for Junior and Intermediate levels EQAO provincial testing at the grade 3 and grade 6 level Various music and sports competitions at the regional and Board level

School Improvement Plans and Initiatives The staff and students at Stephen Leacock will be focusing on higher order thinking skills through creative, critical and collaborative learning tasks. The focus for our learning plan is on higher order thinking skills using four expectations from the language arts curriculum; 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9. Through these goals we are focusing on developing oral communication with our students. Students are encouraged and provided with numerous daily opportunities to express themselves and to develop their oral French language skills. In past EQAO results, students showed growing skills in reasoning and communication in all areas of the provincial testing. Students are writing and reading extensively in both official languages. Grade 3 students write most of the test in English after only two years of instruction in English Language Arts. Teachers continue to provide explicit literacy instruction as well as guided practice to improve students learning. EQAO results indicate that the students demonstrate solid growth from the end of the primary division (grade 3) to the end of the junior years (grade 6). Our students also perform well in standardized testing in mathematics. Over the past year our focus has been to improve student’s higher order thinking skills using a three-part problem solving focus. Students make explicit connections between prior and current learning as well as between subject areas School staff continue to follow the Ministry’s Character Education expectations. School staff are developing ways of integrating this initiative into the Ontario Curriculum through selection of literacy texts, leadership opportunities for students, and recognition of positive behaviour.

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Leadership Recognition “Leadership in the OCDSB is the demonstration of personal initiative to achieve a positive outcome.”

Students Each year, students from each Intermediate class hold elections for a Student Council executive. The Student Council initiates activities and events that relate to school spirit, charitable fundraising and special events for their peers. Our students demonstrate leadership through mentoring and modeling for younger students, Student Council, lunchroom monitors participation in community events, and demonstrating excellent sportsmanship and achievement in Board athletic events. Students also organize food drives for the Kanata Food Cupboard as well as assisting with various other charities. We recognize our students through assemblies, school blog, daily announcements and yearend awards.

Staff Our staff members are well qualified professionals with a deep sense of caring for children and learning. They are committed to ongoing professional development in order to enhance their own professional practice and better serve the learning needs of our students. Many staff organize and supervise extra-curricular activities such as the Intermediate Bands, chess club, art club, and many sports teams. Our staff takes initiative to improve both the education and physical environment of our students. We recognize staff leadership through personal notes, daily announcements, performance appraisals, through the principal’s report to school council, and recognition at staff meetings.

Parents/Guardians/Volunteers Our parents are invaluable partners in our school learning community. Our parent volunteers are involved in the classrooms supporting students, preparing learning materials, organizing fundraising events, supervising field trips, attending School Council, assisting in our library, and in a host of other capacities. For the past several years the school has hosted a volunteer appreciation breakfast to recognize the hard work and many hours that parents contribute to the school. Our School Council makes an annual donation to purchase a wreath that is placed at the Kanata Cenotaph on Remembrance Day and provides hot chocolate to students when they return from those ceremonies. Our dedicated School Council members meet monthly to support the learning activities of the school. We thank our parents on an ongoing basis, and acknowledge their leadership and contributions in the school blog, in daily announcements, reports to the school council and at our volunteer appreciation breakfast.

Community Stephen Leacock Public School is fortunate to have an involved and supportive community partnering with us. Our School Resource Officer, from the Ottawa Police Service, and the Ottawa Fire Department have attended school-wide events such as the International Walk to School Day. Gifford Associates Insurance Brokers have generously sponsored Stephen Leacock for the Ottawa 67’s Adopt A School program. Our students are provided with 10 tickets for each hockey game of the season. The students and families are thrilled to participate in this local event. Local area businesses regularly provide support for community events such as the spring Bike Rodeo, the Terry Fox Run and Walk to School day. School Council with the support of the Ottawa Police has initiated the Pace Car program to encourage motorist to obey the posted speed limits in the neighbourhood. Stephen Leacock Public School is involved in a school partnership to provide cultural support to a partner school within our Board. We recognize the contributions of our many community partners through notes of thanks, the school blog, daily announcements and reports to the School Council. Educating for Success – Inspiring Learning and Building Citizenship

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Further information about the school can be found at the following websites: 1

– http://www.stephenleacock.org/

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– http://www.ocdsb.ca/

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– http://www.ocdsb.ca/ab-ocdsb/

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– http://www.eqao.com/

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