St. Barnabas Catholic School (elementary--Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8)

30 Washburn Way, Scarborough, Ontario M1B 1H3

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History & Tradition

St. Barnabas Catholic School has been serving Catholic families in the Markham Road and Sheppard Avenue area since 1972. Built in the early days of the Malvern housing development, growth in the student population soon created the need for a multi-room portable. After many years of waiting, the school community was delighted to receive funding in 1994 for an addition to the main building which would eliminate the need for the portable. This addition, opened in 1997, provides the space necessary for a new music room, a new gymnasium, a redesigned main entrance and a larger library.

The patron saint of St. Barnabas Catholic School lived in Jerusalem in the first century. He worked with the apostles and with St. Paul, devoting his life to spreading the Gospel. The scriptures call him “a good man, full of the Holy Ghost and faith”. Barnabas means man of encouragement and this seems to capture his approach to life. He traveled extensivley, encouraging people to listen to the gospel message. St. Barnabas was generous and brave and scripture shows that he was trusted and respected by the leaders of the early church.

The St. Barnabas Catholic School community reflects a rich diversity of people who have come to Scarborough from all over the world. Our school is enriched by these many cultural backgrounds. We are unified by our Catholic faith. No doubt St. Barnabas would be pleased to see how the missionary work, which he started nearly 2000 years ago, continues in our part of the world today.

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

The children of St. Barnabas Catholic School have many differences and yet many needs in common. They range from four-year-olds just starting out in junior kindergarten to 13-year-olds who are about to graduate from grade 8. The children reflect a full range of talents and skills. What they have in common is a need to grow in three areas - in their Catholic faith, in their mastery of the curriculum and in social relationships. The staff of St. Barnabas School work hard to help the children to develop in these areas.

Religion lessons are taught on a daily basis and an emphasis is placed on living your faith, not just studying about it. The students are involved in daily prayer in their classrooms and the school prays together at masses, paraliturgical celebrations and during assemblies. Gospel values are the basis of school discipline and every effort is made to develop the skills necessary for Christian community living.

Academic excellence is important at St. Barnabas and students are encouraged to be attentive and diligent in their studies. Teachers regularly review their programs to ensure that they meet the many diverse needs of the students. Homework is assigned regularly, especially in the junior and intermediate divisions and students are trained in the study techniques that they need to succeed. Help is available for students who are experiencing academic difficulty. Both special education and English as a second language programs are available at St. Barnabas. In addition, St. Barnabas has had a behaviour program class for many years. Staff regularly assist each other with ways to modify children's programs to help them learn. Parents are encouraged to take an active role in encouraging their children academically and are often called on to help in monitoring homework.

The programs in each classroom are planned with the understanding that there are many different skill levels within a single class. Activity-based lessons are encouraged as much as possible. Students are actively engaged in the writing process at all levels and are encouraged to read widely. We aim for a balanced language arts program which incorporates reading, writing, work study (phonics, grammar, spelling) and a wide exposure to children's literature. In mathematics both basic operations and problem solving are emphasized. Classes also receive a complete science and social studies program along with lessons in the arts and in physical education. In addition, there are daily French lessons from grade 1 to 8.

A wide range of enrichment activities are part of every term at St. Barnabas. These include, field trips to outdoor education centres, attendance at live performances of children's theatre and a variety of special presentations at school. Enrichment is also provided through our extracurricular program. The school has a chess team and participates in the general knowledge quiz game called W5H at both the junior and intermediate levels. 

St. Barnabas has a full athletic program. House league sports are open to all and school teams are available in baseball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, cross-country and track. The many pennants hanging in the gym demonstrate the high level of athletic skill shown by St. Barnabas students. While our sports program encourages the development of high levels of athletic skill, we consider the development of team spirit and cooperation to be equally as important.

There is both a vocal and instrumental music program at St. Barnabas. In addition to weekly lessons, students have many performance opportunities. Both the school choir and grade 8 band have performed in the Toronto Catholic District School Board Festival of the Arts. Spring and Christmas concerts are an opportunity to highlight the talents of students, including singing, acting, dance and instrumental work.

All students have an opportunity to develop their computer literacy skills at St. Barnabas. Computers are continuously being upgraded and staff is given many training opportunities.

At St. Barnabas we believe that a safe and welcoming school environment is essential. We maintain that every member of the community has a responsibility to help to make sure that this environment is maintained. There is a safe arrival program in place to monitor student attendance. A student behaviour code was developed with input from parents, staff and students and is distributed during the fall term. Students at St. Barnabas are encouraged to take responsibility for their own behaviour and the development of self-discipline is considered a priority. The violence prevention policy of the Toronto Catholic District School Board is fully implemented at St. Barnabas.

School News

PA Days 2009-2010

• September 2, 3

• November 13

• December 4

• March 5

• June 30

Volleyball Team ranked first
Congratulations to the girls' volleyball team for winning the East region finals recently.

School Learning Plan -- 2008-2009

EQAO Assessment Results

EQAO: