Welcome to Lester B. Pearson Elementary School
One of TDSB's French Immersion Centres serving students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8.
Our History
In September of 1987, at 500 Cummer Ave (now home to the Cummer Links program), a small French Immersion Centre opened its doors to about 125 Senior Kindergarten to Grade 3 students. The school was located in the previously closed Cummer School. The parent community asked the (then North York) Board of Education to rename the school Lester B. Pearson Elementary School in honour of the former prime minister, born in the village of Newtonbrook, now the Yonge and Cummer neighbourhood. This was a very appropriate choice, not only because Prime Minister Lester Bowles Pearson was born in the neighbourhood but also because he had been a strong supporter of bilingualism. On February 18, 1988, his son Geoffrey Pearson and his wife, Patricia Pearson Hannah, were the guests of honour at the school's Official Opening ceremony and kindly presented the school with a commemorative plaque and a portrait of the late Prime Minister. These items are proudly displayed in the school’s foyer.
Grade 4 and 5 programs were added in the following years, and the school's enrollment increased so much that the school needed larger quarters. During the summer of 2003, LBP relocated to its present location at 7 Snowcrest Avenue. Since then, our programs have continued to expand to include grades 6, 7 and 8. Now, Lester B. Pearson is the only Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 French Immersion Centre in the Toronto District School Board.
LBP Today
Lester B. Pearson Elementary School currently serves a diverse community of learners. For about 70% of our students, English is their second language. Our students speak various languages at home, among them Chinese, Farsi, Korean, and Russian. French has become the second, third or even fourth language for our students!
Even though the school has tripled in size since 1987, it has remained true to its roots by offering a family-oriented learning environment where each child’s academic and emotional progress is fostered and closely monitored by everyone involved. At Lester B. Pearson, we believe that “all the children belong to all of us,” even when they are not a member of our classroom.
Our Parent and Community Involvement
Lester B. Pearson Elementary School is a very special school because of the high level of parent involvement. A large cadre of volunteers share their time, expertise, and talent regularly. A dedicated School Council meets regularly to assist and support our school community (its students, families, and educators).
Lester B. Pearson is also the home of Petit Pearson Childcare. Petit Pearson Childcare offers before and after-school programs for school-age students and half-day programs for Senior Kindergarten students.
Our Students, Our Bright Future
Our commitment is to continue to provide each of our students with a safe, learning-focused and nurturing environment where they can reach their fullest academic potential while developing strong positive leadership skills. We offer a dynamic, French-language-infused program where children can participate in extra-curricular programs in athletics, music, arts, dance and civic action.