Toronto Catholic District School Board

About Us St albert logo.jpg

Mission Statement
St. Albert Catholic School has been a school formed by Catholic beliefs and traditions, our Mission is to educate children to their full potential by providing:

Leadership in the shared responsibility for education at St. Albert Catholic School, the students, the families, our parish and the school community
A safe and welcoming learning environment that is an example of Chrisitan living
Role model of the Gospel Values of our Lord and Catholic doctrines, teaching and beliefs…we practice the Gospel messages of our Lord
Guidance in what students need to learn
Instruction in the learning process itself
Integration of Catholic, Christian beliefs into the total learning experience and feedback on the students’ proficiency and performances throughout the school year
We envision the students at St. Albert Catholic School: a) formed in the Catholic faith b) apply Christian values to life’s opportunities, challenges and choices c) pursue academic excellence d) demonstrate relevant knowledge and ability e) display self-esteem and self-respect f) strive to be the best they can be g) demonstrate skills for developing and maintaining personal and family wellness h) demonstrate global perspective and community responsibility
We at St. Albert Catholic School are: Christ – centered, student focused, demonstrate a clear sense of purpose, visibly and demonstrably Catholic, empowering leadership, collaborative decision makers and innovative

Who We Are

St. Albert Catholic School provides a Catholic education which focuses on Christ's life as intrinsic to the entire curriculum. Our school is not just a school where academic learning occurs, but more importantly it is a place to teach and model Christian living. We respect individual differences, individual rights and individual responsibilities in following God's plan for us, with the guidance of His church. Love of God, love of others and love of self as the basic means by which we are to live our lives and conduct our school activities. Our school provides an inviting, safe and welcoming environment where each child can learn, grow and develop.

St. Albert Catholic School operates on the belief that all students have the right to have a safe, happy, and productive day of learning at school. Each child needs to feel safe both physically and emotionally, both in the classroom and on the playground. Consequently, we believe that a safe, caring and orderly community is necessary. It is our collective responsibility to help children grow into caring and productive citizens of Ontario who celebrate the value and dignity of each individual. Therefore, each student and staff member work together towards creating a learning environment that is joyful and productive.

St. Albert Catholic School takes pride in offering a focus in the area of Mathematics, Science, and Technology. Class presentations and excursions are carefully chosen to complement our focus. As well, the St. Albert staff continues to study different ways to implement these curriculum areas using teaching methodology that is current and deemed effective. Consequently, all members of the St. Albert staff appreciate, participate in, and/or lead different forms of professional learning in a variety of areas.

How We Meet the Diverse Needs

of Our Students

St. Albert Catholic School implements the Board's mission of providing a Catholic education which focuses on Christ's life as intrinsic to the entire curriculum. We respect individual differences, individual rights and individual responsibilities in following God's plan for us, with the guidance of His church. Love of God, love of others and love of self as the basic means by which we are to live our lives and conduct our school activities. Our school board has initiated support documents in keeping with the Ministry of Education directives. Our school provides an inviting, safe and welcoming environment where each child can learn, grow and develop.

A vital component of the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s vision statement is the desire to foster a safe and welcoming learning environment that is an example of Christian community. Our safe arrival program is one example of this mission in action. Through cooperative parent-school communication, parents advise the school regarding their child’s absence. In the event that the school is not notified and absence occurs, parents are contacted immediately in order to determine the whereabouts of their child. In addition, every effort is made to attend to the health and safety of the students. We encourage parents to notify us of health conditions which may affect their child at school. Our school is a peanut, seafood, nut, and shellfish AWARE school due to the numerous life-threatening allergies. Students are reminded not to share food or bring in products that may contain such items. We encourage parents to notify us of health conditions which may affect their child at school.

As part of providing a safe and welcoming environment, we maintain two qualified teachers with first aid training. We also provide conflict management programs to the students. Several staff members supervise the outdoor periods from 8:40 – 3:30 daily. Children who take the school bus are supervised until the bus arrives for pick up at 3:40 each day. A Safe School Committee exists with members representing parents, staff and students in order to review the safety and well-being of our youngest stake holders.

It is our desire to make all members of our school community feel welcome when entering St. Albert Catholic School. The school is locked from 9:00 - 3:30 for safety, however a video entrance procedure is in place and visitors record their names at the front office. We are pleased to provide information about our school and community and maintain collaborative communication with all stakeholders.

Coming soon: In January2017, we will provide a Parent/Student Handbook with all relevant information for parents and students. At the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, all families will receive a colour copy of the handbook, which will be available for download from this site soon.

Clear expectations for student behaviour are another important element of school life. General guidelines for behaviour are presented to the students in a variety of formats including monthly student virtue and character building assemblies, newsletters, announcements, and classroom discussions. Regular review and reinforcement takes place throughout the year. The Safe School Policy of the TCDSB reflects our serious commitment to the well-being of all members of the school community.

A Model of Rigor

St. Albert Catholic School is an educational institution with a rigorous program of instruction – students actively explore, research, and solve complex problems to develop a deep understanding of core academic concepts.

“Rigor” does not mean more work; nor does it mean longer hours at home spent doing homework assignments; Rather, it means more time and varied opportunities for each student to develop essential learning skills and apply work habits of mind as they navigate more sophisticated and reflective learning experiences. Students weigh evidence, consider varying viewpoints, see connections, identify patterns, evaluate outcomes, speculate on possibilities and assess value.

The School Pledge

I pledge today and every day to do my best in all I do.

I promise to do good, because it is good to do.

I will respect myself, respect others, and respect God.

I will treat others the way I want to be treated, because we all belong to God’s family.

I am here to learn all I can, to try my best, and be all I am.

I know that life is work – and I will work in all I do to be all I can!

Rigor is the process of:

Ø Creating an environment in which each student is expected to learn at high levels

Ø Each student is supported so that he/she can learn at high levels

Ø Each student is expected to demonstrate learning at high levels

Rigor means our classrooms are MOTIVATING

Rigor means our lessons are ENGAGING

Rigor utilizes a “GROWTH MINDSET” on a daily basis

Rigor is something that can be LEARNED, PRACTICED, and USED in all aspects of life

Rigor is a set of STANDARDS, PRACTICES, and EXPECTATIONS that we establish for our students and for ourselves

The Seven Essential Survival Skills (Learning Skills and Work Habits) which we explicitly teach, practice, and learn are:

Ø Critical Thinking and Problem-solving

Ø Collaboration across networks and leading by influence

Ø Agility and adaptability

Ø Initiative and entrepreneurialism

Ø Effective oral and written communication

Ø Accessing and analyzing information

Ø Curiosity and imagination

For more information, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NS2PqTTxFFc

Rigorous work begins with a clear message:

School work is important.

Yes, work is hard, but you can do this.

We will help you to succeed.

Life is work, but it’s worth working for.

Our Goals ... click it to see in depth information on the St. Albert School Goals

At St. Albert Catholic School, in order to meet the wide-ranging needs of individual students, teachers are encouraged to engage all students in "differentiated learning opportunities" within the regular classroom - that is, extend, accommodate, and/or modify programs in order to provide all students the opportunity to achieve personal success and growth. Special programs support students with specific and exceptional needs.

As well as meeting academic needs we also seek to develop the student in the area of athletics and the arts, all of which is within our Catholic school environment. We have regular house league sports at recesses for all children to participate for good fun and friendly competition. Our school teams in track and field, cross country, soccer, volleyball, cricket, flag football, and basketball continue to perform well in local and regional competition. We also have a multitude of clubs and student-led activities such as choir, a chess club, W5H, and Tree Bee teams.

Also, we have many celebrations throughout the year that include “Carnaval, Play Day, Hallowe’en Dance-a-thon, Advent-Christmas Concert, Bingo Night, Remembrance Day, Swim to Survive (Gr. 4), Lake St. George / Claremont Outdoor Education Centers 3-Day Excursion (Gr. 6), Mansfield Outdoor Education 5-day Excursion (Grade 7), and and Teen Ranch Outdoor Education Centre (Gr. 8). In addition to the regular subjects taught our school provides:

Physical and Health Education

ESL\ELL

Science & Computer Studies

Vocal music: Early Learning Program to Grade 6

Instrumental Music: Grades 7 - 8

French as a Second Language: Grades 1 - 8

Our staff has been most generous with their time to coach sports teams, organize various clubs, and supervise these various activities. Communication is an important aspect of our day to day experiences and we are thankful for the commitment of our Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC), a group of supportive parents meet on a regular basis to support activities that occur in the school.

Communication is the key to a shared partnership in education, and parents are kept informed of progress on an ongoing basis as well as at formal conference. Monthly Newsletters are sent home to assist in keeping parents informed about school activities and directions as well as reminder notices for major events. Individual classes also provide information for families (i.e., classroom newsletter and/or blog or wiki site) more specific to their child. Our school website is very well maintained with current and up-to-date information, materials, and links. We also encourage your involvement on our Parent Council (referred to as CSPC) - visit the CSPC info link on our site under the "Parent Information and Parent Involvement" tab along the left side ... We welcome, cherish, and respect all members' voices - We All Belong!