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

1865 Sheppard Avenue West, North York, Ontario M3L 1Y5

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History & Tradition

St. Martha Catholic School first opened its doors in September 1971. The neighbourhood was experiencing a great population growth, thus the school building was quickly filled to capacity and numerous portables had to be brought on site.

By September 1974 it became necessary to establish an annex at the nearby Calico Public School, so as to alleviate the overcrowding at St. Martha School. In 1976 the annex became St. Blaise School.

Over the next two decades, as the school-aged children graduated, enrollments in the area declined. In 1994, almost as if to complete the cycle, St. Blaise School was closed and its students returned to St. Martha School.

In 1996, St. Martha School commemorated its 25th anniversary with special celebrations.

St. Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus, lived in Bethany. It seems that the family frequently received Jesus as a guest in their home. As Martha served Jesus food so was she nourished in the Holy Spirit. When her brother Lazarus died, St. Martha pleaded with Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead. Jesus did as she requested because of St. Martha's faith in him. Following St. Martha's example, we have tried to develop a community where we enrich the lives of others with knowledge, love, justice and the Bread of Life.

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

One of the underlying precepts at St. Martha Catholic School is the creation of a Catholic presence within the educational environment. To this end, the religion centre in each classroom provides a focus for daily religious instruction as well as daily prayer. We are associated with St. Jane Frances Catholic Church and one of the roles of the parish is to provide our students with the sacraments of Reconciliation, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Students in grade 3 prepare for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion while students in grade 8 prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation. We, at the school, provide the initial preparation for the students through the use of the Born of the Spirit catechetical programmes. 

It is our aim to provide a safe and welcoming environment for our students. We believe that one means of helping us realize this objective is through our implementation of the policy that all visitors must report to the office. All of St. Martha Catholic School’s exterior doors are locked. All visitors, staff and parents must enter the school via the main doors (facing onto Sheppard Avenue West). These main/ front doors are monitored by a video camera at the main office.

All school personnel collaborate to ensure compliance with this policy. We continue to reinforce with our students when they are in the building to NOT open the exterior doors to any one. All visitors and parents are reminded to gain access to the school via the front doors. All visitors to the school will be asked to sign in at the office and to wear a badge identifying them as a visitor. All students will be dismissed to the outside via their designated exit door. All persons picking up a student are asked to please wait outside for the student. We ask this for the safety of all of our students. 

In order to safeguard each student the parent/ guardian of absentee students are telephoned by the school to confirm such absences and the reason for same. This safe arrival program is strictly adhered to each school day. Students who leave the school before the end of the school day must be picked up by a parent or the designated caregiver. An excused student must provide to their teacher a written and signed note from their parent indicating the reason for and time of the earlier dismissal.

Our staff  provide positive role models and encourage students to demonstrate the respect for themselves and others that is consistent with the caring Christian community. A school is a place that promotes responsibility, respect, civility and academic excellence in a safe learning and teaching environment. All students, parents, teachers, and staff have the right to be safe, and feel safe, in their school community. With this right comes the responsibility to be law-abiding citizens and to be accountable for actions that put them at risk for the safety of others or oneself. 

The staff of St. Martha Catholic School are aware of the different skills, abilities and learning styles of the students in our classrooms. The teachers meet these diversified needs by providing:

• an integrated curriculum

• a curriculum enriched through class excursions

• teaching/ learning activities adjusted to student needs

• a common focus of subject matter in the classroom

• challenging learning activities

• group activities where the activity and the group composition are modified to reflect different needs

• peer tutoring

Many classes centre around an inclusive approach to the literacy programmes which include:

• oral reading of materials by the teacher

• literature circles

• integrating good literature into many subject areas

• using computer programmes and the library for individual extra research

• encouraging chapter book/ novel reading instead of short picture books

• detailed story planning/ writing

Our classes include students with a wide variety of abilities, experiences and needs. We make every effort to address the special learning needs of individual students. We collaborate with other professionals in order to obtain the most effective assistance for any students requiring modification or accommodations of their academic programmes. There is ongoing consultation and collaboration between the classroom teacher(s) and special education teacher(s). The special education teachers adopt a program model which reflects a modified supportive version of the curriculum followed in the regular classes. All students who are working in their regular classes or in the special education classes who receive an accommodated or modified curriculum have an Individual Education Plan (I.E.P.). This plan has been developed using the Ministry of Education’s curriculum documents, a review of the student’s Ontario School Record (OSR) to review for assessments, reports and other relevant documents. The teacher(s) discuss the IEP with the parent(s) and this document is reviewed and updated throughout the school year. Students who experience academic, social and behavioural difficulties are closely monitored and appropriate modifications and/or accommodations are made to their programme of studies.  

St. Martha Catholic School has three types of special education programmes. Our students who require support in Literacy and Numeracy attend our special education class for varying amounts of time throughout the school day.

Our Multiple Exceptionalities class is a regionally placed class where students enrolled in this programme have many learning needs and require a specialized curriculum. Educational Assistants are assigned to the Multiple Exceptionalities class to support the educational needs of the students. Our Behavioural Programme is also a regionally based class where the students are bussed from various schools in the North York area to our school. Both the Behavioural Programme and Multiple Exceptionalities class programmes have a maximum enrollment of eight students. A Child and Youth Worker has been assigned to work with the special education teacher in the behavioural programme. 

Our belief in the importance of educating the “whole” child underlies many of the varied programmes provided. Every child in grades one to eight participates in some aspect of the Spoken Arts. A junior-intermediate level in-school competition (for students in grades four to eight) is traditionally held in November of each school year. A Spoken Arts Festival for our primary level students (in grades one to three) is held in April of each school year. Students are encouraged to write a speech and recite this in their class. Those students who have excelled in the recitation of their speech in their class are chosen by their teacher to participate in the festivals. 

Students may choose from an ample and wide selection of extracurricular school clubs and sports teams. These include: chess club, junior and intermediate level W5H, junior and intermediate level volleyball, intermediate level softball, intermediate level basketball, junior (indoor) and intermediate level (outdoor) soccer, and cross country running.  

Our students will have the opportunity to exercise their vocal, dramatic and rhythmic talents in theatrical and musical productions held throughout the school year. We also celebrate with our school community in our: student of the month assemblies, Grandparents’ Day Festival, Mother’s Day tea, Father’s Day event, and community BBQs. The vocal music programme is offered to students from Junior Kindergarten to grade 6 while students in grades 7 and 8 receive instruction in instrumental music. Students in grades 3 to 6 may also join our school’s choir. An International Language Programme where the Italian language is taught on a daily basis is offered to all of our students. 

Our students in grades six to eight participate in a School Board sponsored History Fair. Students in January of each school year prepare projects to be presented in their class during the month of March. In April, if their project is chosen by their classroom teacher, the student will participate in the in-school Fair where their projects are judged by Secondary School staff. The winners of the in-school competition are then invited to participate in the School Board’s History Fair held in May at Fort York. 

Our students are encouraged to practise their Literacy skills through the submission of written pieces to the school’s monthly newsletter as well to participate in writing contests which are sponsored by newspapers and other organizations. 

 Through the collaboration of the staff and CSAC, special presentations and events are offered to our students and the school’s community throughout the school year. The CSAC is instrumental in assisting with the funding of school buses for class excursions. St. Martha Catholic School is proud of its relationship between the home, school and parish in meeting the diverse needs of our school community.

School News

PA Days 2009-2010

• March 5

• June 30

St. Martha Grandparents Open House

As part of the education week celebrations, St. Martha Catholic School held its first annual grandparents day Open House. As part of the festivities grandparents and students were treated to performances from the school band and the school Choir. The children performed wonderfully as they had been busily practicing for several weeks. Thanks to the staff students and supportive CSAC for all of their efforts in celebrating the community’s youth together with our grandparents.

Garfield Weston Award Winner
St. Martha recognized as a school of Distinction
On April 7, 2009, staff at St. Martha Catholic School was recognized as a School of Distinction, in the category of, Determination in Academic Achievement, at annual the Garfield Weston Awards for Excellence in Education celebration at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. This award celebrates school teams whose high expectations ensure that their students succeed academically, regardless of the fact that they may not have access to the same privileges as others or may have to overcome more obstacles than other students. The accomplishments of the school are a result of the hard work and dedication of the entire school team and are cause for a great deal of pride and celebration.

Congratulations on your outstanding achievement at St. Martha’s!

School Learning Improvement Plan -- 2009-2010

Safe School Plan -- 2009-2010

EQAO Assessment Results

EQAO: