At St. Nicholas of Bari Catholic School, we pride ourselves on the strong partnership that exists among the home, the school and the parish.
An analysis of recent EQAO results shows a dramatic improvement over the previous year. This trend toward improved skill development demonstrates the positive impact of several initiatives recently undertaken. These include: Balanced Literacy Program (Junior Kindergarten through Grade 3), primary special education (Grades 1 to 3) and house leaves (available for all grades).
To supplement these already existing programs, three major academic initiatives are underway.
In partnership with the Portuguese community, the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) has developed an outreach program providing both information and materials (read-a-long books, cassettes and CDs) free of charge to our Portuguese families with children in Kindergarten through to Grade 1. Designed to reinforce initial readiness skills, Portuguese parents can now assist their children with the development of essential early language skills relevant to both English and Portuguese.
In preparation for a Young Authors' Conference, each student in the school will be completing to display at least one piece of written work, which will be assessed according to provincial criteria and exemplars.
St. Nicholas of Bari Catholic School has been selected as a host school for teacher candidates attending the faculty. This will allow some of our classes to benefit from the expertise of two teachers during the practicum sessions, and for staff and students to learn the best current teaching practices.
The staff at St. Nicholas of Bari are committed to providing a wide range of both intra- and extra-curricular activities for the students. The establishment of clubs (e.g., chess and checkers) and the school's participation in the many regionally-based athletic activities attest to this fact. Also, the school's ongoing involvement with the Toronto Parks and Recreation Department has resulted in the establishment of after-school programs for students aged 6 to 13, four nights per week (e.g., tae kwon do and jazz dancing).
St. Nicholas of Bari Catholic School provides a Catholic education for the students living in the vicinity of Rogers Road and Caledonia. Located within the former city of York, extending north to Eglinton, and south to St. Clair, our narrow school boundaries draw children from close to 500 families.
In 1972, approval was given by the TCDSB - formerly the Metropolitan Separate School Board (MSSB) - to build a Catholic school named St. Nicholas of Bari. During its early years, the school community was composed primarily of Italian families who had recently immigrated to Canada.
Over the years the school community has changed significantly. The present population of students is now a diverse blend of cultural backgrounds. While Portuguese continues to predominate, many families of Spanish heritage from Central and South America have recently joined the school community. Despite the fluctuating population, what has remained constant is the unique educational needs of the students to develop the language skills necessary to integrate successfully into Canadian society, while developing pride and confidence in their home culture.