Our School
Farley Mowat Public School opened its doors to students on September 5, 2006. The school is located on Waterbridge Drive, which is just west of Prince of Wales Dr. and east of Woodroffe Avenue in the southeast part of Barrhaven. Positioned next to a public park, the school serves students from junior kindergarten to grade 6 in the Regular English Program and Early French Immersion Program.
Our Students
There are 575 students enrolled at the school. The kindergarten division has 139 students, the primary division has 215 students and the junior division has 285 students. The student population reflects the diversity of the Canadian culture. Besides English and French, 42 other languages are spoken by our students.
Our students commented about our school in a recent school climate survey. Here are a few things that they said:
“One thing I like about this school is how diverse this school is.”
“What I like about this school is that everyone in the school is very nice and that the teachers really understand you and make you feel safe and trustworthy.”
“My teacher always wants me to learn a lot of stuff and to never give up”.
Our Staff
We are currently staffed with 34.72 full-time equivalent teachers as well as a Principal and half-time Vice-principal. Many of our teachers have additional qualifications and specialties in a variety of areas including Special Education, the Arts, Physical Education, English as a Second Language, Reading and French as a Second Language. Additionally, we have 1.5 Educational Assistants who support our special needs students in our classrooms and 6 Early Childhood Educators who are members of the Kindergarten team.
Our office is staffed with a full time Office Administrator and one full time Office Assistant. We have one Library Technician supporting learning through the library. We have one Chief Custodian, two full-time custodians and a part time custodian.
Additional support for our students and community comes from a Multicultural Liaison Officer who is on an as needed basis. Periodic visits from a Speech Language Pathologist, a Social Worker, Occupational Therapists and a Psychologist supplement support for students and learning.
Our Community
At Farley Mowat everyone is part of the “Wolf Pack” including our parents and community. We have volunteers assisting in a variety of learning support roles, such as reading to children, preparing learning materials and assisting with field trips. Our parents contribute through fundraising events, special lunches and expanding our volunteer contingent. Parents regularly attend our “Wolf Pack” assemblies where the school recognizes student achievements and students perform.
Our School Council works closely with the school staff supporting and advising on school issues. The Council communicates to the community through the school newsletter and a regular Council newsletter.
The greater community is very supportive of our efforts. They provide prizes to raffle on movie nights as well as participating and supporting our annual Talent Show in May.
Mission Statement
At Farley Mowat Public School, a team of staff led the process of developing a school mission/vision statement. The process involved staff, parents, students and the community, and was completed in early 2008. Our Vision/Mission statement is:
- Members of the Farley Mowat Wolf Pack have high moral character, achieve personal success in learning, and are actively involved in our community.
- We will work together to make our vision a reality, through modelling, practice, diligence and positive attitudes
Facilities and Resources
Farley Mowat Public School was designed to be fully accessible to disabled people. There is abundant natural light in all areas of the school, and there are bright, open common areas and hallways. The school has excellent gym facilities with a full regulation basketball court main gym that can be divided into two half-court size gyms with an automated divider. A fold down stage is available in the gym. There are five well equipped kindergarten rooms, 18 regular classrooms, a beautiful bright library, as well as literacy and math resource rooms. We currently have 6 portable classrooms on site, with 5 in active use. The school yard has a soccer field, basketball court, primary play structure and fenced kindergarten play structure. Our school is adjacent to Cresthaven Park and our students use the park during Physical Education classes. Waterbridge School Age Daycare is attached to the school.
Programs and Services
Academic Programs
JK/SK:
- Alternate days of French/English
Grade 1 to 6 English Regular Program with Core French:
- 40 minutes per day of Core French in grades 1 to 6
Grade 1 to Grade 6 Early French Immersion Program:
- 80% French in Grade 1
- 60% French in Grades 2 and 6 – 40% English language arts and math (taught in English)
Special Education and ESL Programs
Our Student Support Team is made up of one full time and one quarter time Learning Support Teachers and 3 part time special education and English as Second Language teachers. They collaborate with all of our teachers to support all students with special needs through a co-teaching, integrated model. Our learning resource and learning support teachers are in classrooms during literacy and numeracy learning times, and they see students to provide a variety of support at other times of the day. Additionally, we have 1.5 full time educational assistants who provide support for students in the classroom and outside in the schoolyard.
Clubs and Activities
In the Wolf Pack, we engage in a wide range of activities beyond the classroom. Our sports programs include intramural school based activities that encourage widespread participation. Our students compete with other schools in the board in soccer, cross country running, basketball, volleyball, and other sports.
Our School Council has been very supportive of our extra- and co-curricular activities. Among other things, they have provided playground equipment, buddy benches, sports jerseys, Lego robotics kits, technology, sound and lighting equipment, choir music, stage stairs and arts performances for the students. Our School Council is in the process of helping to fund an Outdoor classroom.