Valleyfield Junior School's Mission Statement
Valleyfield Junior School was granted its name because of our beautiful site; a combination of a large open field and a pleasant valley. The school opened in 1959. We currently have 30 teaching and support staff who are dedicated to challenging each individual student to achieve high levels of academic achievement and personal success. At Valleyfield Junior School, we create a safe, secure and welcoming environment in which our children will develop leadership skills and feel empowered to be active global junior citizens. Valleyfield hosts a middle French Immersion Program. It includes Gr. 4-6. Applications are made centrally through PARS.
Approximately 340 children contribute to a learning environment that is inclusive and rich in culture, supported by an exciting diversity of languages and backgrounds. We offer learning opportunities in both French and English for the junior grades. The French program is available by application only and parents should apply in December during their child's Grade 3 year. This is a rigorous academic program and parents should consider this carefully in making application for their child. We take pride in our school and take the whole child into account when determining best programming for all. We supplement our programs with Early Reading Intervention, Core French, English as a Second Language, and Special Education services.
Student Life
Valleyfield enriches the lives of our students with many opportunities to develop their social, emotional and physical well being. We take pride in providing a learning culture that is inclusive, safe and active. There are many student clubs, intramural sports, student teams and co-curricular programs to engage the children in areas of interest and strengths. We offer many opportunities to develop leadership skills in our junior age students.
Sports and Clubs:
Ambassadors, Chess Club, Basketball, Book and Art Club, Volleyball, Yoga Club, Soccer, P/J Math Clubs, Cross Country Team, Technology Club, Kilometre Club, Eco Team and Volleyball.
Student Leadership
Ambassadors, Right to Play leaders, Boys to Men, Girls on the Move, Kindergarten Assistants.
More Information About Valleyfield Junior School
School Council and Parent Involvement
Our school is supported by a dedicated school council and parent group. Parents and community volunteers regularly visit to enrich student life. Our students enjoy regular pizza and other fun lunches and our annual Dance-a-thon is a highlight all look forward to! We try to find opportunities for involvement of both stay at home parents as well as working parents.
Whether they are helping students in the classroom, supporting our fund-raising programs or serving up our weekly lunches, parents add an additional layer of support to our Valleyfield children. Our winter skating program is enabled by our parent volunteers. We are always looking for parents who enjoy gardening to work with our students in maintaining our beautiful gardens. Council members also lend a parent perspective on all important school and Board issues and support us in best decisions for students.
Technology
We have placed a high emphasis on the integration of technology into the classroom programming. Our students are the first generation of digital natives and their present and future endeavors will require a command of technology. It is crucial that our students experience a seamless weaving of technology into their learning experiences.
Each classroom has a SMARTboard, document camera and LCD projector. These technologies allow the teaching and learning process to be more interactive which results in higher student participation and growth. The school also has many Ipads which are shared among all classes. Student achievement is supported through the use of laptops and a variety of assistive technology. The learning in our three kindergarten classes is supported by the integration of mini I-pads. As well as a home reading student membership program called Ooka Island. School funds are also designated towards the student membership fees of an online math program called Mathletics.
STEM and Coding
Valleyfield integrates STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) into a hands on problem solving model delivered through science classes. We are building on early coding skills as early as grade one, with programs like Scratch, LightBot and through the use of Dash and Dot robots. Staff connect with home via teacher blogs, Remind app and email school newsletters.
Character Education
Character Counts! Teachers discuss Character Traits routinely. We promote good character through our "Get Caught with Character" board. Tickets are used at the monthly assemblies to win certificates and prizes. Student leaders act as "Gotcha Guys" in the playground by awarding stickers. Our Valleyfield Hall of Stars feature the photos of acknowledged students.
Student Life - Where You Belong
GO TEAM
A strong school spirit permeates throughout Valleyfield Junior School. With a number of varied extra curricular activities including Sports teams, intramurals, Silver Birch and Blue Spruce Reading club, Book and Art club and school spirit days, students have opportunities to explore, develop and share their interests and talents. Part of being a good global citizen is recognizing our impact on our environment. Our Eco club has a raised staff and student awareness to a Gold level achievement. The leadership team of junior students assist with school operations as announcers, ambassadors, and kindergarten and office helpers. Assemblies and annual evening events and concerts provide opportunities for students to highlight and celebrate their achievements! Our community actively participates in our Math, STEM, Literacy and Zones of Regulation and Family Fitness nights. For fun we all enjoy our movie night, family skate nights and family game nights.
WHAT SETS US APART
Students and staff are happy to be part of such a powerful culture of caring and concern for each other. Students, parents and staff all contribute to this positive school environment. We also believe all students should be provided the same opportunities in academics, social and leadership training within our school. Our focus is to provide students with the academic, social and individual skills to instill a strong sense of hope, self confidence and respect for self and others and to allow them to be successful both in and out of the school setting. We are proud to offer a New Comers Club. This club provides student mentors to new Canadian students to build language and friendship opportunities. We provide a nutrition program through the Toronto Foundation for Student Success. Its a morning meal prepared by our Snack Coordinator, consisting of three food groups delivered to classes each day. Our students school experience is also enriched by routinely hearing both French and English languages spoken in the halls, school yard and classrooms.
PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Education is highly valued by our families. Parents support the school/home partnership by participating in our school events and council; volunteering their time in classes, as well as assisting with their children's learning at home. New families and the council are supported through the work of our Community Support Worker. Our special events could not happen without the devoted support of many parent volunteers.