TranslateIn 1989 Essex Senior School and Christie Junior School were twinned and became Essex Jr. and Sr. Public School. The school was built in 1964. Essex is located north of Bloor Street and west of Christie Street.
At Essex we believe that students come first. Students must feel safe, must be challenged and must have a balance between academic learning and stimulating co-curricular activities. These beliefs are the key to the relationships that develop our safe, caring and trusting school community. At Essex we work hard, work smart and work together.
- The Essex Community is committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for everyone involved in the school community.
- Full Day Kindergarten to Grade 8 school with FULL rotary in Grades 7 and 8.
- The number of students currently attending is 285 and growing.
- Community groups make use of the facilities during evenings.
- International Language Program after school one day a week.
- The Parenting Centre runs a very active program for about 90 families (Monday to Thursday, 9-2 p.m.).
- We also have three Mild Intellectual Disability Programs (Gr. 1-3, 4-6, 7-8) as well as 2 Developmental Disability Programs (Gr 7-8). Entry into these programs is through the board special education department.
Literacy and Math
Our teachers focus on the effective teaching of all five strands of the mathematics curriculum through a problem solving approach. We encourage students’ written and oral explanations in mathematics at each grade level, using pictures, numbers and words. We use a number of resources including manipulatives, text books, technology, and Ministry Guide Books in our math programs. Our focus for professional development as a staff this year is in mathematics. We are working towards improving our practise in this area in order to ensure that our students enjoy learning math and understand how it`s used in real life settings.
In our language programs, we recognize that language is the key to all learning. We provide our students with the skills to be Critical Thinkers by the Higher Order Questions we ask them (Blooms Taxonomy and Q-Chart). Our primary classes provide Balanced Literacy programs that meet the needs of all learners. We use appropriate assessment and evaluation strategies to drive instruction.
Character Education
Essex P.S. creates a school wide culture that promotes a common understanding of the TDSB Character Traits and celebrates positive behaviours and attitudes at Essex. Each classroom celebrates using a Character Wall and as a school we celebrate each character trait at our bi-monthly Celebrating Character Assemblies. Character Traits Include: Respect, Responsibility, Empathy, Kindness and Caring, Teamwork, Fairness, Honesty, Co-operation, Integrity and Perseverance.
Special Education
A variety of Special Education programs and services are offered to meet the needs of all students. At Essex we have three Mild Intellectual Disability programs and two Intermediate Developmental Disability programs. We also have a Home School Program where students receive a modified program in Mathematics and Language for fifty percent of the day. We also offer Resource support for grades 1-8 in language and math.
Assessment and Evaluation
The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Students programs are based on the needs and interests of our students guided by expectations set out by the Ministry of Education. Teachers assess student progress towards achieving the Ministry expectations on an ongoing basis. Essex teachers actively participate in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) allowing them time to reflect on best practice, learn and share from one another and to improve student success.
Technology
Technology plays an important role at Essex P.S. Technology at Essex is used as a tool to enhance a solid program already offered by the classroom teacher. Students use technology to both consume and produce pieces of literacy with a emphasis on media literacy. As well, students are learning the purpose of using technology through the use of wikis and blogs to promote the use of higher order thinking to enable students to become better critical thinkers. Our school houses a new computer lab, a number of iPads and iPad minis, a set of thirty laptops on a cart, as well as a minimum of 2 networked computers per classroom. Most of our school has wireless connectivity. Also all of our special education classes have an Interactive Whiteboard.
Design and Technology
Our Design and Technology programme offers Grades 7 and 8 students the opportunity to solve problems in a hands-on way. Working with wood, metal and plastics, students design and build models in order to solve problems such as: build a vehicle that will carry a load safely down a ramp using gravity to propel it.
Just some of the things we offer:
- Regular assemblies and performances
- Visiting artists
- Intramural sports
- Glee Club
- School Dances (grade 6-8)
- Sports teams
- Outdoor Education/Island School Grades 5-6
- Pizza Days
- Spirit Days
- Silver Birch and Blue Spruce Reading
- Student Council
- Chess Club
- Drama Club
- Sewing Club
- ECO Team
- Winter Skating
- Intermediate Ski Trip
- School Concerts (Winter and Spring)
- Asian Heritage Month
- Visits to the Public Library
- Horizon Upper Canada College Partnership
- Mentors from the Greenwood School
- Yearbook Committee
- Choir
- Knitting Club
- Office helpers, KG Lunch helpers and morning announcers
- High School Information Sessions