We Believe All Can Achieve!
The Mission of the Toronto District School Board is “to enable all students to reach high levels of achievement and to acquire the knowledge, skills, and values they need to become responsible members of a democratic society.” In order to support the Board's mission, our goal at Bellmere is to prepare students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens who communicate effectively. At Bellmere we value, respect and celebrate diversity. We believe in personal conduct that demonstrates respect for oneself, others and the environment. Students are encouraged and empowered to be problem solvers, risk-takers, and critical thinkers.
History
Bellmere takes its name from the nearby intersection of Bellamy and Ellesmere Roads. The architecture of the school was quite innovative when Bellmere opened in November 1965. All possible spaces in the school are being used for teaching, including three portable classrooms. The school serves a multicultural community in which there are many different languages spoken. We value equity and we celebrate the rich heritage of our community. We embrace inclusive education as the way in which we conduct ourselves and connect with each other every day in the Bellmere community.
More Information About Bellmere Junior Public School
Safe and Supportive Schools/Character Education
Each and every student has the right to learn in a safe and supportive environment. TDSB has a Safe Schools Policy and a defined procedure to implement the policy. Both the policy and procedure support the view that student discipline involves a continuum of support including prevention, intervention and appropriate consequences. In addition, Bellmere supports the development of Character Education in the TDSB. Bellmere focuses on one character trait per month. Staff and students work together to define and role model the attribute. Students are also recognized at our Bellmere's Best Assemblies for displaying character traits.
Curriculum and Co-Curricular Activities
At Bellmere, all staff efforts are clearly focused on developing student Literacy and Numeracy achievement to the highest possible level. Staff is engaged in ongoing professional development at monthly staff meetings and divisional meetings. We allocate resources to support our efforts in addressing our School Improvement Plan.
A Focus on Athletics
We take great pride in being a Toronto School on the Move, and achieving Diamond Status for providing all students with a minimum of 150 minutes of Quality Daily Physical Education every week for the entire school year. We have an incredibly dedicated coaching staff team that provides a very active athletic program at Bellmere.
Student Leadership
Student leadership is the foundation of all school initiatives that benefit our student population and community. Bellmere is proud to support the following student lead initiatives: Student Council; Eco Team; Safety Patrollers, Bellmere's Best Assemblies, library monitors, office helpers, kindergarten helpers, Leadership Club, Enrichment Club and sports teams.
Platinum Eco School
Bellmere staff and students have worked very hard to achieve Platinum status for five consecutive years. Our community works together to minimize the environmental footprint we leave on our Earth. Students are the backbone of our ECO-team. We bring litterless lunches, eliminate waste, recycle, reuse, turn lights and screens off when not in use and walk to school.
Additional Features
● Technology supporting curriculum
● Forest of Reading
● School Council
● Checker Club
● Parent Sessions
● Terry Fox Day
Student Life - Where You Belong
Our staff is committed to extending the classroom program with exciting and relevant in and out-of-school experiences. Our aim is to encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning to ensure educational opportunities are maximized. Our school's belief in the necessity for on-going staff development in the areas of assessment and evaluation, technology, the latest research on instructional strategies and student development, as well as, our involvement in TDSB initiatives such as Effective Schools Project gives Bellmere a strong foundation upon which to build a lasting commitment to the integrity, personal development and sense of self in our learners. Our goal at Bellmere is based on the commitment to ensure that all students acquire the skills to enable them to be successful in the future. We embrace the principles of Effective Schools research which indicates that clearly communicated high expectations, dedicated and caring staff, structured daily routines, a clearly articulated school vision, time on task, and home and school open communication all contribute to our academic, social and personal successes. We are a community of learners!
What Sets Us Apart
Bellmere works closely with parents and community partners to support the academic, physical, social, and emotional needs of our students.Character education assemblies, hearing and vision screening, nutrition programs, kindergarten readiness and excursions all address the needs of the whole child. Strong staff support and commitment allows us to effectively pursue our goals in this area. Classroom volunteers, community participation, school-wide assessment strategies, continuous and regular staff development workshops, and our conscious efforts to assure a sense of team contribute to our successes. We focus our attention on student participation and successes, inclusive approaches to all community members, our commitment, modelling and clear articulation of TDSB's engagement regarding issues of antiracism and equity, character education, school communications such as newsletters, agendas, curriculum nights, our progressive discipline approach and our firm belief in the principle that: WE BELIEVE ALL CAN ACHIEVE have proven to be instrumental in our implementation of this focus.
Parent and Community Engagement
Bellmere is one of the original schools involved with the Settlement and Education Partnership in Toronto (SEPT) project. SEPT brings settlement workers into the school to help families new to Canada. Settlement workers know about available services and link newcomers to everything from language classes to housing. The results have been smoother starts for our newcomer students and their families.
