Quick Facts
- Our school welcomes approximately 300 students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 each year.
- We offer full-day bilingual Kindergarten, and the English program with Core French.
- Our JK to Grade 6 pupils come primarily from the immediate neighborhood. Grade 7 and 8 students come from the area and our feeder schools: R.E. Wilson, Queen Mary, Rockcliffe Park, Manor Park and Viscount Alexander Public School.
- After completing Grade 8, most students attend OTSS, Gloucester HS or Lisgar Collegiate Institute.
Our Mission
“With the support of staff, parents and the community, students at York Street Public School will strive to be life-long learners by achieving their highest potential within an inclusive environment that promotes caring, responsibility and respect.”
- We believe in maintaining and supporting high expectations for all students. We believe a safe and attractive environment promotes effective teaching and learning.
- We believe that the success of our students hinges on our ability to communicate and collaborate effectively as a professional learning community.
- We believe that family and community involvement is an integral part of the academic and social development of our students.
Registration
Interested in registering your child at our school? Contact us or visit the OCDSB Registration page for more information.
About Our School "The Castle"
York Street Public School is a large, heritage school located in Lowertown Ottawa in the Laurier/King Edward/Cobourg area. This heritage building, in the core of the city, has served its community for over 100 years. Due to its regal appearance the school has been nicknamed, “The Castle”.
Our School Community:
Our school has a diverse community of students, representing many cultures and languages. Many activities are planned throughout the school year where students from all grades have opportunities to collaborate, mentor, and learn from each other. They gain leadership and teamwork experience by getting involved in student council, teams, clubs.
The York Street staff is dedicated to providing personalized learning for every student in the school. We embrace challenges and strive to foster the love of learning in an inclusive and positive learning environment. All curriculum areas are solidly represented in the expertise of York staff. We take pride in the wide range of activities that the staff provides for our students that promote their physical, social, emotional and academic development. In addition, the staff at York includes a Multicultural Liaison Officer, a Social Worker, Psychologist, Speech and Language Pathologist and a community education liaison. We have a number of volunteers from the community who support reading, the arts and the breakfast program.
Our multicultural community is striving to ensure that resources are accessible to all. Community resources for youth are available in French (Le Patro) and English (Lowertown Community Resource Center).
The Lowertown Community Resource Centre, located at 201 Friel St, offers a variety of programs for children and youth, including Club 310, a free after-school program that operates out of York Street P.S.
Within walking distance of our school are museums, swimming pools, a public library, a skating rink/Jules Morin Baseball Park, Winterlude festivities, the NAC, Parliament Hill, and City Hall. We are able to enhance the curriculum with immediate community resources.
We appreciate the work of our School Council who organizes events to raise funds for the school.
Programs, Supports and Activities:
Academic Programs
York is a single-track school offering regular English programs from JK to grade 8 with core French instruction. We provide ESL support to students who are in the process of acquiring English language skills and Special Education support through an integrated program delivery model.
Special Education and ESL Programs
Students who need additional support to achieve academic success have access to our effective Special Education and ESL programs. Our Special Education staff work closely with classroom teachers to monitor student progress and to develop and implement Individual Education Plans.
Facilities and Learning Tools
Our school includes the following resources:
- Gymnasium with stage facilities
- Instrumental Music room
- Large playground
- Library/Resource Centre
- Literacy Room
Activities
Students have opportunities to get involved in a wide range of clubs, athletic teams, and activities. These activities change throughout the year.
Equity, Inclusion and Indigenous Education
A strong commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility is embedded throughout the OCDSB 2023-2027 Strategic Plan and captured within each area of focus: learning, well-being, and social responsibility. We strive to ensure that our school is a welcoming and safe place for students of all identities to feel valued and respected as they engage, learn, grow, explore, and discover. For more information, please visit the OCDSB’s Equity and Diversity website.
Child Care
The following programs are offered at our school:
The EarlyON Child and Family Centre is located in our school. This centre is part of the Ministry of Education’s Early Learning Initiative. The centre helps prepare children (aged 0 to 6 years) for starting school and encourages families to be a part of their children's learning. For more information, visit the OCDSB website.