Achievement and School Improvement Planning
Measures of Student Achievement and Success
We are very proud of the academic and extracurricular achievements of all our students. Some recent highlights include: Nearly 40% of our graduates were Ontario Scholars (over 80% average) in June 2013. At our Fall awards night this October, 52 students ranging from grade nine to eleven received OCDSB silver medals for having averages over 90%.
Recently students in AY’s immersion program have won The French Public Speaking Competition at both the board and Provincial level. They have also placed in individual categories at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University French As a Second Language Competition for core and immersion and placed in a team group.
We are a three time winner of the Isis Officer Ethnocultural Award. At the International School Connection Global Summit in Beijing China in October 2007, A.Y. Jackson was the first school in the world to be given Global Learning Centre status. This acknowledges the depth to which staff embed the importance of being a global citizen into their curriculum.
A.Y. Jackson students volunteer their time and creative abilities for a multitude of causes. They have run campaigns to support our troops and the commercials they created for the school television broadcasts are being distributed nationally. The students have fundraised for Kenya, Darfur, LWAK Girls’ School in Kenya, the Kanata Food Cupboard, the Toy Mountain drive and Operation Christmas Child. A.Y. Jackson offers students the opportunity to compete on more than twenty athletic teams in a wide variety of team and individual sports. Annually our athletic teams compete for city championships and send athletes to the provincial championships. A.Y. Jackson is the only school in North America to have won both Best Musical and Best Play at the Cappies.
Our senior band won gold at the local Kiwanis competition. Over 160 students gained valuable work experience and pursued different pathways by participating in the school’s Coop program.
School Learning Plan and Initiatives
A.Y. Jackson is proud of its high academic expectations of students. We focus on literacy, numeracy, and improving academic success. Students are provided with opportunities to apply for scholarships and are invited to participate in Mathematics, Science, Computer Science, Drama, Music, Athletic and English Contests at competitive levels. This year’s school improvement initiatives will focus on assessment and evaluation strategies to help provide more specific feedback to students and parents about classroom work and curriculum.
A.Y. Jackson offers an International Certificate. Interested students may participate in an international exchange/trip with our partner schools in Zaragoza, Spain or in Suzhou, China.
Grade 12 College bound English students are offered the chance to take part in a dual credit opportunity with Algonquin College which exposes them and transitions them to college expectations. They are taught by both their English teacher and a college teacher and earn both a high school and college credit.
The Junior Drama Classes are paired with John Young E.S. Kindergarten to Grade 3 audiences enjoy the original children’s theatre performances prepared by our students. Our Physical Education students deliver healthy lifestyle seminars at Glen Cairn P.S.
Leadership Recognition
“Leadership in the OCDSB is the demonstration of personal initiative to achieve a positive outcome.”
Students
The Students' Council is actively involved in promoting school spirit throughout the year. Activities include spirit weeks and spirit days with games at lunch in The Pit, dances, and a coffee house, as well as the Welcome Back BBQ in September. Alter Reality are a group affiliated with Free the Children and raised $8000.00 to build a school in Haiti. The group has multiple fundraising activities which include: bracelets of promise, the Chapters Night, Candy for a cause. They also organize a multicultural buffet whose proceeds go towards the building of the school and Free the Children.
Student achievements are recognized formally through academic awards at Commencement and the Fall Awards, and, informally, by posting the Honour Roll on the website and in the school, by recognizing student initiatives during daily announcements, and through the Character Recognition Assemblies.
Staff
Our staff members have a wealth of professional qualifications including Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees. They have actively participated in numerous District-wide and Provincial professional development activities in literacy, numeracy, curriculum, and e-learning. One staff member is co-chair of the Ontario Association for Geographic and Environmental Education. We recognize their initiative by providing and supporting opportunities for further professional growth. Many of the staff members are interested in furthering global citizenship and awareness in their personal and professional lives. The staff recognize leadership and exemplary teaching practice among one another through the awarding of Silver Bowls at staff meetings. We recognize staff leadership by nominating them for local and provincial awards, and by providing opportunities for further professional growth.
Parents/Guardians/Volunteers
Parent and community volunteers contribute by accompanying our students on field trips, coaching school teams, helping to fundraise for our music program, assisting with our technology program, acting as tutors and as library helpers and by serving on the school council as well as on our Safe Schools Committee. Parent/ guardians and community volunteers are an important part of A.Y. Jackson's team.
Community
Our community partners are numerous including: the Kanata Food Cupboard, The Education Foundation of Ottawa, The Legion, The Rotary Club, WORCRC: Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre, the Ottawa 67’s, the Ottawa Senators, the Red Cross, OCENET: Ottawa Carleton Education Network, the Youth Services Bureau (YSB), professional and amateur groups in Kanata. In addition, we have partners with individuals who provide opportunities for our students to be part of the larger community in acts of service to others and in enhancing their own literacy and entrepreneurial skills. We honour the dedication and efforts of our business partners who provide Coop placements by recognizing them with certificates of appreciation.
We also have numerous scholarship providers for whom we are so very grateful to for their support to our students as they venture towards the next part of their journey forward.