Quick Facts
- Our school welcomes approximately 125 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6 each year.
- We offer Alternative programming for full-day bilingual Kindergarten, and English with Core French.
- After Grade 6, students attend Summit Alternative School or the intermediate school closest to their place of residence.
Mission Statement
Our school focus is to create a safe and caring environment that allows all students, staff, and community members to express themselves confidently and be celebrated for all aspects of their identities. We believe that students need to experience a true sense of belonging, rather than “fitting in” to an existing system. Student voice and creating the spaces for each student to achieve their full potential are foundational at our school.
Registration
Interested in registering your child at our school? Contact us or visit the OCDSB Registration page for more information.
About Our School
Lady Evelyn’s Alternative program has been a successful reality for over 30 years. Although the following characteristics are found in many individual classrooms in both alternative and non-alternative schools, they are the foundation of the Alternative Education philosophy. This philosophy is implemented through a partnership of shared responsibility among staff, students and parents. The seven alternative program tenets are:
- Cooperation and teamwork
- Innovative approaches
- Balanced student-directed and teacher-directed learning
- Multi-aged groupings
- Integrated curriculum
- Family and community-centered school environment
- Ongoing assessment and evaluation
Students
Students are regularly involved in multi-age groupings. Students’ ideas are valued and actioned with the support of staff. Many of our clubs are student-initiated (rubik's cube club, video game chat club, kindness club). There is an evolving selection of clubs that are responsive to student interests. Many students are bilingual and even trilingual.
Staff
Lady Evelyn’s dynamic staff includes Teachers, Educational Assistants, Custodial Staff, Office Staff, Lunch Time Monitors,an Early Childhood Educator, and a Principal. Several staff members are bilingual (English/French). Many teachers mentor student teachers throughout the school year. The staff is committed to supporting students in achieving their full potential.
Parents/Guardians and Community
Parents are actively involved in daily activities in the classroom, at special events, and school outings. They share their expertise and knowledge on a regular basis to enhance curriculum and student learning. We have an active school council. The school welcomes community volunteers through many agencies and organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa, The Somali Centre for Family Services, Ottawa Public Health, and the Ottawa Network for Education. We are also committed to supporting local and sustainable businesses.
Lady Evelyn implements the Ontario Curriculum. We provide the following programs:
- Full-day Bilingual Kindergarten (JK-SK): 50% English instruction and 50% French instruction.
- Alternative Program with Core French (Grades 1-6): Instruction in the English language in all subject areas as well as instruction in French through Core French (40 minutes daily).
We offer integrated units and plan whole school, multi-age groupings regularly. Our teachers work collaboratively and find opportunities to team teach. Team teaching allows teachers to know many students and increases the comfort level of students. This supports students as they move up through the grade levels. Student mentoring and split grade classes are promoted.
Classes participate in multi-aged groupings and monthly tenet assemblies. This allows children to learn to help younger students while reinforcing their own knowledge and gives students the opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Younger students are able to be challenged by their older classmates. Multi-age groupings represent the real world where a variety of ages must work collaboratively and value the strengths and needs of its members.
We follow a tiered support model responsive to the unique needs and abilities of each child.
Students have opportunities to get involved in a wide range of clubs, athletic teams, and activities. For more details, visit our Teams and Clubs page.
Lady Evelyn Alternative School has:
- A beautiful, well-maintained building with large windows and natural light.
- A library with a large collection of books
- Gym with change room/shower facilities
- A fully fenced schoolyard
- One play structure
- Access to the downtown area and resources
- Wheelchair accessibility
- Opportunities for students to participate in weekly virtual sharing circles with the Indigenous Education Team
- Intertribal dancing lessons several times a year
- Honouring and centering Indigenous art
- Commitment to honouring and acknowledging all identities
- Commitment to professional development in the areas of anti-racism and trauma informed practices
- A calling in culture where we support one another to be bias aware in order to identify and dismantle barriers
The Indigenous, Equity, and Human Rights Roadmap and Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action underpin the work that we do.
Community Child Care Provider:
Rainbow Kid School (Carleton Preschool) operates in the building providing seamless preschool and after school care for many of our students.
In accordance with the Education Act and its regulations, school boards may directly operate child care programs or they may enter into an agreement with a Community Child Care Partner. The OCDSB has developed and entered into partnerships at a number of elementary schools with Community Child Care Partners. Our Community Child Care Partners are regulated by the Ministry of Education, and licensed under the Child Care and Early Years Act, 2014. These programs offer a fee based service for children and their caring adults. For information regarding their child care options, please contact the Child Care provider directly at: carletonpreschool@gmail.com