Our School
Carson Grove Elementary School is located in the east end of Ottawa, north of Ogilvie Road. Our school is the hub of the Carson Grove area. Established in 1973, this school serves students from the Cyrville, Pineview and Donald Street/Cummings neighbourhoods for the past 40 years. The majority of our students are bussed to school. Carson Grove is an open, welcoming community which celebrates diversity and learning. Together we inspire continuous learning.
Our Students
Carson Grove has approximately 300 students this year. We have a diverse multicultural community that represents approximately 40 countries. The majority of our students attend Henry Munro Middle School for grade 6, and later, many attend Gloucester High School.
Our Staff
There are 22 teachers. Our staff members represent various countries and speak several languages. Many teachers have additional qualifications in Special Education, English as a Second Language, Physical Education, Computers in Education, French as a Second Language, Reading and Visual Arts. Some staff members also hold a Masters degree in Education. To enrich student experiences, many staff members draw on special interests, skills, or hobbies. We are able to provide a variety of activities for our students. There are many clubs such as: reading, choir, art, knitting, games, chess, photography, reading, robotics, ukulele, recorder, drumming and a variety of intramural and extracurricular sports including: soccer, basketball, cross-country, volleyball, ice skating, snowshoeing and tobogganing.
Our Community
The parents and guardians of our students at Carson Grove represent a cultural mosaic of countries around the world. They bring a wide range of experiences, skills and cultures into our school community. Parents and guardians represent our school within the community by promoting tolerance and inclusiveness. Funds raised provide for a variety of field trips, art performances, anti-bullying presentations, opportunities for our students to participate in sports teams and annual cultural events. Almost a decade ago, the School Council initiated an annual Family Feast, a multicultural potluck to bring families, staff and community members together to celebrate our diversity and shared experiences. The popularity of this event continues to grow each year.
Our School Council is composed of a dedicated group of parents and community representatives who work tirelessly to support our students and families. School Council Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. in our Library. School Council welcomes parents and guardians throughout the year.
Facilities and Resources
Carson Grove is a large open-concept school with 4 small mezzanine offices and a gym. Our library is located in the centre of the school and houses the computer lab. The Kindergarten play yard has been expanded to better serve the all-day kindergarten program. There is a city park adjacent to our school. We have the benefit of using the city ice skating rink in the winter. The baseball diamond, basketball court and climber are used during the spring and fall months. There is a hill located at the rear of the school which is used for tobogganing in the winter.
Programs and Services
Academic Programs
We provide English programs with daily Core French instruction. Core French is taught for 20 minutes daily to our Junior and Senior kindergarten students and 40 minutes daily to students in grades 1 through 5. The AIM (Accelerative Integrated Methodology) program has been implemented as our Core French program.
Special Education and ESL Programs
At Carson Grove there is a complement of the following support staff. There are 2.75 Learning Resource Teachers, 2.50 English as a Second Language Teachers as well as 1.0 Learning Support Teacher. All support staff provide in-class assistance to students in their homeroom classes. Every homeroom class has been allocated additional resource teachers to assist students during the Literacy period. Many homerooms have additional support during other subject areas. The Empowered Reading Program is also being continued this year. Many of our students benefit from the use of Intellitools, a form of Assistive Technology.