Hawthorne II Bilingual Alternative Junior School

Hawthorne II is unique. It is the only bilingual and the largest alternative elementary school within the TDSB.  The original Hawthorne School was a private school located at Vaughan Road and Bathurst Street. Hawthorne II opened in September of 1977 with 30 students.

• Its current enrolment is about 200. Most of the students are Canadian-born whose first Language is English. Children from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 receive daily instruction in French. This consists of twenty minutes per day in JK and gradually increases with each grade to 120 minutes in grade 6. Parents and staff at this school are committed to teaching French and ensuring that pupils realize that French is a living language.

Hawthorne students achieve a level of French competence which allows them to enrol in the Extended French programs in senior school. As an alternative and bilingual school, Hawthorne II is committed to a close consultation and co-operation between staff and parents. This pattern of collaboration, based on an articulated child-centred philosophy, is an integral part of the Hawthorne II Bilingual Alternative School. Recently, Hawthorne has become committed to school improvement by three parent and staff committees: EcoSchools, Peaceful Schools and French. Hawthorne II is located in the building of the Essex School.