School Profile 2013-2014
Sir Winston Churchill Public School
JK-8 English/EFI Program
Integrity Responsibly Excellence
Address:
49 Mulvagh Ave.
Nepean, Ontario
K2E 6M7
Phone: 613-224-2336
Fax: 613-2242544
School Hours:
9:15 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
School Website1
Principal
Aisling O’Donnell
Vice Principal
Jennifer Borrel-Benoit
Office Administrator
Souheir Mansour
Chief Custodian
Les Rybczynski
School Council Chairs
Nick Miller
TC D’Agostino
Superintendent of Instruction
Frank Wiley
School Trustee
Donna Blackburn
Chair of the Board
Jennifer McKenzie
Director of
Education/Secretary of the
Board
Jennifer Adams
General Board Information:
Phone: 613-721-1820
OCDSB Website2
Accessibility Information3
Our School
Our school, which opened its doors in 1966, was named in
honour of Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965), former Prime
Minister of Great Britain and a respected world leader. The
qualities for which he was renowned as a statesman are those
we foster in our students: warmth, strength, loyalty, care,
curiosity, and determination. The school's colours are green
and yellow. Our school's mascot, a bulldog, is named after Sir
Winston Churchill's bulldog, "Winnie.” Our school mission is
built upon the core values of “Responsibility, Integrity and
Excellence”.
In September 2010, Sir Winston Churchill P.S. opened its doors
for the first time in 44 years to Primary and Junior Students. We
offer programs in English and French to students from K – 8. In
September 2011, we opened a Primary/Junior Autism Unit. In
September 2012, we opened our second autism unit, 4 full day
Kindergarten classes and the Extended Day program. This
year, we are home to the Dual Support Program for 9 Junior/
Intermediate students.
Our Students
Sir Winston is a dual track, regular English and early French
immersion school with an enrolment of approximately 510
students from grades K – 8. Our school activities and programs
reflect the multicultural diversity of our community. Half of our
students join us in Kindergarten for our Immersion program and
the other half join us in Grade 7 from Meadowlands P.S. and
Century P.S.
Our Staff
Our academic team consists of 32 teachers, 9 Educational
Assistants, 7 Early Childhood Educators, 3 Early Learning
Assistants, 1.5 Office Staff, a Custodial Team and 1 Breakfast
Monitor and Library Technician. Our staff members show a
commitment to our students and student learning on a daily
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basis. They share
the philosophy of,
“doing what it takes”
to ensure our
students meet with
success personally
and academically.
Our staff is
committed to
providing a safe,
caring and nurturing
environment with a
focus on higher
order thinking skills. To facilitate their endeavours, they
participate in university courses and workshops to keep current
with best practices to deepen student learning. Our office staff,
custodians, and library technician are integral members of our
school team, dedicated to connecting with students on an
individual level as well as in groups. Each beginning teacher is
assigned a more experienced teacher mentor to provide
support and guidance. Additionally, several of our teachers
serve in the capacity of Associate Teachers for student
teachers. Our Support Staff work with DSW and CYW students
from Algonquin College. Thanks to our dedicated and talented
staff members, our students benefit from excellence in and out
of the classroom through a variety of extra-curricular activities.
Our Community
Parents and Community
Sir Winston Churchill Public School is located in the residential area of Parkwood Hills, in
the heart of Nepean. Our families, who represent a rich diversity of cultural backgrounds,
are considered to be essential partners in the learning process. Many parents and
community volunteers assist with our numeracy and literacy programs, help with fundraising, participate in charitable events, and accompany our students on field trips. Our
school is a popular centre in our neighbourhood for such activities as basketball,
badminton, volleyball, indoor soccer, and system-wide Jazz band, and is the host school
for the International Languages Program. Students contribute to the community and help
others in need through fundraisers, including a holiday food drive, the United Way
campaign, Terry Fox and Jump Rope for Heart.
In keeping with its fundamental purpose of improving student learning, the SWC School
Council actively fosters parental and community involvement in our students’ education,
participates in the School’s Improvement Plan, and influences decisions made by our
principal, the OCDSB, and the Ontario Ministry of Education and Training.
The School Council works hard to ensure student safety, provides “extras” to staff and
students through fundraising efforts, provides parenting workshops for our community and
develops a positive school climate. The School Council meets monthly and provides
information to the SWC community on a regular basis.
Mission Statement
As a school, and as individuals, we create a Safe and Co-operative school environment, in
which we focus on Responsibility, Integrity and Excellence.
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Picture of Sir Winston Churchill Public School
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Programs and Services
Academic Programs
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Regular English Program with Core French – JK, 7, 8
Early French Immersion Program – SK – 8
Classroom Organization
At Sir Winston Churchill, our teachers and feeder schools to determine individual student
needs. Every attempt is made to place each student with the teacher who best matches
his/her learning style and needs. Additionally, we organize our classes to best meet the
needs of our Special Education students and English Language Learners:
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2 full junior kindergarten classes
2 full day EFI senior kindergarten classes
2 grade 1 EFI classes
1 grade 2 EFI class
1 grade2/3 EFI class
1 grade 3 EFI class
1 grade 4 EFI class
1 grade 5 EFI class
1 grade 6 EFI class
3 grade 7 regular classes
1 grade 7 EFI classes
3 grade 8 regular classes
1 grade 7 /8 EFI class
1 grade 8 EFI class
2 Primary/Junior specialized program classes-Autism
1 Junior/Intermediate specialized program class- Dual Support
Special Education and ESL Programs
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Special Education Learning Centre
English as a Second Language
Remedial and educational assessments through our Learning Support Teachers (LST,
LRT)
Special Education and ESL Programs
Autism Classes
Dual Support Class
An extensive team works collaboratively to provide for our students' needs. This team
includes:
 Classroom and Special Education Teachers
 Educational Assistants
 Early Childhood Educators
 Early Learning Assistants
 Psychologist
 Speech Therapist
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Social Worker
Occupational Therapist
Speech and Language Pathologist
Office Administrator
Office Assistant
Custodians
Library Technician
Student Resource Officer
Clubs and Activities
Organized co-curricular activities at our school include intramural and competitive sports
such as: intermediate soccer, floor hockey, badminton, basketball, track and field, touch
and flag football, rugby as well as volleyball. Throughout the year, students may
participate in a variety of activities including the grade 7 concert band, the grade 8 concert
band, the Jazz Ensemble, Yearbook Club, Quantum Club, Phoenix Club, Grade 3-8
Student Council, Student Ambassadors, Drama Club, Design and Technology Club, and
Environmental Club.
Our parents coordinate ski evenings for our grade 4- 8 students.
We have an active school involved in a plethora of learning experiences that connect
students to each other and the greater community. Our school celebrates FAMILY and
each student is linked to students in their family from other grades levels within the school.
Each family is represented by a colour (Blue, Red, Green, Orange, Red, Purple and
Yellow) and participates collaboratively in a variety of events throughout the year.
We learn together in a variety of ways:
 Family Reading Buddies
 Orientation Week Events
 Terry Fox assembly, run and celebration of goal.
 Supporting the community: Philippines Tsunami Relief Fundraiser
 Book Fair
 Jump Rope/Hoops for Heart
 Young Author’s Day
 Remembrance Day ceremony
 Big Crunch Event
 Chess Tournament
 Celebration of Excellence in French
 …and much more!
Special Awards
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Healthy Living Award 2011
Eco School- Silver Award 2011
Speak Up Grant Award- Physical Education Department
Capital Region Musicfest 2011 Gold Award: Junior Jazz, Senior Jazz; Silver Award:
Senior Concert Band; Bronze: Junior Concert Band
Banner for Junior Girls Volleyball 2011
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Counsellor Egli: Holiday Card Winner: 2012, 2013.
Tier 2 Boys Basketball and Volleyball second place 2011
Safe Schools Initiatives
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Our Crisis Management Plan and Emergency Plan are reviewed and updated
annually.
Our Tragic Events Response Team (TERT) is established and meet annually/as
needed basis.
Our Code of Behaviour is reviewed and published in our school planner every year,
to be easily accessible for students and their parents.
Health and Safety Inspections on a monthly basis by our Health and Safety
Representative.
January 2014, school-wide introduction of the WITS program.
We have a close working relationship with our School Resource Officer from the
Ottawa-Carleton Regional Police.
Facilities and Resources
The school is bordered to the north by a large playing field.
Major facilities include a library with a stage, a double gymnasium, a design and
technology room, an instrumental music room, one science lab and two computer labs.
Google Map of Sir Winston Churchill Public School
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Achievement and School Improvement Planning
Measures of Student Achievement and Success
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Results from Grade 3 and Grade 6 EQAO
Results from CASI
Results from GB+ and PM Benchmarks in the Primary/Junior division Reading.
CAT 4 testing on an as-needs-basis.
Tell Them from Me Survey Results
Our school has been recognized for band. Our three bands compete at the Capital Region
Music Festival and some students have been selected to the grade 8 All-Star band. We
have received invitations to the National Festival. Our Instrumental Music Teacher won the
OCDSB Arts Award for Elementary Music 2009.
Student Leadership Activities:
 Terry Fox Run: Annual Event: raised $5,000 for cancer awareness September 2013
 Ambassador program: grade 8 student ambassadors take on leadership role in the
school for a variety of events, supporting inter-murals; Soles for Souls; Fit Kids; Healthy
Living and Eating program
 Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart: Since 1994, SWC has collected over
 $16, 000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
 Spelling: Canwest CANSPELL competition.
 Chess Club
School Improvement Plans and Initiatives
With input from staff, students, and school council, we focus on many areas:
Our staff is committed to working collaboratively to improve student learning. Staff is
involved in frequent professional development and dialogue in order to ensure our learners
reach their potential through focused instructional strategies and activities. Our focus for
the 2013-2014 school year is Patterning and Algebra and Numeration. Our School
Improvement Plan’s SMART Goal is as follows:
By June 2014, SWC students will independently and collaboratively identify, represent
and explore relationships between two variables in a real world context, as well as improve
their specific numeracy skills as measured by evidence of progress.
Additionally, our staff and students have highlighted three pillars of our community:
Responsibility, Integrity and Excellence.
We demonstrate Responsibility
Personal academic growth, responsibility, and communication skills are facilitated through
the use of the personal planner. Our website, twitter feed, blogs and newsletters and
regular emails are effective methods of informing parents and community members of all
the positive things happening at SWC. There are high expectations for student behaviour
outlined in the SWC Code of Conduct.
We demonstrate Integrity
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Students are recognized on an individual basis for their integrity (doing the right thing even
when it is hard). Good Citizenship on a school-wide basis is shared in a variety of ways
throughout the year.
We demonstrate Excellence
Within all areas of our program, students are encouraged to strive for personal excellence.
Oral communication skills are encouraged with student participation in Public Speaking,
assemblies, talent shows, and ceremonies. Physical well-being is encouraged through
daily physical education periods for all of our students. In addition, we offer a wide variety
of sports opportunities in our co-curricular programs. Our Instrumental Music program and
Design and Technology program allows our students to demonstrate excellence in nontraditional settings.
Our Partnerships
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We have partnerships with Century P.S. and Meadowlands P.S., our feeder schools, to
assist our students with the transition from elementary school to middle school.
Annually, we invite our feeder schools to learn about our school through the Feeder
School Visit and Parent/Guardian Information Night in May.
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Merivale High School and Sir Winston Churchill work together on many school related
activities such as: The Evening of the Arts, Grade 8 Girls Self Esteem Day and Boys
Sports Day. Staff from Merivale and Sir Winston partner together to discuss best
classroom practices to support student learning during this transition period.
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High Schools: We work with many co-op students from many high schools in the city.
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University of Ottawa: We are the training ground for many student teachers throughout
the year.
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Carleton University: Many of our students have the opportunity to become Carleton
University students for the week during an Enrichment Program in May.
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Algonquin College: We work collaboratively with Algonquin College on a leadership
program with some of our Grade 8 students. Additionally, we have two Child and Youth
Workers at our school 3 days per week.
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Royal Ottawa Hospital: Some of our grade 7 and 8 students have the opportunity to
work with the Royal Ottawa staff on a leadership program (E.I.P).
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City of Ottawa: Many of our students are enrolled in City of Ottawa after school
programs
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Nepean Health: Satellite program run recreation groups for our students.
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Leadership Recognition
“Leadership in the OCDSB is the demonstration of personal initiative
to achieve a positive outcome.”
Students
As elected representatives of the school population, our Intermediate Student Councils
provide input for our school-wide events and fundraising for both the school and the
community. The Student Council sponsor two children through the Foster Children
program, donate to UNICEF, the Ottawa United Way and Parkinson’s Foundation to name
a few. Our students are always responding to the needs presented to us in the community.
Our students have demonstrated leadership in music as SWC students have participated
in the OCDSB All-Star band. In athletics, students participate as officials for the Intramural
program. Our Environmental Club plays an important role in our school. We also have a
Ambassador Group that takes on various activities during the year. In addition to informal
recognition on a regular basis, we also acknowledge their contributions in our classrooms,
school announcements, Wall of Fame display case, newsletters, our Principal’s report to
School Council, recognition assemblies, and at the end-of-the-year ceremonies.
Staff
Our staff members have professional qualifications in many different areas as well a
wealth of experience. Many staff members have continued their education by taking
Additional Basic Qualification courses Staff members have actively participated in
numerous Board-wide professional development activities in literacy and numeracy and
we recognize their initiative by providing and supporting opportunities for further
professional growth. Our staff members are involved in the Mentoring Program for new
teachers and for staff new to our school. We recognize staff leadership via personal
interactions, letters of thanks, school announcements, newsletters, assemblies,
performance appraisals and our Principal’s report to School Council.
Parents/Guardians/Volunteers
Our volunteers contributed many hours of support for the benefit of students in our school.
This included volunteering in the library, assisting with the breakfast club, bake sales,
serving the pizza lunches, assisting with school teams, as well as other activities. Our
dedicated School Council meets monthly and contributed funds to assist our library, our
music program, support student-led initiatives and students in need. As priceless partners,
we thank our parents, guardians and volunteers on an on-going basis and look for
opportunities to acknowledge them in school announcements, newsletters, our Principal’s
report to School Council, and with our volunteer appreciation event held at the end of each
year.
Community
We have a variety of community partners including the local high schools (through the Coop program), the local library, OCNET (host school for students from South America)
Royal Ottawa Hospital, Algonquin College and the University of Ottawa. We recognize our
community partners through announcements, newsletters, assemblies, our Principal’s
report to School Council, and our year end ceremonies.
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URL References
1
– http://www.sirwinstonchurchillps.ocdsb.ca/
2
– http://www.ocdsb.ca/
3
– http://www.ocdsb.ca/ab-ocdsb/
4
– http://www.eqao.com/
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