Beaches Alternative Junior School (Gr JK - 06)

Principal:

Lilian Hanson

Vice Principal(s):

Office Staff:

Tessa Abdull

School Council
Chair(s):

Danielle Stilwell
Eve Donner

Superintendent:

Vicky Branco

Trustee:

Sheila Cary-Meagher

Address:

50 Swanwick Ave, Toronto, ON
M4E2Z5

Phone #:

416-393-1451

Fax #:

416-393-1449

Website:

http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/beachesalternative

Email:

Beaches@tdsb.on.ca

Optional Attendance Status:

View Optional Attendance details

Beaches Alternative school (BAS) was opened in 1976 and currently shares space with Kimberley School. While following provincial curriculum guidelines, BAS is a community-based school which places a strong emphasis on family involvement and experiential learning. The philosophy "It takes a village to raise a child" is lived in our school community and the network of BAS families is the village in which all our children grow, learn and thrive.

Application to Beaches

Since Beaches is an Alternative School, entry into Beaches is done through a lottery. Interested parents must attend the Information session and come to an Orientation Tour. The Information night this year is on January 22, 2013, from 6:00 - 8:00 and the tours are arranged as needed. The lottery draw takes place in the first week in March 2013 and parents are then notified. If successful, parents must then fill out an Optional Attendance form and have it signed by their home school (the school their child would normally attend). Read more about Application to Beaches

Welcome to Kindergarten

All kindergarten families will be invited to a Welcome to Kindergarten event in June. At this time, parents and children can come to the Kindergarten room and parent reps and the teacher will be available for questions. The families are then invited to participate in typical inquiry-based learning activities that their child will find in their new school. New Kindergarten students will take home a bag of activities to help make the transition to school a positive experience.

Welcome to Grade One

In June, the Grade One teacher will conduct a session for incoming Grade One students. An overview of the Grade One program will be given along with hands on experiences to prepare the children for their new class in the fall. In September, parents can attend an information night that details the routines and programme of Grade One and how they can assist the class.

Technology

Each classroom has a least one computer for the students to use for individual work as well as a computer lab in the library for large group instruction and exploration. In addition, we also have two Smart Boards and two data cameras which are learning tools available to all students. We also encourage home-school communication through classroom blogs or e-mail.

Multi-Age Learning Opportunities

Whole school initiatives around social justice issues provide opportunities for the all the students to come together. They share their knowledge and findings with each other. Students are afforded many opportunities, such as reading buddies, to work together with children from other grade levels creating a sense of community within the school.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We offer chances for the Grade 4, 5 and 6 students to try out for our various sports teams. All students in Grades 3-6 can join the Kimberley/Beaches choir which meets weekly. All students are encouraged to join in the House League activities which take place during recess time. We also offer the Eco Club, a Boys' Comic Book Club and Folk Dancing which are open to all.

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