Leslieville Junior Public School

Welcome to the 2023/24 School Year!

Dear Leslieville Families,

Welcome back to Leslieville and an exciting new year. To those that are new to Leslieville, welcome to the school community and we looking forward to connecting with you and your child(ren) in the year ahead. This e-mail will provide you with some information about the first day entry and lunch, Leslieville classroom teachers and a message from the office. Class placements were included on the June report cards. If you are unsure of your child's placement, you can call the school prior to Tuesday. Also, there will be staff outside who will have lists of all the classes who can assist you and your child to the correct line/teacher.

First Day Entry

A. Good Weather Plan

For students in Grades 1-6, supervision begins at 8:30 with entry beginning at 8:40. Classroom teachers will be outside under the newly painted canopy with a sign indicating their name, grade(s) and room number. Students will find their teacher and line up to enter the school.

For kindergarten classes, teachers and ECEs will be welcoming students into the kindergarten area beginning at 8:45.

B. Inclement Weather Plan

Students in Grades 1-6 will make their way to the gym at 8:40 to find their teacher, line up and then proceed to their classrooms. Kindergarten students will go directly into their classrooms on arrival (between 8:45 and 9:00).

Snack and Lunch

Please include snacks in your child's lunch as the snack program will not be running until the second week. It is also highly recommended to label all water bottles, lunch bags and clothing).

On the first day, a welcome package will be going home with students. Included in the package will be a Lunch Form (to indicate if your child is staying for lunch or going home) and a Dismissal Plan Form (for kindergarten to Grade 3 students, it is by default a teacher-to-caregiver handoff unless indicated otherwise). Please complete these as soon as possible and return them to the school.

Classroom Teachers

Class	Teacher	Room
JK/SK A	Laura Romano-Long	109
JK/SK B	John Sinopoli	110
1/2 A	Christa Mossman	202
1/2 B	Madison Smith	201
2/3	Caroline Cremer	303
3/4	Sonya Vahidy	307
4/5	Mike Hourihan	305
5/6 A	Shoshanna Jacobs	302
5/6 B	Natasha Garda	308
1/2/3	Krystynn Brown	102
4/5/6	Cheryl McCullough	103
4/5/6	Lindsay Kindellan	304

A message from the office:

Sandy Colyn is our new Office Administrator

The school office welcomes visitors to the building and ask that you please check in when you arrive.

Office Hours are 8am-4pm

Phone # 416 393-9480

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you determine class placements and can we ask for a change?

Class placement is an in-depth process where staff consider students’ social/emotional and academic needs, as well as peer dynamics. There are also provincial requirements on class size that must be honoured. The cap in Kindergarten is 29 with an Teacher and Early Childhood Educator (15 if there is only a teacher), and 20 in grade 1-3. There are class size exemptions, but these only happen for 10% of classes in the school board. Gr 4-8 classes do not have a cap.

The many factors that go into class placement means that the process takes weeks of planning and we really do believe that the results are the best for all students. We do not make changes to class assignment, the only exceptions being if 1) There is a school reorganization due to a change in student enrolment, or 2) extraordinary circumstances where everything possible has been already tried to create a positive experience for the student.

Why do we have combined grade (also called split classes)?

It is very common to have combined grades in our schools. We are often required to have these to meet the class size caps, but there are also some real advantages to having the combined grades as well. Here is a snippet from the Combined Grades Fact Sheet put out by TDSB on what the research says:

Dr. Joel Gajadharsingh (Professor Emeritus, University of Saskatchewan) has been a leader in North American research in combined grades. In 1991, the Canadian Education Association summarized his extensive findings and concluded the following:

1. Children in combined classes get an education that is just as good or better as in single grade classes.

2. Children in classes where there is more than one level learn to become more independent, responsible learners and develop a greater degree of social responsibility. They also develop better study habits and a more positive attitude towards school.

3. 85% of teachers considered the achievements of students in multi-grades to be equal or superior to the achievement of students in single grades in language arts, mathematics, sciences and social studies.

The TDSB also has a Combined Grades for Parents document that goes over some of the key benefits of combined grades, as well as what the learning could look like in the classroom.

Leslieville Public School- Together we are better!

Leslieville School

Welcome to our school web site. As part of the Toronto District School Board, we value

each and every student;
a strong public education system;
a partnership of students, schools, family and community;
the uniqueness and diversity of our students and our community;
the commitment and skills of our staff;
equity, innovation, accountability and accessibility; and
learning environments that are safe, nurturing, positive and respectful.

Our web site is one way we can demonstrate these values. Click on the menu items to find out more about our school and please visit often.