​Our School
History
The property on which Castlemore P. S. is located was known as "Rosemount Farm" for nearly a century. From 1914 until 1950, the farm was owned by Fred and Emma Bagg and became one of the finest Dairy Farms in Markham Township. The wood lot, which Fred Bagg started with seedlings, is located to the north and west of the school and forms an important part of the parklands adjacent to the school. Prior to assuming its current name, the school was known as "Berczy North" - in honour of William Berczy (born Johann Albrecht Ulrich Moll) who arrived with sixty other families in 1794.
Our school motto is "Voices of Today, Voices for Tomorrow."
Our school mascot is the Tiger.
Facilities
Castlemore P. S. was officially opened in May 2002 and is located in the northern part of Markham Township – near the intersection of Kennedy Rd., and Major Mackenzie Dr. In 2002, six portable classrooms were placed on the school site. An eight-room addition (2 kindergarten classrooms and 6 regular classrooms) was built during the spring of 2004 and replaced the portable classrooms. Our facilities include an elevator (the school is "All Abilities" accessible), washrooms and shower facilities, library/resource centre, instrumental music room, art room, science lab, drama stage, four computer mini-labs, classrooms, gymnasium (with a dividing curtain), special education/ESL classrooms, staff room, administrative offices, health room and an outdoor soccer field.
Programs
As with each school in the York Region District School Board, Castlemore P. S. supports student learning through the curriculum standards set out by the Ontario Ministry of Education and many other co-curricular activities. Our school promotes a safe and supportive learning environment. This is done through the Board's Safe Schools Policy and Procedures and Character Education Initiatives. Castlemore P. S. provides a variety of Special Education Programs (i.e., monitoring, resource and/or withdrawal, partially self-contained and behavioural) and English as a Second Language Programs to a diverse student body.
We are also very proud to offer the following to our students:
- Anti-Bullying Programs
- Guest Speakers and Workshops
- Ongoing Social Skills Counseling (SERT and CYW)
- Progressive Discipline Model
- Student leadership program
- VIP Program
- Primary and Junior Choirs
- Concert Band/Wind Ensemble
- Kiwanis Music Festival
- Gauss Mathematics Contest
- School Gardening Club – students working to improve the school grounds
- Dance Team
- Intramural Sports Program
- Athletic Teams
- Yearbook Committees
Castlemore P. S. supports the development of character education in the York Region District School Board. The following is an overview of the school's "Character Education" initiatives:
- Monthly school-wide "Character Education" attributes – introduced during morning announcements and followed up by classroom discussions
- Student involvement in leadership initiatives (e.g. "Chairs for Students" South Africa Project, Holiday Gifts for "Youth Unlimited" and Covenant House, Terry Fox Run, School Gardening Club)
- Values/Influences/Peers Program
- Junior Achievement
Castlemore P. S. adheres to the Board's Antiracist and Ethnocultural Equity policy. We are committed to the principles of equity, principles that help to ensure that all students reach their full potential in an environment that celebrates difference and is free from discrimination. Anti-Racist and Ethnocultural Equity initiatives include:
- Accommodation of Religious Requirements, Practices and Observances
- Working with Community Liaison Staff Members
- The Celebration of Black History, Asian and South Asian months
- The use of translators/interpreters
- Using the Multi-Faith Calendar (of significant faith days) when scheduling events within the school
- First language assessments for students learning English as a Second Language
- Hiring teachers who are cognizant of their students' identities, cultures, religions, race and ethnicity
- Castlemore P. S. received grants for its work in ethnocultural equity and was recognized with an Ethnocultural Equity Award in 2002
