POPE JOHN XXIII SCHOOL

The Pope John XXIII School community believes that a Catholic school is one in which the teachings of Jesus Christ are integrated into the day-to-day curriculum and social fabric of school life. The strength of our school comes from the Catholic faith that the staff, students and community share. We aspire to have our students develop a way of living that embodies the life of Jesus Christ.

The staff and students of Pope John XXIII School have many opportunities to pray and demonstrate their Catholic faith. These opportunities include: school-wide and classroom liturgies, retreats, fundraising for charities and community service.

Father Frank Scott, Father Galen Banks and Father Yves Marchildon are invited to visit the school regularly and to participate in liturgical celebrations. The Pope John XXIII School community has a strong partnership with parish, school and home. Our parish representative serves as the liaison with our school and our parish.

Demonstrating Our Faith

Pope John XXIII School supports many charitable endeavors including:

• Terry Fox Run for the Cure
• Canadian Hunger Foundation/Pennies for Patients
• Food drives for local needs
• Special liturgies

The provincial assessment of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics conducted by EQAO for all students in grades 3 and 6 took place in May 2009. Students were assigned a score between level 1 (the lowest) and level 4 (the highest). Students performing at levels 3 or 4 meet provincial expectations. The school results over time are depicted in the graphs below. Provincial data is provided in the table for comparative purposes. Test results should be examined in the context of additional factors, such as other achievement indicators, the percentage of students in English as a Second Language programs, the percentage of students receiving special education support, socioeconomic factors and parental support. Detailed information about this assessment is available at the school.

A variety of methods are used to assess student performance at the classroom level, including teacher observation, self and peer evaluation, projects, portfolios, presentations, and classroom tests.

Pope John XXIII School is committed to continuous improvement. We work closely with parents and our churches to provide our students with a rich education, integrating Catholic values into all that we do. We celebrate the liturgical calendar with liturgies in our school gym and at St. John the Apostle and St. Maurice Churches. Our school improvement plan for 2006-2007 focuses on the Writing strand in both English and French. We are continuing to put emphasis on the "No Bullying" social skills program. This program teaches students to identify, prevent, and respond to ongoing negative actions on the part of one or more other students. The school is planning a large theatrical production for the first time this year. Many students in grades three to six will be actively involved with the musical version of Cinderella that will be staged in April.