Mission, Vision, Goals, & Pillars

Our School

At Joseph M. Demko School, we want every child to have the confidence and the motivation to be the best they can be. By remembering our mission and vision, focusing on our core values and believing each child can make a difference in the world, we are confident our students will become successful citizens in the ever-changing global community.

Mission

We all Shine

Vision

To provide a stimulating learning environment whereby students within the Joseph M. Demko School community will become:

  • engaged readers, writers and mathematicians with the tools to learn about and enjoy the world around them;
  • confident members of our digital world, able to access and manage online information in a responsible way;
  • positive and active caretakers of their bodies, striving to maintain a healthy lifestyle in creative ways;
  • empathetic problem solvers, able to relate, respond and restore relationships;
  • community leaders with a heart for service; and
  • global citizens, who can appreciate the contributions that other cultural groups make to our community, country and world.

Goals

1. Building collaborative and caring relationships with students, staff and the school community to foster a culture of connectedness, courage and compassion

  • Students and staff  learning the importance of exhibiting the core values of being STARS (Strength, Teamwork, Achieving Excellence, Respect and Spirit) 
  • Team building activities that will help form a caring and dynamic culture of learning and belonging 
  • Special celebrations that will highlight the strengths of everyone 
  • Cross age activities  

2. STEAM Educational approach to learning 

  • STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Arts and Math (Demko context) 
  • STEAM learning happens naturally everyday as children explore, play, and try new things
  • When students have the opportunity to investigate the world around them, they learn to take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning , persist in problem solving, embrace collaboration and work through the creative process. They wonder, critique, inquire and innovate. 
  • Research shows there is a positive relationship between early STEAM experiences and future success in school
  • STEAM’s interdisciplinary and engaging  approach to subjects prepares students by promoting intentional connections, highlighting process based learning, asking deep questions and finding solutions that the real world is facing

3. Supporting a balanced approach to literacy

  • Diagnostic reading and writing assessments
  • Class structures and classroom libraries  promoting reading
  • Reading and Writing  workshops
  • Integration of the Daily Five and Café, and components of balanced literacy
  • STAR Reading time
  • Reading intervention (LLI) and targeted literacy supports in Kindergarten 
  • Writing development

4. Enhance staff instructional capacity as well as student engagement in Math

  • Provide professional development opportunities to all staff in Math (math coaches, group and team teaching)
  • Design meaningful  instruction that focuses on difficult  student outcomes (Sprint)
  • Explore possible diagnostic tools to help in targeting student needs
  • Provide resource and Math fairs to build numeracy capacity for all learners
  • Numeracy foundation in Kindergarten
  • New curriculum exploration

Pillars

Joy

  • We are happy and excited to be in our school community

  • We are passionate and creative in the learning process

  • We nurture curiosity and celebrate successes

  • We are inviting and caring in our interactions

  • We laugh and have fun together

Mindfulness

  • We are engaged and attentive in our learning

  • We are aware of our emotions and strive to be balanced

  • We are compassionate and empathetic with others

  • We are adaptable and resilient in changing situations and activities

  • We respond appropriately and effectively in our interactions

Diversity

  • We foster positive and authentic relationships

  • We are an inclusive and safe environment for everyone

  • We appreciate individuality and cultivate respect

  • We promote diverse learning opportunities

  • We encourage classroom opportunities for problem solving, critical thinking and creativity