Gordon A. Brown M.S.

2800 St. Clair Ave. East
Toronto M4B 1N2
Web Site

MY SCHOOL REVIEW 2008
Vision Document
G.A. Brown Middle School

A bit about GAB…
• As a middle school GAB is like ‘the hub that continues’ for the feeder schools and with this notion in mind there is a sense of pride and strong connection
• GAB has the Gifted program which students from Selwyn Elementary School feed into
• Swimming Pool:
o Pool is utilised by the feeder schools - swimming lessons help acquaint feeder students to middle school
o As of February 2008 the swimming pool at GAB has been at risk of closure
o With community action and energy since February the survival of the swimming pool at GAB looks more hopeful
.
THEMES:
The following themes* listed below were identified as skills or areas that were most important in visioning for the future for children and community at GA Brown. These themes emerged over 3 MSR GAB meetings (including one planning meeting) from December 2007 to February 2008.

Along with each theme* are the programs, structures and practices that would be needed to support the areas which were important for the group.

*Health and Physical activity
-To promote health and sense of well being.
-The swimming pool could be not just for students…. but also for community members (ie: seniors and adult lane swimming)

The programs / practices /structures that would be needed to support the theme:
• Swimming programs
• Continuation of pool – no pool closure requires ongoing community input and action
________________________________________

* Fostering Creativity in children
-To provide a context for children to be creative
• Curiosity

The programs / practices /structures that would be needed to support the theme:
• Creative writing and speaker’s events and programming

________________________________________
* Community Programs
o 1. have various school programs for the community initiated by the school
o 2. GAB as a meeting place for various local community groups

The programs / practices /structures that would be needed to support the theme:
• Family Literacy Nights
• Community members being involved in school – eg. Remembrance Day – WW11 vet

________________________________________
*Always evolving knowledge and not static knowledge
-This looks at ‘what will teachers roles be in the future?’
-Librarians – showing kids how to research with the information overload.
-ongoing learning opportunities for all…including teachers

The programs / practices /structures that would be needed to support the theme:
• Ie: tribes
• Ongoing professional development
• Teacher training and PD that helps kids to make inferences and make connections to the world
• Teachers as facilitators for learning as opposed to teaching the truth
________________________________________
Making Learning fun – Passion enjoyment
-If you learn something well and you do it well … you can translate that to other areas
-Enthusiasm - always have something that is fun at every stage

The programs / practices /structures that would be needed to support the theme:
•
________________________________________

*Environmental Awareness
Includes the importance of children growing with an environmental awareness and shifting to eco-practices.
-leads to a pride in community

The programs / practices /structures that would be needed to support the theme:
• Begin with an eco-club

________________________________________
Additional items from brainstorming session:
SKILLS:

• Writing skills including literacy and numeracy
• Confidence
• Problem solving skills
• Multi media teaching (start with e-learning)
• Shop, Home Ec
• Critical thinking skills
o Understand the indented message that the writer might be trying to make
o Inferring in what students read
• Collaboration

Programs

• Connecting and establishing partnerships with local community businesses, agencies, organizations
• Incorporate DT with Life skills – cooking
• Differentiated instruction – getting away from one size fits all – trying to engage students that are disengaged
• Parental support to help their children develop the skills mentioned above

Character Development is embedded in learning:
• Adaptability
• Working within groups – empathy
• Good citizens in this global world (our world now- wearing many different hats)
• Strong citizenship – diversity and opportunities are limitless

My School Review is a project sponsored by Trustee Sheila Cary-Meagher www.trusteesheila.com and the Toronto District School Board.