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

10 John Tabor Trail, Scarborough, Ontario M1B 1M9

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History & Tradition

St. Columba Catholic School opened its doors to the Malvern community 20 years ago. The school rapidly grew from 86 students to more than 800 students during its first decade. The opening of St. Gabriel Lalemant, St. Florence, Sacred Heart and St. Bede Catholic Schools significantly reduced our school population.

Our community has a rich diversity of individuals drawn from all over the world. Our blend of many cultures enhances our daily lives with our Catholic faith the unifying band.

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

At St. Columba we believe in the uniqueness of every child. We recognize that children have individual talents and their own special needs. We strive to assist the students to be the best they can be, “growing in Christian values, self-esteem and respect for themselves and others”.

The catechetical program, as approved by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, is the foundation for the instructional program in religious education. Among a variety of strategies employed to ensure a Catholic environment we practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Acts of charity, such as participation in food drives, the ShareLife campaign and supporting families in need, both and within the local community and the global community, are encouraged as gestures of Gospel values at work. These efforts are essential for reinforcing with the students that our Catholic beliefs need to be reflected in all aspects of the daily program.

Fostering a safe and welcoming learning environment which is an example of Christian community is a vital part of the Mission statement of the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Daily attendance monitoring is one example of this mission in action. Through cooperative parent-school communications, parents advise the school if the child will be absent and school staff monitor attendance patterns and alert the family of their observations. Within the school every effort is made to attend to the health and safety of the students. We appreciate parents notifying us of health conditions which may effect your child at school. We also strive to keep parents and guardians informed of issues and situations which impact on their child's health and safety. It is our hope and desire that families new to our community, along with those of long standing, feel welcome when entering the school. We are pleased to provide information about our school and community, to make introductions and to maintain collaborative communications.

Clear expectations for student behaviour are another important element of school life. General guidelines for student deportment are presented to the students in a variety of formats. Regular review and reinforcement takes place throughout the year. The violence prevention policy of the TCDSB reflects our serious commitment to the well-being of all members of the school community. At St. Columba, we are particularly proud of our Peaceworks program. It is taught formally in every classroom and all members of our school community practise its “I care” language and conflict resolution skills.

Standards are being defined to assist in evaluating student progress. The TCDSB is currently examining its curriculum documents in order to bring them in concert with Ministry initiatives. At St. Columba we have reviewed our language arts and mathematics program in order to meet the changing needs of our students. There is ongoing staff professional development in the areas of computer education and technological literacy.

To help meet the needs of individual students, teachers modify programs within the regular class, consult with other staff and meet with resource personnel assigned to the school. Special programs support students with particular needs.

A full range of extra and co-curricular activities are available for students to challenge their talents and needs--sports, special events, safety patrollers, play leaders and cooking classes crafts are but a few.

School News

PA Days 2008-2009

• September 26

• October 24

• December 5

• February 13

• March 13

• June 26

School Learning Plan -- 2007-2008

EQAO Assessment Results

EQAO: