Whitney is located in a well-established residential district in the Rosedale/Moore Park area. The first school was built in 1926 and the current building in 1964. Some parents and grandparents of our students also attended the school. In May 2001, we celebrated the school's 75th anniversary.
* The school population is approximately 315, and most students live in the school's catchment area.
* The school has a child care centre and an outstanding record of parental involvement.
* Staff and parents work together to support the School Improvement Plan initiatives and provide enrichment opportunities and experiences for the students.
1. Whitney is located in a well-established residential district in the Rosedale/Moore Park area.
119 Rosedale Hts. Dr. The first school was built in 1926 and the current building in 1964. Some parents and
grandparents of our students also attended the school. In May 2001, we celebrated the
Toronto, M4T1C7
school's 75th anniversary.
Tel: (416) 393-9380
Fax: (416) 393-9377 o The school population is approximately 343, and most students live in the school's
catchment area. For each of the past few years, there has been room for
approximately three or four out-of-district students who are admitted under the Board's
Optional Attendance Policy.
Nancy Jonasson o The school has a child care centre and an outstanding record of parental involvement.
o incorporating and enhancing components of a balanced literacy program through
professional development, joint planning by teachers, that includes the First Steps
program, Writer's Workshop, storytelling, the use of levelled books and graphic novels,
the use of the Directed Reading Assessment for primary students and the CASI
Reading Assessment for junior students, visiting authors, Boys' Reading Club for Grade
3 and 4, the "Writing Without Tears" handwriting program
Tracy Lye o linking literacy and numeracy and developing teacher and student capacity to ask and
respond to higher level questions
o continuing use of the social skills and anti-bullying program, Second Step
o focusing on environmental awareness through the environmental garden, litterless
lunches, recycling and walk-to-school programs
o integrating technology in the curriculum using the computer lab as a resource
o building on productive partnerships with parents and the community
Lorraine Pederson
o continuing the Partners in Action approach to joint planning by the school librarian and
classroom teachers
o continuing the school's tradition of enriched arts and science programming through
visiting artists and scientists, Science Day activities, musical and
theatrical performances, music specialists, drama and dance programs
o the O'Ambassadors club will provide an opportunity for student leadership and a focus
for all students to participate in school-wide fundraising initiatives with a goal of making
a difference in the lives of children around the world
o Total number of students: 332
Junior Kindergarten - Grade 3 208
Grade 4 - Grade 6 124
Sheila Ward o Gender:
Female 172 52%
(416) 397-2571 Male 160 48%
o Primary language other than English: 13 4%*
Andrea Alimi o Students born outside of Canada:
Students living in Canada for 2 years or less 12 4%
(416) 394-2050
Students living in Canada for 3 - 5 years 5 2%
* Calculation does not include students for whom language information is missing.
Chris Spence
Whitney Junior Public School School Year: 2009-2010
2. The Toronto District School o Languages - English, English as a Second Language, and French
Board (TDSB), in o Mathematics, Science and Technology
partnership with students, o Arts - Music, Visual Arts, Drama and Dance
parents, teachers and all o Social Studies, Health and Physical Education
our communities, is
committed to taking
responsibility for continuous A variety of special education programs and services are offered to meet the
improvement of schools. needs of all students, including students with exceptionalities, such as
This is achieved through: behavioural, communication, intellectual, physical and multiple learning
disabilities. Students' exceptionalities are identified through a formal review
o process undertaken by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee
o (IPRC).
o
o Chess
o Environmental
o Music: o Storytelling
Band, Choir, Excursions, Music Camp, Music
Concerts / Performances, Strings
o Mathematics Competitions:
o Visiting Artists:
Pythagoras Math Contest
Dance, Drama, Music, Prologue to the Performing
Arts, Visual Arts o Urban Voices
o Visual Arts:
Excursions
o Metropolitan Toronto Police
o Scientists in the School
o Badminton o Sexual Health Educators
o Cooperative Games
o Cross Country Running
o Flag Football
o School Based:
o Slo-Pitch After Four Program
o Soccer
o Volleyball o Caring:
Food Drives
o Basketball o Fundraisers:
Jump Rope for Heart, Terry Fox Run
o Cross Country
o Social Skills:
o Football Second Step
o Ice hockey
o Kilometre Club
o Slo-Pitch o Early Reading Intervention Program
o Soccer
o Track and Field
o Volleyball
o Boy's Reading
Whitney Junior Public School School Year: 2009-2010
3. The primary purpose of student assessment is to improve learning.
Information about the Assessment has the greatest potential to improve learning when it is an
success of our programs integral part of classroom activities. Teachers assess student progress
comes from a wide variety towards achieving the expectations on an ongoing basis by using
of student assessments. strategies such as projects, class presentations, homework assignments,
These assessments are classroom observations, portfolios of student work, and tests.
based on clear
expectations for all Schools use assessment information and information from other sources
learners, consistent with to make informed decisions for school improvement planning. Schools
those described in The identify areas of strength as well as areas that require improvement. Input
Ontario Curriculum. is obtained from a variety of sources such as student assessments,
teacher feedback, parent feedback, and community surveys. In this way,
schools monitor, celebrate and improve their efforts in providing a
supportive and challenging learning environment for all their students.
Literacy - Continue to enhance balanced literacy Improvement Plan. Reviewing current data, sharing
programs using assessment data and best practices strategies and developing common understandings
to inform teaching practice. Incorporate classroom of expectations and assessments continue to be an
writing programs based on "First Steps" and "Writer's ongoing focus of the improvement planning process
Workshop". Use sets of levelled books and Big and staff professional development.
Books to enhance guided reading and shared
reading as teaching strategies in the early Safe, Caring and Equitable Schools - Staff,
years. Increase the use of non-fiction books students and parents work together to build a caring,
and graphic novels at the junior level to enhance inclusive and equitable school
content subject teaching, support reading skills environment. Teachers use the social skills program
development and address the needs of differentiated "Second Step" as a resource in classrooms to build a
learners. Identify struggling readers and writers common understanding of positive relationships and
through the use of class profiles in kindergarten to strategies. Character attributes are integrated into
Grade 6 in order to offer timely and effective classroom programs and initiatives school-wide. Our
support. Continue to recognize the needs of boys as school social worker supports classroom programs
readers and writers and incorporate programs and proactively and individual students on a needs basis.
resources that are specific to their interests and
areas of need. Review classroom libraries to ensure Community - Continue to provide outreach support
they support the interests of male readers. through the School Council for educational
endeavours in other schools such as "Pathways to
A visiting author will work with teachers Education". The O'Ambassadors Club will be a focus
in classrooms providing ongoing support, for student leadership and school-wide fundraising
expertise and practical resources to strengthen oral this year with a goal of making a difference in the
and written communication skills. lives of children around the world.
Enrichment - Continue to enrich classroom
programs with visiting artists, scientists, authors and
musicians; performances by Prologue for the
Performing Arts; weekly band and strings through
the itinerant music program; a variety of After Four
programs offered and organized by the School
Council.
Numeracy - Link literacy and numeracy and
continue to promote a school-wide focus on
numeracy. Consistently teach the language of math
and its connection to real life, ecouraging students
to justify, summarize and explain their thinking.
Teach common math vocabulary and use it in
classroom programs from Kindergarten to grade 6.
Continue to provide opportunities for staff to
collaborate, plan together and develop professionally
in curriculum areas as they relate to our School
Whitney Junior Public School School Year: 2009-2010
4. o Assist in classrooms, the library, Safe Arrival program, excursions, music, sports teams and events,
environmental garden, and special events such as the Terry Fox Run, graduation
o Active School-Community Council with many involved members
o Co-ordinate After-4 activities, Fall Family picnic, Main Event fundraiser, Poetry in the school, Media
Awareness parent night and classroom workshops
o Support many programs at Whitney, Pathways for Education and at inner city schools through highly
successful fund-raising activities
o Write and publish a weekly newsletter, a yearly handbook and a school yearbook
o Participate on School Committees: Staffing, School Improvement Planning, Safe Schools
o Fundraising for programs in other schools
o Community collections: food, clothing, toys, books
o Safety programs: police, fire department, traffic safety, bike safety, cyberbullying
o Terry Fox Run
o Links with schools in diverse communities, including parent volunteers
o Web Site
o Environmental garden, litterless lunches, walk to school programs
Whitney Junior Public School School Year: 2009-2010