It is my honour and my privilege to have been appointed Principal and to serve this great school community.
We welcome our families back to another school year and extend a warm welcome to students and parents who are new to St. John The Evangelist Catholic Elementary School. We look forward to many exciting learning activities and events and we ask God’s blessing for a successful year.
We will continue the great work done at St. John The Evangelist, focusing on student achievement and well-being, creating a safe and caring Catholic learning environment that is equitable and inclusive, and building good relationships with our parent community and parish. One of the initiatives we will be working on this year is the continuation of the pastoral plan, Rooted in Christ: We Belong, We Believe, We Become; focusing on believing.
As you may be aware, each month the TCDSB focuses on a virtue to help students develop attitudes, qualities, and values founded on our Catholic faith and traditions and mature into caring and responsible citizens who promote social responsibility, human solidarity, and the common good. Students who display qualities such as kindness, respect, justice, and compassion will be recognized with a virtue ribbon on a monthly basis.
In a school community formed by Catholic beliefs and traditions, our mission is to educate students to their full potential. We believe that the education of our students is a partnership between parents, school staff and the parish. The major purpose of a school is to help each student develop her/his potential as an individual and as a contributing member of a society who will think clearly, feel deeply, and act wisely. Together we will work to provide an excellent Catholic education for all our students.
The safety of all our children is our priority at St. John The Evangelist and the development of students’ literacy and numeracy skills is the goal and focus of our programs. We believe that we are part of a learning community that must provide a secure environment and foster character attributes such as courage, excellence, and compassion while improving student achievement.
The Ontario Curriculum has been developed by the Ministry of Education to provide a challenging curriculum for each grade. In order for our students to do well and meet the expectations outlined in the curriculum, our dedicated staff identify our school's strengths and areas of need. We examine school data (Running Records, Ontario Comprehensive Assessments, Report Cards, etc.) and other assessment data (EQAO, CAT 4) to inform our instructional practices. The school uses the School Effectiveness Framework to guide and support school improvement and student success.
We also feel strongly that students need to develop organizational skills, time management strategies, study skills, and independent problem-solving skills as quickly as possible in their educational careers. Our explicit teaching through the Student Agenda will assist them in acquiring these essential life skills. Parents are invited to regularly review this planner with their child(ren) as one method of keeping fully informed about her/his academic progress. Your comments and suggestions are, of course, most welcome. We look forward to working with you and your children this year.
At St. John The Evangelist Catholic School our Catholic School Parent Council (CSPC) works closely with staff to supplement and enhance our students’ academic, athletic and spiritual school experiences.
We also work closely with our school parish priest, Father Maderak, and attend monthly masses and liturgies.
Finally, St. John The Evangelist is committed to promoting a healthy active living and learning community focused on building awareness around the importance of a healthy approach to life. One of the ways we provide this, is by offering a morning snack to each student with the help of The Angel Foundation for Learning and through the support of parent donations, sponsors and volunteers. As well, classes participate in Daily Physical Activities Physical Education classes. Being active, eating well, and accepting themselves are keys to a child’s health and well-being. Parents and caregivers can play an active role in helping children develop healthy attitudes and habits that will last them a lifetime.
We look forward to working with you on building a safe and nurturing school environment where your child(ren) will continue to learn and grow in the love and light of Christ.
May God bless us all as we journey together through this coming school year