Oakridge Junior Public School's Mission Statement
Oakridge Junior Public School is a Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 community school with an enrolment of 800 students. As part of the Model Schools for Inner City initiative, the staff, parents and community are committed to providing a wide range of educational opportunities and rich learning experiences for all students.
The Oakridge Way is the cornerstone of our school code of conduct and is in line with the Board's Character Development Program. At our monthly assemblies, we recognize excellence in academic achievement and social skills.
At Oakridge we value our partnership with our parents who are actively involved in the education of their children through Family Nights, School Council, Nutrition programs, and school functions.
School Focus
Partnering with all of our stakeholders (i.e. parents, TDSB partners, community members, etc.), we’re hoping to actualize our following school goals: a) ensuring all senior kindergarten and grade 1 students read at a proficient level; b) having all grade 2 to 4 students apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to a minimum of 2 subject matters (i.e. math plus one other subject) and social situations; c) as a staff, identify what gaps or biases may exist in order to ensure all students achieve; and d) create and maintain a positive learning environment that fosters health, well-being & a sense of belonging for all.
In addition, Oakridge aspires to increase student participation in daily physical education through the Schools on the Move program and the DPA. We continue to expand our environmental awareness and activities through our Ecoschools involvement and maintenance of the Star Garden. Oakridge continues to maintain partnerships with the community, including Faculties of Education, The Early Years Centre, Learning Parternship, Police Services, Public Health and neighbourhood schools, day cares and community centres.
More Information About Oakridge Junior Public School
Eco Schools
In recent years Oakridge has reached Platinum Eco Status. The entire staff and student body work very hard to ensure that garbage is separated into food waste, recyclables and garbage. We are constantly being educated on the effects of waste on the environment. Environmental students help out in the lunch room, classrooms and in our beautiful "Star Garden" courtyard.
At Oakridge we also develop home/school and community/school partnerships to increase the amount of exposure students have to literacy activities; e.g., Family Literacy Night, Borrow-a-Book program, acquisition of public library card, workshops, SEPT partnership. We implement and monitor a kindergarten "readiness for learning in school" checklist using the EDI data. Oakridge staff also deliver reading strategies workshops within our community.
Last year our Family and Parenting Literacy Centre opened which provides a great opportunity for families with pre-school aged children to come and learn as a family.
Supporting Physical, Emotional, and Social Needs
Oakridge works closely with parents and community partners to support the physical, emotional, and social needs of our students. Hearing and vision screening and a growing nutrition program are all part of what we do to help our children be successful. We support students in their regular classroom as well as provide small group learning opportunities, where appropriate.
Our Students
Total Number of Students: 550
Primary language other than English: 87%
Students living in Canada 5 years or less: 33%
Specialized Instruction
At Oakridge we are fortunate to have the Literacy Enrichment Academic Program (LEAP). It is an accelerated program for students aged 9 - 11 who have recently arrived in Canada with limited prior schooling. A variety of special education programs and services are offered to meet the needs of all students, including students with exceptionalities.
Understanding that every child has a unique learning profile, educators use numerous strategies to assist students in their learning. Additional support is also offered through Special Education with the support from parents, In-School Team (IST) & School Support Team (SST) meetings are designed to address academic and social challenges students may face.
Additional Features
- Roots of Empathy
- Family Nights
- Parenting and Family Literacy Ctr.
- Ready-Set-Go / Welcome to Kinderg.
- Extra-Curricular Activities
- Reading Recovery
- Scientists in the School
- Intern'l Lang's and Summer School
Student Life - Where You Belong
GO TEAM
The Oakridge staff is dedicated toward providing Extra-Curricular programs to students affording them growth experiences as individuals and as team players. Oakridge offers a wide variety of programs which include Athletics, The Arts, Leadership Opportunities and Clubs. For Athletics, Oakridge offers House League, Basketball, Cross Country Running, Volleyball, Badminton, Bordenball, Soccer, Cricket and Track and Field. In The Arts we offer Art Club, Folk Dance, Bollywood Dance, Band and Choir. Leadership opportunities are provided to students in a variety of ways. They can be or get involved in Reading Rangers, Student Ambassadors, Student Council, Youth-Assisting-Youth, Future Possibilitarians, and/or Boys and Girls Club. Oakridge offers many different Clubs for our students including Board Games, Computer Club, Boys and Girls Club, Crafts, Cooking and Environmental Club, and Blessings in a Backpack.
WHAT SETS US APART
Our Students: Oakridge Junior Public School has a long and rich history dating back to the last century. With almost 800 students and 29 different language groups, many are new to the community and bring a richness in diversity of culture, language and experience to our school.
Our Staff: The staff at Oakridge provide a wide range of experiences to support student learning. Our programs, instructional practices, professional knowledge and leadership enable students to gain the knowledge and skills required of them to become responsible, caring and contributing participants of a democratic society.
PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Oakridge Jr. P.S. supports the many initiatives of the Oakridge Community Centre. We host students from UOIT, Ryerson, and The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE/UT). We also provide placement opportunities for ECE's in training. Our Settlement Worker provides assistance to help new families in our community. We are a "Priority School" which is a TDSB community use of schools initiative. Oakridge has a Learning Partnership with the Parenting and Family Literacy Centre. The School Advisory Council meets several times per year. Parents and other volunteers assist regularly in classrooms, in the Library and on field trips. Family Literacy evenings are provided to strengthen the Reading/Writing process. Parents support the Oakridge Code of Conduct, "The Oakridge Way". Parents are actively involved in Fundraising activities and after school athletics.