School Profile 2013-2014
Convent Glen Public School
JK to Grade 5
English, MFI & Autism Program
Address:
1708 Grey Nuns Dr.
Gloucester, Ontario
K1C 1C1
Phone: 613-824-8177
Fax: 613-824-1714
School hours:
8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
School Website1
Principal
Mari Murray
Vice Principal
N/A
Office Administrator
Debbie Marsland
Chief Custodian
Arlene Samaroo
School Council Chair
Paula Cudmore
Superintendent of Instruction
Neil Yorke-Slader
School Trustee
John Shea
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
Convent Glen is “The Small School with a BIG Heart”. Our school
officially opened on February 12, 1976. As a JK to grade 5 school, we
offer the regular English program, middle French immersion (MFI grades 4 & 5), as well as an autism program. Our boundary runs
from east of Jeanne d’Arc south, east of Boyer, west of the
Cumberland Township Line, north of Innes, and south of highway
174. Convent Glen is proud of its long standing partnership among
students, staff, parents/guardians, and the community. Together, our
mission is to enable our students to acquire the necessary
knowledge, skills, and values to be productive members of society.
We strive to encourage a lifelong love of learning.
Our school is diverse and multicultural. Our students and their best
interests are always our primary focus. We are dedicated to ensuring
that our school is a place where all students learn and thrive in a
supportive and caring atmosphere. We work with our students in all
curriculum areas and continually foster their growth and development
as caring, contributing citizens. Through our strong emphasis on
academic achievement, the arts, athletics, and character education
initiatives, our students, staff, and parents/guardians work
collaboratively to build a strong learning community.
Our Students
Convent Glen E.S. currently serves approximately 122 students. We
have a multicultural and diverse student population representing
many cultural backgrounds which enriches our school community.
Upon completing grade 5, most of our students go to Henry Larsen
E.S. for grades 6 to 8.
Our Staff
Our committed and caring staff bring a wide range of educational
backgrounds, interests, and expertise to our school. Many of our
teachers have additional qualifications and specialists in a variety of
areas including reading, mathematics, special education, the arts,
English as a second language (ESL), and French as second
language (FSL). We consistently focus on meeting the needs of such
a rich, multicultural student population.
Teachers are supported by a dedicated team of educational
assistants, early childhood educator, library technician, office staff,
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and custodians. We are also very fortunate to have many volunteers
working at the school, as part of our extended team.
Our staff provides organized activities to enrich the daily experiences
of our students. These activities include sports teams, intramural
sports, choir, Green Team, Playground Activity Leaders in Schools
(PALS), and a variety of clubs (i.e., knitting club, chess club).
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Our Community
Parents and Community
The Convent Glen E.S. School Council contributes to our positive school climate. Our active and
supportive council works collaboratively with our staff to foster strong relationships between home,
school, and the wider community. Our council supports our school in many ways including
providing funding for field trips as well as the purchase of technology (i.e. SmartBoards). This year,
our school council is fundraising for a new playstructure. The Convent Glen E.S. School Council is
a volunteer group that fulfills many important roles including political advocacy and advising on
school policies and procedures.
We are very fortunate to have many parents/guardians generously donate their time as volunteers
in fundraising activities such as pizza days, popcorn days, movie nights, cupcake days, and
various other events throughout the school year. Our parent volunteers also assist our teachers,
work with students in the classroom, organize events, accompany students on field trips, and
attend extra-curricular activities such as sporting events.
The school community provides recreational facilities through Gloucester Parks and Recreation.
Mission Statement
To provide each learner, in partnership with parents, an education of the highest quality in a
positive environment with caring, dedicated and effective staff members.
Our Motto is: “Together we make a difference”.
Our student pledge: “I promise to do my best to be a bucket filler every day, at school, at home and
everywhere I go.”
Convent Glen Elementary School
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Programs and Services
Academic Programs
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English program (junior kindergarten to grade 5)
Middle French Immersion program (grades 4 & 5)
Autism program (primary/junior)
Classroom Organization
Convent Glen E.S. has 7 homeroom classrooms. We presently offer one full-day kindergarten
class (JK/ SK) as well as 3 regular English classes, all of which are combined classes (i.e., 1/2,
2/3, and 4/5). We have 2 middle French immersion classes (grade 4 and grade 5). We also have
an autism program at the school.
Special Education and ESL Programs
We have a special education support team consisting of one Learning Support Teacher (LST) and
a half-time Learning Resource Teacher (LRT) who oversee the individual needs of all special
education students and provide advice and programming support for all students on Individual
Education Plans (IEPs) as well as those who are identified through the Identification, Placement
and Review Committee (IPRC) process. Our support team works closely with classroom teachers
in developing student IEPs, providing support to students in the regular classroom, teacher
consultations, liaison with Learning Support Services staff, and administering educational
assessments.
Students requiring additional supports and/or services are referred to the LST and in-school
special education team by their classroom teacher. The in-school team follows a tiered approach
of interventions and works closely with the classroom teacher to assess the needs of the students
and determine a course of action which may include accommodations, classroom support, further
observation or assessment, modifications, and/or referrals to our multi-disciplinary team. Our inschool team is always available to assist classroom teachers with planning for the needs of all
students. We are also consistently enhancing our use of assistive technology to enable every
student to access the curriculum.
Our support staff members follow an inclusive model of program delivery to support special
education and English as a second language students. Our support staff works collaboratively with
classroom teachers in a co-teaching model to ensure that the needs of all students within the
classroom are being met. This model ensures that students remain in their language-rich
classroom learning community; learning from, with, and alongside their peers. This approach is
consistent with the Ministry of Education’s recommendations from the Report of the Expert Panel
on Special Education, “Education for All” (2005).
Our team of educational assistants support both individual students and small groups of students
in various classrooms throughout the school.
Our itinerant ESL teacher offers support for English language development.
Clubs and Activities
Students are given the opportunity to develop and demonstrate leadership and citizenship through
participating in organized activities at school. Competitive and recreational athletic sports include
track and field, soccer, basketball, floor hockey, and cross country running. Arts-based activities
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include: choir, drama club, and knitting club. Other clubs and activities include: Green Team,
Playground Activity Leaders in Schools (PALS), and the Me to We initiative.
Students are also provided with a rich array of activities within their school day:
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“Hot Meal” days, movie nights, popcorn days, and cupcake day organized by the school council
Sports activities: intramural sports and cooperative games
Student leadership opportunities: lunch monitors, door monitors, library helpers, kindergarten
helpers, PALS
Winter sing-a-long celebration
Spring concert
Theatrical/musical/art presentations and performances
Field trips
Monthly school “Bucket Filling” assemblies
Special spirit days (i.e., orange and black day, winter outdoor play day, pyjama day, crazy hair
day, hockey jersey day, etc.)
Fundraisers (i.e., Terry Fox walk, food drive, Toonie Tuesday, playstructure fundraisers)
Safe Schools Initiatives
Convent Glen is committed to promoting a safe and caring environment which is characterized by
mutual respect. We provide a learning environment which allows every students to reach his/her
greatest potential within a safe and caring atmosphere. We value character traits such as respect,
responsibility, empathy, and cooperation. We have established an initiative “How Full is Your
Bucket?”, which supports anti-bullying and the OCDSB’s “Community of Character” wheel. Our
student pledge is: “I promise to do my best to be a bucket filler every day, at school, at home and
everywhere I go.”
We hold monthly assemblies to promote bucket filling, highlight positive character traits, and
recognize students who exemplify these important traits. Each year, students review our school
Code of Conduct and staff consistently work with students to empower them to live by the code,
both in and out of the classroom. The development of these life skills is intended to serve our
students well in the future.
Our School Resource Officer is a valuable member of our Safe School initiatives.
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Safe Arrival Procedure
Emergency Closing Network
Fire Drill/Lock Down Procedures
Staff trained in First Aid, CPR, and Behaviour Management System (BMS)
Facilities and Resources
Convent Glen E.S. houses:
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one-story school building with the library as the main hub of the school
library/resource centre
large gymnasium with a stage
computer lab
computer technology in every classroom: SmartBoards, iPads, Ladibugs, media carts
autism class
body break room
large schoolyard
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large green space with trees, a soccer field, a baseball diamond, and a basketball court (City of
Ottawa)
self-contained kindergarten yard with a playstructure
primary/junior playstructure
pavement area with basketball hoops and games
after-school care program offered by the City of Ottawa
Google Map of Convent Glen Public School
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Achievement and School Improvement Planning
Measures of Student Achievement and Success
Our school follows the OCDSB policy and procedures for student assessment and evaluation as
well as the Growing Success document (Ministry of Ontario, 2010).
Staff use ongoing diagnostic, formative, and summative methods of assessment/evaluation to
inform instruction, guide next steps, and help students monitor their progress towards meeting their
learning goals in order to ensure that the needs of all students are being met.
Student achievement is measured in a variety of ways at Convent Glen. The following are some of
the methods we use:
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daily teacher observation and feedback
anecdotal notes
checklists and rubrics
student work on daily assignments and student portfolios
student-led conferences
cooperative work groups as well as peer, self, and teacher evaluations
projects and presentations
response journals and learning logs
performance based assessment tasks
quizzes and tests
parent-teacher interviews and conferences
monthly assemblies to celebrate student achievements
Progress Report and Provincial Report Cards
Provincial grade 3 EQAO testing – results are found on the following page
All teachers assess the reading abilities of their students – primary teachers use ELOT and PM
Benchmarks, junior teachers use CASI, and MFI teachers use GB+. When required, our LST
administers formal educational assessments.
In addition, each year at our annual school leaving ceremony, grade 5 students are recognized for
a variety of academic, social, athletic, and artistic accomplishments.
We examine all of this information along with the Board Improvement Plan for Student
Achievement, report card marks, daily observations of student performance, a variety of
demographic factors, and numerous other sources of data in order to provide us with a sound base
from which to determine the direction and focus of our School Improvement Plan for Student
Achievement (SIPSA).
School Improvement Plans and Initiatives
The focus of our 2013-2014 SIPSA is in the area of reading comprehension across all subject
areas. Our SIPSA was developed based on multiple measures of data including EQAO results,
ELOT, PM Benchmarks, CASI, GB+, report card marks, demographic data, and historical trends.
This year, our school has been designated as a School in the Middle (SIM), which means that we
have ongoing support from an instructional coach from the Curriculum Services Department. Our
instructional coach works closely with staff on identifying key areas of focus and facilitates a series
of work sessions for all staff. We continue to focus on optimizing our instructional strategies in all
areas, including literacy and numeracy. Other areas of focus are on differentiated instruction and
assessment & evaluation. Staff members continue to explore many tools for ongoing assessment
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in the classroom in order to guide their instruction to meet the needs of all students. Staff moderate
student work collaboratively to ensure consistency across all grade levels and set teaching goals.
Currently, our SIPSA has a focus on creative and critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the
ability to make a judgement and form an opinion, and then substantiate the opinion with supporting
reasons and facts. Sound judgement requires competency and knowledge. Judgement is reflected
in our points of view, perception, bias, and problem-solving.
We continue examining and focusing on various aspects, including:
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use of common assessment tools
use of anchor charts
assessment for, as, and of learning
students accessing exemplars in the classroom to assist them in their learning
self-assessment and students being involved in setting goals for next steps in their learning
data collected and assessment to be used to inform instruction
professional development for teachers to ensure consistency in assessment practices
professional activity days that allow us to build capacity as we continue to highlight high yield
strategies which improve student learning
Picture of Main Entrance at Convent Glen E.S.
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Leadership Recognition
“Leadership in the OCDSB is the demonstration of personal initiative
to achieve a positive outcome.”
Students
Convent Glen has many student leadership initiatives. Students share their talents with their peers
and provide support and leadership in the school in many ways including: door monitors, lunch
monitors, milk helpers, computer helpers, PALS, library helpers, kindergarten helpers, and reading
buddies. We are proud of our students’ efforts in “filling someone’s bucket” by raising funds
throughout the year for various causes (i.e., the Terry Fox walk, food drive donations, Toonie
Tuesday for the Education Foundation, etc.).
In addition to informal recognition on a regular basis, we also acknowledge student contributions in
our classrooms, via morning announcements, newsletters, assemblies, our principal’s report to
school council, monthly assemblies, and the grade 5 leaving ceremony. We also recognize student
leadership by incorporating their ideas and suggestions into our planning as well as the school’s
Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan.
Staff
Our staff members have a wealth of professional qualifications including Bachelors and Masters
degrees as well as additional qualifications in a variety of areas (i.e., Reading, Mathematics,
French as a Second Language, Special Education, English as a Second Language, Music, Visual
Arts, Computers, etc.).
As a dedicated professional learning community, staff members actively participate in Board-wide
and school-based professional development sessions in all areas of the curriculum. Our staff also
demonstrate leadership and leadership qualities in many ways. Through daily interactions with
students and parents/guardians, professional dialogue, and contributions to our school, our staff
are continuously building a strong community through their actions. We recognize staff leadership
in many ways including a simple thank you for a job well done to more formal recognition such as
cards, letters, announcements, newsletters, assemblies, performance appraisals, and reports to
school council.
We would like to highlight the leadership of one of our staff members:
Debbie Marsland (Office Administrator) – Debbie was the recipient of a Director’s Citation Award
in 2000. She was the first office administrator in the school board to receive this award. Debbie
was recognized for her caring, commitment, and dedication to our students, staff, parents/
guardians, and school community.
Parents/Guardians/Volunteers
Convent Glen is extremely fortunate to have many dedicated volunteers who work with our
students and staff on a regular basis. We are very grateful to have volunteers who generously
donate their time to our school for the benefit of students. Our volunteers read with our students
and support teachers in many ways. Many of our volunteers are parents, but we also receive
volunteers through Ottawa Volunteers in Education.
Our dedicated school council meets monthly, working collaboratively with staff to plan activities
and fundraising events in support of our school. Our council enhances our school by generously
contributing funds to support field trips, purchase technology (i.e. SmartBoards), and replace our
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playstructure. Our council also holds many special events and fundraisers (i.e., pizza days,
popcorn days, movie nights, gift shop, etc.).
Many of our parents/guardians participate as volunteers in school activities which include helping
students in the classroom, library support, organizing events, and accompanying students on field
trips. Ottawa Network for Education volunteers and the Tutors in the Classroom program also
provide additional support to our students.
As invaluable partners, we thank our volunteers and consistently look for opportunities to
acknowledge them in our school announcements, our principal’s report to school council, school
newsletters, and our annual volunteer appreciation event. We greatly appreciate their invaluable
contributions to our school.
Community
During recent years, Convent Glen has been fortunate to receive donations from various sources
which has assisted our students in their learning process. We have also received contributions of
prizes from local businesses in support of our fundraising initiatives. We recognize our friends in
the community through our school announcements, participation in our school celebrations, school
newsletters, school website, principal's report to school council, and thank-you cards.
We are the fortunate recipients of the Dakin Award, which is awarded annually at the grade 5
leaving ceremony.
We receive volunteers from Ottawa Volunteers in Education and financial support for children &
families in need from the Education Foundation when required. At Convent Glen, there is a
tremendous sense of being part of a vibrant and caring community!
URL References
1
http://www.conventglenes.ocdsb.ca/
http://www.ocdsb.ca/
3
http://www.ocdsb.ca/ab-ocdsb/
4
http://www.eqao.com/
2
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