Balmy Beach Community School

We Feature

Eco GOLD School

In 2011, Balmy Beach became GOLD - accredited! The current Eco-Club is a very active and dedicated group which leads many initiatives such as Walking Wednesdays, re-using "half-life" paper, planting and maintaining our native plant garden, a no-idling zone, a vigorous recycing program, waste and energy reduction and litterless lunches. We are working towards accreditation again, including registration in the Green Bin program and a Recycling Design Show. At Balmy, we care about the environment!

Balmy Beach Community School's Mission Statement

Balmy Beach Community School is located in the Beach, just minutes from Lake Ontario. The original school on this site, Pine Avenue School, was built in 1906. The school had 4 rooms on 2 floors and opened with 3 teachers and a principal in 1907. Many additions were built over time; in 1975 the current building opened. Nestled against a gentle rise, the unique design fans out from the beautiful Library, which features a south-facing terrace used for many learning activities. Balmy Beach CS serves just over 400 students. The facility is shared with Balmy Beach Day Care and a City Parks and Recreation Centre.

School Mission Statement
"Learners are valued and respected in a caring and safe environment. Academic excellence, co-operation and responsibility are fostered and expected in preparation for meaningful participation in society". This statement drives every initiative we undertake and serves as the foundation of our school program. A competent, caring staff work in partnership with parents to ensure that the individual needs of the children are addressed.

Focus

Balmy Beach promotes high quality balanced literacy programming and an approach to teaching and learning Math that includes skill-building and problem-solving in authentic contexts. We use technology as an effective tool to reach learners in all areas of inquiry. Through enrichment in the Arts, Science, Technology and Math and through Itinerant Music programs we aim to inspire children and further their success.

More Information About Balmy Beach Community School

Literacy

We recognize that language is the key to all learning. We provide our students with the skills to be Critical Thinkers through higher-order learning opportunities (Blooms Taxonomy). Our primary classes provide Balanced Literacy programs that meet the needs of all learners. We use appropriate assessment and evaluation strategies to drive instruction.

Numeracy

We focus on the effective teaching of all strands of the mathematics curriculum through a skill-building and problem-solving approach. We encourage communication of explanations orally and in writing at each grade level, using pictures or charts, numbers and words. We use many resources including manipulatives, technology, texts and student created problems.

Physical and Health Education

Balmy Beach has a very active Physical and Health Education program. All students fromm K to grade 6 receive Physical Education as well as DPA (Daily Physical Activity). We offer building and development teams as well as competitive opportunities extra-curricularly through a wide variety of clubs and teams, winning many city championships.

The Arts

Balmy Beach has a strong program in the Arts, teaching dance, drama and music, enhanced by our Itinerant Music program in Orff, Strings and Band. Students are involved in working with a multi-disciplinary artist to explore and create a performance around a school-wide theme which is presented to the community in the Spring.

Additional Features

Active Living Leaders
Forest of Reading
The Giving Tree
Pizza Meal Deal
Chess
Scientist in Schools
Balmy Beach Day Care on-site

Student Life - Where You Belong

GO TEAM

Student life at Balmy Beach offers a wide variety of activities. Students can engage in sports, arts or curriculum-related activities. Our school also offers many excursions to augment our classroom learning. Balmy Beach looks to enrich its daily programs by integrating additional programs supported by our School Council into its planning, such as working with artists, Scientist in School and Chess. Student Leadership is encouraged with our Active Living Leaders and clubs.

Clubs:

Badminton Club

Eco-Club

Running Club

Skipping Club

Builder's Club

Boys' and Girls' Book Clubs

Forest of Reading Program

Teams:

Cross-Country

Slow Pitch

Girls' & Boys' Basketball

Girls' & Boys' Volleyball

Soccer

Badminton

Hockey [Co-ed]

Track & Field

Ultimate Frisbee

WHAT SETS US APART

Balmy Beach thinks globally and acts locally. Classes incorporate a Social Action initiative into their learning every year. We also support Community Centre 55 Hamper Campaign, the Toronto Foundation for Student Success and we participate in the Terry Fox Run. Balmy Beach also works to collaborate with community / social agencies such as Parks and Recreation and scouting and guiding organizations. Balmy Beach is a vibrant and inviting host to our students, our families and many programs in our community.

PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The School Advisory Council represents all parents and community members, as well as event and program co-ordinators who work to improve pupil learning. School Council sponsored events have included a Welcome Dinner, Fall Fair, Pancake Breakfast, Teacher's Luncheon, Silent Auction, Family B.B.Q., and Pizza Meal Deal lunches. Our Environment Committee is working with the school board to continue our school yard enhancement project, which involves redesigning our school yard. Our parent Eco Committee works in partnership with the Eco Club to further environmental sustainability. The parent Social Action Committee supports in many ways, students' understanding of and involvement in broader issues in society and how they can make a difference.