Parent Information
Hello! Welcome to the Golden Learning Centre
Overview
Golden Learning Centre Public School is located in the mining community of Balmertown, Ontario. Golden Learning Centre serves the communities of Balmertown, Cochenour, McKenzie Island, and the northern side of the Chukuni River subdivision.
BELIEFS AND MISSION
The Golden Learning Centre staff have worked together to develop the following beliefs and mission. We work together to stay true to what we believe and to accomplish our mission.
The staff of the Golden Learning Centre believes in:
- Respect
- Excellence
- Partnership
Our mission as a staff is to create and maintain an environment where trust, respect, and high expectations prevail. All GLC staff members work as a team to enhance students’ learning and growth. Our mission is to sustain sincere interest in the total education of each student‘s academic, social, emotional and physical well-being. We strive to foster a high professional ethic in ourselves and each other.
SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY
The educational philosophy at the Golden Learning Centre provides for consistent daily authentic learning experiences and encourages each individual to develop to his/her full potential.
We believe that all learners differ from each other, and the curriculum has been designed to allow for these differences. It is our aim to foster learning by providing opportunities for creative thinking and effective problem solving.
We also believe that we must develop in children a desire to learn and an acceptance of responsibility for themselves and towards others. The attitude with which our children approach school and their studies is an essential component. By working with and supporting each other we believe that positive attitudes, values, and work habits can be fostered and maintained.
Our address is:
Golden Learning Centre
16 Eric Radford Way
Balmertown, ON
P0V 1C0
Phone: (807) 735-2088
Fax: (807) 735-3127
School Hours
The school day is organized in the following manner:
School day begins 8:20 am
Morning Nutrition Break 10:00 to 10:25
Afternoon Nutrition Break 12:05 to 12:55
Day ends 2:35 pm
Facility
The Golden Learning Centre was built in 1991, combining Cochenour Public School and Balmertown Public School. Although over 20 years old, Golden Learning Centre has maintained a look of ‘newness’. This purposeful maintenance can be credited to our capable maintenance staff consisting of three dedicated workers and a school culture that promotes pride and responsibility for everyone to do their share. This combined effort resulted in a facility award in 2008-2009. Visitors and newcomers to Golden Learning Centre often comment on the overall condition and cleanliness of our school.
Our library is a large, welcoming space used for student activities, school council meetings, and community meetings. The gymnasium is used for school sports, concerts, and school wide productions. Community groups such as Scouts also use the gym on a weekly basis. The Northwest Health Unit uses our centrally located gym for flu shot clinics. Golden Learning Centre also has a mini lab adjacent to the library. Literacy resources are centrally located in the Bookroom.
In addition to regular classes, our school houses a childcare facility and a community toy library and Early Years Centre, which are administered by the Municipality of Red Lake. The municipality is also responsible for the ice rink and shed located on school property.
Enrolment and Staffing
Total enrolment as of today is 184 full time students from FDEL (Kindergarten) Year # 1 to Grade 8. We currently have twenty-fouridentified First Nations children, and eightMetis children.
The Golden Learning Centre currently has nine full time classroom teachers, one SERT, one FSL teacher, and one half-time Music teacher. Two ECEs, two EAs, one administrative assistants and a half time librarian compliment the GLC team of professionals.
Programming and Curriculum Highlights
Golden Learning Centre’s school improvement planning is a school-wide plan, with input from staff and students. Our school improvement plan aligns with the Board Strategic Implementation Plan and Provincial educational goals. Our school wide focus is to improve literacy and numeracy achievement, and prepare our students for the 21st century. We are also committed to early identification of all at risk students, academically, socially, and emotionally.
Our learning focus continues to be on the K.P.D.S.B. math initiatives, reading/writing connections, comprehension strategies, and oral language. We continue to focus on assessment as a tool to engage students in their own learning and provide consistent oral and written feedback for continual improvement. Our professional learning is supported by all teachers as a means to learn more about increasing student achievement.
The Golden Learning Centre is also committed to providing students with authentic and relevant teaching and learning experiences. We endeavour to connect our students to the real world and the issues that evolve daily. Currently Golden Learning Centre is expanding our commitment to caring for our environment. This school year Golden Learning Centre completed our journey into becoming a GOLD Certified Eco-School for the ninth year! Although this is a huge challenge, students and staff are committed to continuous improvement in the areas of waste management, energy consumption, and greening our school grounds. An in-school Eco Team meets monthly to provide direction to the school as we maintain our certification. This initiative is supported by the Municipality of Red Lake, Chukuni Waste Management/Vermi-composting, and Communities in Bloom. In 2016 a group of committed eco-students presented to our municipal council a declaration for all taxpayers to have the right to clean water, air and to live in a healthy environment. This global initiative is called the Blue Dot campaign and was passed as a new town by-law!
At the Golden Learning Centre we also believe that our students need to develop the use of technology as a learning tool. GLC students in for every grade four to eight classroom receive a netbook and four Ipads are in each of the grade one to three classrooms. All classrooms also have SMART boards too! Our comfort level with emerging technology and its benefits continues to grow. Our teachers communicate with parents using email and our website is updated frequently. Our school news and events are posted on our website. This year we have become increasingly connected to our school social media sites and have posted (almost daily) on our GLC Twitter, Facebook and Instagram sites.
Programs Supporting Students
GLC is fortunate to be the only school in the RL-EF attendance area that provides music lessons to our children.
Every second year the GLC students perform in a Fine Arts production.We realized a long time ago, the educational and community benefits of a school-wide musical. Our very first show, Pinocchio, ran in 1997. This year we are proud to announce our 10th production.
Staff and community support a wide variety of extra-curricular activities including soccer, cross country running, volleyball, basketball, track and field, travel clubs, dances, bi-annual school wide production, cross country skiing, and breakfast club. Service learning and volunteerism is also woven into the fabric of the Golden Learning Centre culture. Initiatives such as the Red Lake Homeless Shelter, Jump Rope, Terry Fox Walk, and care for our environment all contribute to the well-rounded education of our students. We even have a student created monthly newspaper! Many of these initiatives have come about because of student initiative and voice.
Golden Learning Centre’s parent council is very supportive of students. Our school council consists of 9 parent members and 2 student representatives. School council is very productive meeting the needs of students. In past years, school council has organized an author’s visit, staff appreciation, and a ‘career day’, where students explored a number of careers related to the trades and the environment. School council has a number of projects in the works for the future. Organizing Family Math Nights and updating old playground equipment has become their priorities.