Bowmore Road Jr./Sr.

80 Bowmore Road
Toronto M4L 3J2
Web Site Bowmore
My School Review

Key Facts:
Bowmore Public School is situated in the Upper Beaches area. This large and complex
School is the result of twinning two former schools in 1989: Bowmore Road P.S. (82 years old), serving JK-Gr.6, and Fairmount Park Senior School (42 years old), serving Grades 7-8. Enrolment is presently 800 students.
• Part of the building serves as a recreational facility for the City of Toronto.
• The school also houses a Parenting Centre and two daycare centres (Bowmore Community Daycare and Bowmore Child Enrichment Centre).
• The school is accessible for the disabled with elevators in both buildings.
• Facilities include a swimming pool and two gyms.
• The school offers a wide range of programs to meet individual student needs including
• Extended French (grades 7 and 8), Gifted (grades 4 to 8), Home School Program,
• Learning Disabilities, and a Language Lab for students with Learning Disabilities

Skills and values for students
Bowmore community values the following - collaborative learning, character development, skills for the future, citizenship, initiative –entrepreneurship, creative thinking, change management, adaptability, problem-solving, communication skills, character development, social responsibility, relationship skills, networking, collaboration, team-working – (the skills on the bottom of the report card- the “learning skills” which give the foundation for future learning)

Desired Programs
Have school and community to work to claim ownership of school community
Contribute to school community.
Engage students – teach broadly.
Programs such as Roots of Empathy? Future Aces? Tribes - help to work on community values

(SCM going to match dollar for dollar what girls fundraise).

Structure of programming
Need 3Rs –importance of numeracy and literacy. Literacy is more than language, can be taught more widely in subject areas; new research shows balance needed for social time

Technology fits with delivery of program and content of programming.

Arts and Music central, balance the whole child

Development of employable skills: Design & Tech, Home Ec.
Want hands-on learning: woodworking, cooking, sewing, metal shop.

Desired Programs
Specialist teachers in primary, junior and senior schools
Want teacher to teach where their passion is and so that passion can be shared with students. Students want this too.

Want classes to include design and technology, Home Ec., other hands on skills. Can be attached to science programs. Provincial student success $$ for Grades 7-8 may be coming.
Use pods: theme-based learning/team teaching need staffing consideration for this.

Development of Specialty School
Focus on arts-based education popular and would like specialized school – arts – technology to be located in area
Could be an arts-focused school (alternative school).

Eco School
Some Eco school initiatives already in place at Bowmore and continuing to work on issues. Students very active in ecoschool.

Desired Programs
Green Bin waste from Snack Room, Cafeteria, and Day Care to be picked up from school. Parents take waste home. Look into composting (Bruce P.S. does composting). Eco Committee active to develop creative solutions – a core parent volunteer corps is needed to keep it going
Community group has expressed interest in linking to school on greening issues – tree-planting, gardening, design of school property, etc. Also can link same eco-issues to classes.
“No-Idling” Campaign
Energy-generation possible in co-op with community/ward

Transitions from Feeder schools
On-going dialogue, to improve connection with schools.
Student needs to be identified earlier in program.
Host visiting of future student and parents to increase familiarity and comfort. (One grade six evening visitation and grade six visits.)
Grade seven trip also helps gel new cohort.

For future consideration (Not a priority now):
Integrative Service Model/Community Hub
Fit with Parks & Recreation and fit with Daycares. Dialogue is important.
Collaboration on programming, codes of conduct, other...
Community services brought to students.
Seamless day (at Bruce P.S.)

Parking Lot

Twinning/Specialty Programs in School
Defined as administration split between K-6 and 7/8.
Concerns reported to superintendant and trustee, Kathy Cowan and Sheila Cary-Meagher.
Will be dealt with in a separate meeting