Principal’s Message
Welcome to the A.Y. Jackson Secondary School website - we are looking forward to a great 2018-2019 school year!
A.Y. Jackson Secondary School opened in 1976, and has over 40 years of experience of positive relationships with the Glen Cairn and South Kanata community. Our website provides students, parents, guardians and the community with information about academics, well-being, and extra-curricular activities.
At A.Y. Jackson, we encourage our students to respect everybody, every day, all of the time. We want our students to become global citizens and to develop global perspectives. This school year, we will work closely with students to develop and nurture Exit Outcomes, which are a part of our Board’s Strategic Plan. Exit Outcomes are the characteristics we want our students to have such as being goal-oriented, globally aware, resilient, collaborative, and innovative/creative, as well as to develop the skills to become critical thinkers, academically diverse, digitally fluent, effective communicators and ethical decision-makers. We also challenge our students to contribute positively to the lives of others and to be a positive force in their communities. Our students have led many successful initiatives from charity to community fundraising events which have created a legacy of service and achievement at our school.
Our School Learning Plan is designed to foster the achievement of all our students. We are currently focusing on key areas:
- To ensure that all students are well-educated regarding their options for post-secondary pathways including employment, apprenticeships, training, college and university pathways.
- To promote the development of Literacy and Numeracy skills in a whole school, cross-curricular endeavor.
- To establish a culture of well-being with all members of the A.Y. community, where mental and physical health are first in our learning and decision-making.
- To foster an awareness, appreciation and experience with the global community.
As well, our staff and students will continue our tradition of strong leadership and inclusive initiatives which include:
- Sources of Strength - a program where students and staff participate in training to provide the highest quality evidence-based prevention for suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse, by training, supporting, and empowering both peer leaders and caring adults to have an impact through the power of connection, hope, help, and strength.
- A Man-Up group which was formed two years ago, and is continuing to grow to provide positive, prosocial leadership to the young men of A.Y. through leadership and educational forums.
- A very active and open Diversity Club who promotes the positive values, inclusion and appreciation of diversity. A.Y. is home for students and staff of all gender expression and orientation.
Our website also includes information from our Student and School Council, as well as our programs in Academics, Fine Arts and Athletics. Please look through our website to learn about our teams, bands, clubs and programs. Our school provides students with many opportunities that add to student learning and well-being. We look forward to working with our students, parents and A.Y. Jackson community this year.
Sincerely,
Kristin Riddell, Principal