Thomas L. Wells Public School serves a large multi-cultural community. We value the diversity of our students and community and offer an inclusive curriculum, addressing their needs and values. Our 600 students strive for high academic achievement and value the creation of a safe and caring school environment. Our student created motto, "Where all students reach the stars" reflects our philosophy. We are proud of the achievement of students and our rich cultural diversity (79% of our students speak a language other than English at home).
Our school is named after Thomas Leonard (Tom) Wells (1930 - 2000). A politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1963 to 1985. As the Minister of Health in 1969, Wells was responsible for introducing Medicare to the province. In 1972, he was promoted to Minister of Education.
Award Winner:
Thomas L. Wells P.S. opened in September 2005. It is an award winning school, recognized for it's sustainable energy design. It is the first "LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver" certified elementary school in Canada. The LEED building rating system influenced and affected all aspects of the design and construction of the school. Through this project, the TDSB has demonstrated their commitment to becoming a leader in "green schools" and energy conservation.
Awards include:
* Toronto Urban Design Award - Award of Excellence
School Focus:
Our commitment is:
* Improving student achievement in all areas with a particular emphasis on Literacy and Numeracy
* An emphasis on global competencies and 21st Century Learning Skills supported by digital fluency
* Ongoing learning for staff through professional learning communities
* Continuing to deliver a curriculum in a manner that supports the development of positive social skills
* Recognizing student success through character development at monthly assemblies
* The ongoing partnership with our parent community through our School Council
* Continuing to work with our community partners
Literacy:
Our goal is to have the vast majority of students achieving at or above the Provincial standard, with a particular emphasis on the reading achievements of our youngest students. Some of the strategies and actions we will use are: early identification of problems, guided reading groups, differentiated instruction, higher-order thinking skills (e.g. reasoning, analyzing, and drawing conclusions); asking better questions; and giving descriptive feedback.
Numeracy:
Our goal is to support and encourage student understanding and love of math through an inquiry-based approach to teaching math that focuses on problem solving and the communication and demonstration of thinking. Teachers will continue their professional development in this area.
Community, Culture and Caring
Student safety is our priority. We have implemented the Parent Safety Program, in partnership with Toronto Police Service and Parking Enforcement Officers. Parent and student volunteers assist students getting out of their cars every morning and escort young students to their entry doors. We also support our larger community through food drives and fundraising efforts.